On August 17, Rewat Areerob, president of the Phuket Provincial Administrative Organization (PAO), said he had submitted a letter to the Minister of Labour asking the ministry to consider addressing the issue and introducing urgent measures concerning the impact of foreign workers in Phuket. The Phuket PAO has received complaints and heard concerns from local residents, while its monitoring of quality-of-life development and public health found that Phuket currently has a large number of foreign workers entering the workforce. This has led to overcrowding in state medical and public health services.

Rewat said the issue was particularly serious in cases where foreign workers give birth at public hospitals in the area, which directly affects local residents in terms of the convenience and speed of access to medical services, limitations on staff and hospital beds, as well as the overall burden on household living costs and public health budgets. Other ongoing problems have also been identified, including some groups of foreign workers taking jobs from Thai citizens, overcrowded communities, and concerns over the safety of local residents and their property. These problems have had a significant impact on the way of life, local identity, and public order in Phuket.

The Phuket PAO president added that, as a large local administrative organization responsible for providing public services, promoting social development and public health, and maintaining public order, the PAO is concerned about the hardships faced by local residents. However, the management of foreign workers, regulation of employment, and administration of certain welfare measures fall directly under the supervision and authority of the Ministry of Labour.

He therefore called on the Minister of Labour to implement urgent measures as follows: 1. In terms of public health welfare, he called for a review and stricter enforcement of the health insurance system for foreign workers, including withholding coverage for childbirth-related care, imposing controls on childbirth, and pushing for amendments to laws governing childbirth by foreign workers so that they would not be entitled to give birth in Thailand. He also called for measures requiring dependents and children of foreign workers to fully enroll in the health insurance system, in order to prevent local medical facilities from having to shoulder the medical costs and to reduce the impact on services provided to local residents. 2. In terms of employment controls and competition for jobs, he called for stricter inspections and enforcement against foreign workers who illegally work or engage in occupations reserved for Thai citizens,” Rewat said.

Phuket Official Urges Labour Ministry to Tackle Surge in Foreign Workers Giving Birth at Public Hospitals