ASEAN citizens relax on National Labor Day
at Jomtien Beach.
Urasin Khantaraphan & Surasak Huasoon
A sign of things to come could be found on Pattaya-area beaches on Labor
Day, where large numbers of Burmese, Cambodian and Laotian laborers
could be found in the umbrella chairs.
Jomtien Beach sea-rescue officer Wanlop Bunchu said the foreign workers
are a common site on holidays as the 2015 start of the ASEAN Economic
Community nears. Under AEC rules, labor markets in all the Association
of South East Asians member nations will be liberalized to allow greater
cross-border employment.
Wanlop said he sees the foreign laborers as hard workers with
perseverance and a willingness to work cheaply. Thais will find them
strong competition in the new AEC marketplace, he said.
In addition to greater integration of economies and transportation
systems, the AEC will bring more cultural diversity to Thailand,
pressuring Thais to do better in learning English. It will also have
impacts on tourism, trade, and financial collaboration.
Thais also fear the AEC will erode the country’s sovereignty, as the
government prioritizes benefits from the common market. They also worry
a greater number of foreigners will decrease the country’s stability,
more than its color-coded political factions have already done.
Proponents, however, say the greater internationalization of the country
will be good for the job market.
