Flood-hit workers move to Eastern Seaboard

Workers relocate to Chonburi & east coast, some after losing job, others for future job security in flood-free area.

Job seekers looking at job ads at a job fair at Amata Nakorn Industrial Estate in Chon Buri yesterday. More than 300 companies in the eastern province have 20,000 positions available to help flood-hit factory workers. (Photo: SOMCHAI POOMLARD) 

Click button to listen to Floods Job Fair to download

Have skills, will travel: Workers displaced by floods find relief in labour-hungry eastern provinces by Nanchanok Wongsamuth

Not only are residents and business operators flocking to other provinces to flee the floods; so too are workers, many of whom have lost their jobs at factories that have been inundated.

Coming from Pathum Thani, 27-year-old Nittiya Sriphua was among 10,000 applicants at a jobs fair yesterday at Chon Buri's Amata Nakorn Industrial Estate.

Although she was not laid off by her company, Pronec (Thailand) Co, employee benefits and concerns about future floods pushed her to apply for a job as a quality-control engineer.

"At my previous workplace, I earned 18,000 baht per month," said Ms Nittiya, "and even though I might get higher wages at other places such as Rojana Industrial Park, I won't accept the job" because of the location.

Sompratana Saisanguansup, 22, was applying for a job as a production engineer with her sister, who needs a temporary job as she waits for the water around her previous workplace to recede.

Unlike her sister, Ms Sompratana was laid off by her employer at Seiko Instruments in the Nava Nakorn Industrial Estate, where she had been working for four months at a salary of 16,000 to 17,000 baht per month.

The company "called to say that the factory might not be able to operate until January next year, so I came here with my sister", Ms Sompratana said. "I'm afraid I won't get the job, and I still don't know where to go if that's the case.

Viboon Kromadit, the director and chief operating officer of Amata Corporation Plc, Thailand's leading industrial estate operator, says Amata had a large demand for tens of thousands of workers, as the estate sees 50-60 new factories each year and 20-30 expansions.

According to Mr Viboon, demand for workers is high in the automotive and electronic parts sectors, as well as the construction sector.

Amata expects sales to rise by at least 20% in 2012 to 1,800 rai as floods prompt overseas manufacturers to look at locations in other areas. Sales this year are forecast at 1,500 rai.

Amata Nakorn houses more than 700 factories, mostly Japanese with a few Chinese, European, American and Taiwanese ventures. Most are manufacturers of auto parts, paints and petrochemicals.

Chon Buri governor Wichit Chatphaisit said the province had a high demand for skilled labour; many factories have high standards and may not accept workers without experience.

He added the German ambassador had expressed interest in setting up a training institute for workers in Chon Buri.

About 300 companies, half of which are located in Amata Nakorn, participated in yesterday's jobs fair, which is expected to accommodate up to 20,000 jobs.

It is estimated that the floods have left 300,000 workers unemployed.

"Many of the business operators [in flooded industrial estates] have stopped production, but they still have costs to pay, especially in interest loans," Mr Wichit said. "Even though we are not helping them with their cash flow, at least we are helping them ease the burden of paying wages by relocating some of the workers here for a period of time.

Pichit Nilthongkum, head of the Chon Buri Provincial Employment Office, said it could have higher labour demand with the expansion of the industrial sector and factory relocations.

"However, demand might be tempered with more high-tech use, resulting in less need for a workforce," he said

(Source: Bangkok Post, Have skills, will travel, Workers displaced by floods find relief in labour-hungry eastern provinces, 24/11/2011, Nanchanok Wongsamuth, link) 

Labour Market and Job Search Vocabulary

Eastern Seaboard - the area with many factories south of Bangkok to Chonburi to Pattaya to Rayong, "an emerging economic region, and plays a key role in Thailand's economy. Its importance lies in the fact that it is Thailand's center for export oriented industries. High value goods, such as Japanese branded automobiles, which are manufactured there and shipped to other ports, are among the many exports. The region comprises Chon Buri Province, Chachoengsao Province, Samut Prakan Province and Rayong Province" (See Wikipedia)

skills - a type of work or task requiring special training and knowledge ทักษะ ความสามารถเฉพาะทาง
displaced - (of people) forced to leave their home, especially because of war or a natural disaster ซึ่งออกจากที่อยู่ไป, ซึ่งย้ายที่
relief - help; assistance การช่วยให้พ้นภัย help for improving a bad physical condition or a bad situation การผ่อนคลาย, การบรรเทา

