The Government of Israel and the Government of Thailand have signed on July 13th, 2020, in Jerusalem, a new agreement for the recruitment of 25,000 Thai workers for agricultural work in Israel. An Implementation Arrangement to this agreement was signed today, July 20th, 2020 in Bangkok, by Director – General of the Department of Employment of the Thai Ministry of Labour and by the Ambassador of Israel, on behalf of the Population and Immigration Authority in the Israeli Ministry of Interior, setting out the procedures for recruitment.
This agreement follows the first bilateral agreement, which was signed in December 2010, and enabled the recruitment of Thai workers in a legal and transparent manner. The 2010 agreement has regulated the procedure and prevented illegal actions, such as the high charges which were paid by Thai workers to private recruitment companies.
The signing of the new bilateral agreement is a significant milestone in the cooperation between Thailand and Israel, as it has forged close connection between the two peoples. Within this framework, tens of thousands of Thai workers have already worked in Israel so far, in a protected and respected employment.
Israel is considered as an attractive work destination for Thais. The Thai workers enjoy attractive income as well as legal protection of employment rights according to the Israeli law. The workers can also transfer valuable knowledge in agricultural techniques from Israel into practice in Thailand upon their return.
The Thai agricultural workers in Israel are an important component of Israel’s economy, which need skilled agricultural work force. Over the years, the dedication and hard work of Thai workers have greatly contributed to a success of the Israeli farming, which is recognized worldwide as the global leader in agricultural technologies.
The Ambassador of Israel in Thailand, Dr. Meir Shlomo said today:
“This agreement is the flagship project of bilateral relations between Israel and Thailand. I have no doubt that it will continue to contribute significantly to more prosperity in Thailand and in Israel, and to enhance job creation especially during these times of economic difficulties.
We sincerely thank the Ministry of Labor and the Thai Government for successfully holding intensive negotiations during recent months, despite the very challenging circumstances of the covid-19 pandemic”.