The government is actively exploring options to resolve the concerns of workers at Tom Yam Kung restaurants around the country. As part of these initiatives, the southern provinces are being developed into a global hub for halal food and services.
Deputy Prime Minister Gen. Prawit Wongsuwan, in his role as chairman of the Southern Border Provinces Development Strategy Committee, has ordered the Southern Border Provinces Administrative Center (SBPAC) to move quickly on its plan to solve the problem of Tom Yam Kung eateries in Malaysia.
An estimated 150,000 Thais from the south migrate to Malaysia to work in the country’s restaurants, bringing in an estimated 200 billion baht in revenue for the southern provinces.
Chonthun Sangpoom, SBPAC’s Deputy Secretary-General, has stated that the organization is working to address the problem of Thai nationals migrating to Malaysia in search of restaurant jobs. The Tom Yam Kung business owners’ network asks that Thai authorities help them improve working conditions for Thai nationals at their restaurants. Among these concerns is helping people get the paperwork they need to live, work, and do business in Malaysia, such as a passport and a work visa. It would be easier for restaurants to deal with the labor shortages produced by the global epidemic if these problems were resolved.
According to Chontun, the SBPAC has spoken with Saifuddin Nasution, the Minister of Home Affairs in the Pakatan Harapan government of Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim. The minister has promised to engage with Thai authorities to resolve the situation as soon as possible, emphasizing its significance.
For the southern border provinces of Thailand to develop into a worldwide metropolitan center of halal food and services, the Thai government and the Southern Border Provinces Development Strategy Committee have established crucial policies. Measures include preparing agricultural products for international export and educating chefs on the production of halal foods. If the Tom Yam Kung network is successful, it will provide the groundwork for other such networks, which will in turn aid in the development of the provinces on the southern border over the long run.
