Asean construction: Skilled labour hot topic
"If there are standards, labour will earn a wage to match their skill," and Thai companies can win contracts in other Asean countries.
"If there are standards, labour will earn a wage to match their skill," and Thai companies can win contracts in other Asean countries.
Click button to listen to Construction Standards in Asean to download
Economics
CONSTRUCTION
Industry told to set standards
14/06/2012
Kanana Katharangsiporn
The Thai construction industry should develop a legal framework, set up a construction bank and improve construction and skilled labour standards to increase the competency of Thai contractors and labour for the planned Asean Economic Community (AEC) in 2015.
Aungsuras Areekul, president of the Thai Contractors Association, said the AEC would not only allow greater opportunities for Thai contractors to get construction jobs in Asean, but also enable Asean contractors to take construction jobs in Thailand.
Singapore and Malaysia already have construction regulations, said Mr Aungsuras.
"There is no standard in our country to control the industry. If we have a Thai construction council, at least we will have regulations for the AEC," he said.
Currently the Construction Institute of Thailand is working with 30 organisations to restructure the Thai construction business, said the institute's executive director Chakporn Oonjitt.
They are drafting laws to create a Thai construction council with a target to submit the final draft to the cabinet via the Industry Ministry this year.
Mr Chakporn said Thai contractors also need access to finance. The institute is talking with the Ministry of Finance to set up a financial institution or construction bank to support Thai contractors, most of which are small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).
"[Thai contractors] are at a disadvantage when taking a construction job as commercial banks usually approve loans based on assets. If we have a construction bank, it will offer greater financial access as this kind of bank will consider track record," he said.
The institute noted there were 80,289 construction firms registered with the Commerce Ministry last year. Of this number, 120 are listed firms while the rest are SMEs. Contractors are among the top three newly registered businesses each month.
Mr Aungsuras added while Thai contractors are worried about the new minimum wage, other Asean firms are developing their skilled labour.
"We coordinated with the Asean Contractors Federation [ACF] to exchange information. A hot issue is the development of skilled labour," he said.
ACF is developing standards for nine skilled positions. Six standards have been set, but by September Thailand will have completed only two: system framework and reinforcing.
"If there are standards, labour will earn a wage to match their skill," said Mr Aungsuras.
Mr Chakporn said Thai construction value last year totalled 809.34 billion baht, equally divided between government and private sectors. Due to flooding last year, the value rose only slightly from 790 billion baht in 2010, which was up 10% from 2009.
Construction accounts for 2.4 million jobs, 6% of the total in Thailand. Of this number, 140,000 went abroad to take construction jobs, mainly in the Middle East and Africa.
(Source: Bangkok Post, Economics, CONSTRUCTION, Industry told to set standards, 14/06/2012, Kanana Katharangsiporn, link)
Construction Vocabulary
construction - the work of building or making something, especially buildings, bridges, etc. การก่อสร้าง (See Wikipedia)
construction firms
construction contractors
construction job - 1. building work that a company gets; 2. a job that one worker gets
construction contract
construction industry
construction standards
construction regulations
Thai construction council
construction bank
standard - high levels of quality to be achieved มาตรฐาน
set standards - create new standards for some activity
industry told to set standards
framework - a set of rules, ideas, and beliefs used to deal with problems and make decisions ขอบข่ายงาน, โครงร่าง
legal framework - a system of laws (that helps achieve some set of goals)
improve - to make better ทำให้ดีขึ้น
improve construction and skilled labour standards
competency - the ability to do things in a successful way (effective, satisfactory, achieve goals)
contractors - companies that do building and construction บริษัทผู้รับเหมา
Thai contractors
Asean contractors
increase the competency of Thai contractors and labour
The Thai construction industry should develop a legal framework, set up a construction bank and improve construction and skilled labour standards to increase the competency of Thai contractors and labour for the planned Asean Economic Community (AEC) in 2015.
opportunities - a situation where it is possible to do something that you want to do
greater opportunities for Thai contractors
enable - to make someone able to do something, or to make something possible ทำให้เป็นไปได้
enable Asean contractors to take construction jobs in Thailand.
