• Allowance system under consideration

The Ministry of Labour is taking steps to professionalize the caregiving sector by introducing an allowance system while also working to establish clear criteria to identify individuals who require caregiving assistance.

As part of the initiative, the Ministry is in the process of drafting an activity plan and studying progressive international practices related to the sector.Speaking exclusively to The Daily Morning, Labour Ministry Secretary S.M. Piyatissa said that when professionalizing any sector, it is generally necessary to provide an allowance to those engaged in that work.Accordingly, a separate committee under the Labour Department is currently examining the feasibility of introducing criteria under which such an allowance could be granted.“There are countries where childcare allowances are provided according to the number of hours a parent or guardian spends caring for the child. The higher the number of hours, the higher the allowance. This encourages parents to contribute more actively to the labour sector,” he said.

According to Piyatissa, the Department has already engaged in international knowledge-sharing and is currently considering which foreign models and practices could be adopted locally.“In Thailand, persons with disabilities are allowed to use public transport free of charge. The caregiver accompanying that person is also exempted from charges. We are looking at incorporating progressive measures of this nature into our own system as well,” he added.The move follows the Labour Department’s broader initiative to promote the concept of the care economy by recognizing the labour of caregivers, work that currently does not contribute to the country’s Gross Domestic Product.