workers displaced by floods find relief in labour-hungry eastern provinces

residents - people who live in a particular place or area ชาวบ้านในบริเวณ ผู้อาศัยในบริเวณ
business operators - business people who own and run a business
flee - to leave a place or person quickly because you are afraid of possible danger หนี อพยพ

residents and business operators flocking to other provinces to flee the floods;

inundated - flooded ถูกน้ำท่วม, จมลงใต้น้ำ
lost their jobs at factories that have been inundated

apply for a job - make an official request to be considered for an open job at a company
quality control - the job of making sure that the goods produced in a factory meet standards and are of high quality (See Wikipedia)
apply for a job as a quality-control engineer

job applicant - a person requesting to work at a company (to be hired for a job or open position)
Nittiya Sriphua was among 10,000 applicants at a jobs fair yesterday

laid off - lost their job (not because they did something wrong, but because the factory had no more work for them to do)
laid off by her company

employer - a person, company, or organisation that pays someone to work for them as a member of their staff นายจ้าง
laid off by her employer

employee - someone who is paid regularly to work for a person or an organisation ลูกจ้าง
benefits - things like health insurance that employees receives in addition to their salary and wages
concerns - worries ความกังวล

employee benefits and concerns about future floods

wages - the amount of money earned per hour by a worker
I might get higher wages at other places

temporary - done or used for only a limited period of time, i.e., not permanent ชั่วคราว
temporary job - a job for a short period of time (not permanent)
recede - to move back; to move further away into the distance ถอยหลัง

needs a temporary job as she waits for the water around her previous workplace to recede.

salary - a fixed amount of money that you earn each month or year from your job เงินเดือน
she had been working for four months at a salary of 16,000 to 17,000 baht per month

officer - a high level person in an organisation with special responsibilities (a government officer, a police officer, an army officer)

demand - the need and desire to buy goods and services by households and businesses

construction - the work of building or making something, especially buildings, bridges, etc. การก่อสร้าง
sector - a part of the economy ภาค (เศรษฐกิจ) (public sector = government, private sector = all businesses, household sector = families and consumers, banking sector,...) (See Wikipedia)
construction sector

prompt - to cause something to happen or be done ก่อให้เกิด
floods prompt overseas manufacturers to look at locations in other areas

forecast - a statement about what will happen in the future based on information available now พยากรณ์
sales this year are forecast at 1,500 rai.

petrochemicals - chemicals made from oil or natural gas สินค้าหรือผลิตภัณฑ์ปิโตรเคมี
Most are manufacturers of  petrochemicals

standards - an acceptable level of quality or achievement มาตรฐาน
many factories have high standards and may not accept workers without experience.

ambassador - a senior official who lives in a foreign country and represents his or her own country there ทูต เอกอัครราชทูต
training - to teach people how to do an activity or job การฝึกฝน

the German ambassador had expressed interest in setting up a training institute for workers in Chon Buri.

expected - believe will happen คาดว่า (จะเกิดขึ้น)
accommodate - to prepare what is needed for something ปรับตัว to provide a place for someone ให้ที่พักพิง do things to meet or satisfy the needs of another
expected to accommodate up to 20,000 jobs.

unemployed - people who have lost their job and are actively looking for a new job (See Wikipedia)
It is estimated that the floods have left 300,000 workers unemployed.

cash - money เงินสด
cash flow - money entering and leaving a business (used to finance daily business operations without borrowing money) (See Wikipedia)

ease - to make or become less severe, difficult, unpleasant, painful, etc ทำให้ง่าย บรรเทา
burden - a responsibility, a difficult thing that must be done, a heavy load to carry ภาระ (See glossary)
ease the burden - make a responsibility, or difficult thing you must do, easier to do

ease the burden of paying wages by relocating some of the workers here for a period of time.

expansion - when something increases in size, number or importance การขยายออก
factory relocations - moving factories to new locations
could have higher labour demand with the expansion of the industrial sector and factory relocations.

tempered - reduced or changed by
workforce - the workers, employees of a company; all the people in an area or country available for work แรงงาน
demand might be tempered with more high-tech use, resulting in less need for a workforce