Ambassador of Sri Lanka in Bangkok meets Thai Minister of Labour to discuss Labour Cooperation

The Ambassador and Permanent Representative of Sri Lanka to Thailand, Wijayanthi Edirisinghe, met with the Minister of Labour of Thailand, Pongkawin Jungrungruangkit, at the Ministry of Labour in Bangkok to explore the potential recruitment of Sri Lankan workers to Thailand.

During the meeting, the Thai side acknowledged the growing need for foreign labour to address the shortfall and expressed a strong interest in expanding Thailand’s labour cooperation to include Sri Lanka. He further informed that while Thailand has existing Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) on labour cooperation with Laos, Myanmar, Cambodia, and Vietnam, the government is now actively seeking to diversify its sources of foreign labour in light of the ongoing shortages.

In this context, the Minister expressed keen interest in recruiting Sri Lankan workers, with a particular focus on the construction and industrial sectors. He underscored Thailand’s willingness to work closely with Sri Lanka in formalizing a bilateral arrangement between two countries.

The Ambassador reaffirmed Sri Lanka’s readiness to supply a skilled, reliable, and professional workforce and will work closely with the relevant authorities to formalize the procedures.

The meeting was attended by Deputy Chairman of Advisory Board of the Minister Kittipon Ruayfupant, Advisory Board of the Minister LCdr. Wittawat Kuprasert, Deputy Permanent Secretary Sarmart Pattamasukhon, Director General of Department of Employment Sornchai Morakotsriwan, Director General of Department of Labour Protection & Welfare Saroch Komka, and Deputy Director General, Skill Development Pattarawut Persalae. The Counsellor & Head of Chancery Samanmali Atalugama, Minister Counsellor (Commercial), Shiwanthi Abeyrathne also attended the meeting.

This high-level meeting marks an important milestone in advancing bilateral cooperation in the field of labour migration. The Embassy of Sri Lanka in Bangkok remains committed to working collaboratively with Thai authorities to ensure that this initiative is implemented efficiently, and in the shared interest of both countries.

Embassy of Sri Lanka
Bangkok
11 August 2025