Aungsuras Areekul, president of the Thai Contractors Association, said the AEC would not only allow greater opportunities for Thai contractors to get construction jobs in Asean, but also enable Asean contractors to take construction jobs in Thailand.
regulations - rules made by the government to control how some activity is done กฎระเบียบ ระเบียบ ข้อบังคับ ระเบียบปฏิบัติ
construction regulations
Singapore and Malaysia already have construction regulations, said Mr Aungsuras. "There is no standard in our country to control the industry. If we have a Thai construction council, at least we will have regulations for the AEC," he said.
restructure - to organise something such as a company in a different way so that it will operate better ปรับโครงสร้างใหม่
Currently the Construction Institute of Thailand is working with 30 organisations to restructure the Thai construction business, said the institute's executive director Chakporn Oonjitt.
drafting - writing
drafting laws - writing new laws
draft - an early version; a non-final version; not in a final form and likely to be changed ร่าง ฉบับร่าง
final draft - the one final version (no changes to be made)
submit - officially give or send a report or other document for consideration or deicionmaking ยื่น (เอกสาร) เพื่อการพิจารณา
submit the final draft
target - a goal; what you are planning to achieve เป้าหมาย
a target to submit the final draft this year
They are drafting laws to create a Thai construction council with a target to submit the final draft to the cabinet via the Industry Ministry this year.
finance (noun) - to provide money for something (for example: money to expand a business, project funding) จัดหาเงินทุนให้
financial (adjective)
access - the right or opportunity to have or use something ได้รับสิทธิ์หรือโอกาสในการใช้
access to finance - the ability and possibility of getting a loan from a bank
financial access
offer greater financial access
institution - an important tradition or system upon which society is based สถาบัน
financial institution - banks and other organizations like banks
support - help, by giving money, for example สนับสนุน
support Thai contractors
Mr Chakporn said Thai contractors also need access to finance. The institute is talking with the Ministry of Finance to set up a financial institution or construction bank to support Thai contractors, most of which are small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).
disadvantage - something that makes someone or something less effective, successful or attractive ข้อเสียเปรียบ ข้อด้อย
at a disadvantage - not as prepared as others for some activity or competition (lacking resources or skills)
commercial - for business purposes
commercial banks - banks that are privately owned and run to make a profit, offer loans and deposits to keep money (See Wikipedia)
assets - things owned, especially property and money สินทรัพย์
approve loans based on assets - meaning: only give loans to big companies that have a own a lot of valuable things such as real estate
track record - a series of successfully completed projects (that shows that you can also succeed in the future)
"[Thai contractors] are at a disadvantage when taking a construction job as commercial banks usually approve loans based on assets. If we have a construction bank, it will offer greater financial access as this kind of bank will consider track record," he said.
registered - officially recorded with the government (and given permission to do some activity)
wage - an amount of money that you earn for working, usually according to how many hours or days you work each week or month ค่าจ้าง
minimum wage - the lowest amount of money that can be paid to workers for their work
listed firms - large companies whose stock is traded on the stock exchange (SET) (meaning here: larger firms with greater assets and better access to loans and funding)
The institute noted there were 80,289 construction firms registered with the Commerce Ministry last year. Of this number, 120 are listed firms while the rest are SMEs. Contractors are among the top three newly registered businesses each month.Mr Aungsuras added while Thai contractors are worried about the new minimum wage, other Asean firms are developing their skilled labour.
coordinated - working together to achieve a goal ทำงานร่วมกัน
issue - a subject that people discuss or debate about ประเด็น
hot issue - an important issue that many people are talking about
development - the gradual growth and formation of something
development of skilled labour
"We coordinated with the Asean Contractors Federation [ACF] to exchange information. A hot issue is the development of skilled labour," he said.
position - a job
skilled position - a job that requires special skills
standards for nine skilled positions
system framework
reinforcing
ACF is developing standards for nine skilled positions. Six standards have been set, but by September Thailand will have completed only two: system framework and reinforcing.
match - to look the same as or very similar to something else ซึ่งไม่คู่ควร
earn a wage to match their skill
"If there are standards, labour will earn a wage to match their skill," said Mr Aungsuras.
Mr Chakporn said Thai construction value last year totalled 809.34 billion baht, equally divided between government and private sectors. Due to flooding last year, the value rose only slightly from 790 billion baht in 2010, which was up 10% from 2009. Construction accounts for 2.4 million jobs, 6% of the total in Thailand. Of this number, 140,000 went abroad to take construction jobs, mainly in the Middle East and Africa.
