The Philippine Department of Tourism (DOT) Friday said that the authorities in Thailand are eager to hire Filipino hospitality workers to address the manpower shortages.
The Thailand government is looking to address its shortage of workforce in the accommodation industry.
Minister Phiphat Ratchakitprakarn of Thailand’s Ministry of Tourism and Sports (MOTS) has placed a request with the DOT Secretary Christina Frasco to help Bangkok address the 60-percent shortage in the accommodation sector workforce.
Frasco asked Thailand to participate in the Tourism Job Fairs organized by the DOT and the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) in September.
“The Thailand Minister gladly accepted and confirmed their participation. This would bring in a wealth of employment opportunities for Filipinos wanting to work in Thailand,” Frasco said in a statement.
The authorities also held discussions on strengthening bilateral tourism initiatives between Thailand and the Philippines and agreed to renew the Implementing Program of Cooperation.
“I accept with gratitude the minister’s sentiments, saying that he would like more people from Thailand to visit the Philippines, to equalize the number of people from the Philippines who visit Thailand,” Frasco said.
“With your government’s help and our partnership, we look forward to increasing that number and we would welcome you with open arms in the Philippines,” she added.
As of August 14, over 1.2 million foreign tourists have visited the Philippines, 6,401 of which are Thai nationals.
