A nine-member Thai delegation, led by Vice Minister of Labor and Social Welfare Apai Chantanaju-laka, arrived in Taipei yesterday to discuss a delayed bilateral agreement on the direct hiring of Thai laborers.
It was the first official Thai delegation to visit Taiwan since talks on the labor agreement stalled in late August after Thailand denied Council of Labor Affairs Chairwoman Chen Chu (
The accord was designed to protect Thai citizens intending to work in Taiwan from being exploited by employment agents on both sides.
Taiwan is Thailand's largest labor export market. More than 100,000 Thai workers are now legally working in Taiwan. Thai workers typically have to pay about 200,000 baht (NT$160,000) in brokerage fees.
Thai Labor Minister Suwat Liptapananlop said earlier this month that Taiwan had stopped issuing work permits to Thais since the visa issue arose. More than 2,000 Thai workers are waiting to come to Taiwan.
The delegation is composed of officials from the Thai labor and foreign affairs departments.
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