Workers laid off in some factories as hike rolls nationwide
Bangkok: -- Hundreds of workers have already lost their full-time jobs and many more are facing the axe in the wake of the government's much-touted policy to raise the daily minimum wage to Bt300.
Although the new wage rate only took effect nationwide on Tuesday, lays-off are already being reported. A number of businesses have also begun relocating their manufacturing bases to neighbouring countries such as Cambodia, where wage levels are much lower.
In Buri Ram, two garment factories have laid off more than 120 workers. In Si Sa Ket, more than 50 workers visited the local premises of the Social Security Office (SSO) yesterday to claim unemployment benefits under the social security scheme. Officials, meanwhile, are busy answering phone calls from employers who are planning to put a halt to hiring in the face of the sharp wage hike.
