Phuket Workers Poorly Prepared for Shock of Jobs Competition

By Prasit Tarnsirisin

PHUKET: Many workers on Phuket are not prepared for the Asean Economic Community that will shake their world from 2015, says the Director of the Phuket Skills Development Centre, Innyat Cokchasawat.

''Skills and attitude need upgrading,'' he told Phuketwan this week. ''So does language.

''Phuket people will need to begin thinking globally, not just locally or nationally.''

While there are clearly exceptions, many Thais are rightly perceived as being lazy, lacking the right attitude, not wishing to work hard and not willing to work under pressure, he said.

''Many people will be shocked when 2015 comes and there is serious competition for skilled jobs, especially in tourism on Phuket,'' he said.

''Thai people have to think about this issue now, rather than later.''

There were already 70,000 Burmese workers on Phuket and about 10,000 Phipippinos, he said. With the addition of workers from Laos, Cambodia and Vietnam, Thais will struggle to win jobs at Phuket's resorts.

''Right now there are 990 hotels with 70,000 rooms and between 4000-5000 skilled jobs going,'' Khun Innyat said.

''Many hotels will have to change thier ideas and keep good staff, not get rid of them in low season. Keeping skills and knowledge will become more essential.''

He said that Phuket had 83 percent of its labor force with no skills compared to just 10 percent in Singapore: ''That is a huge problem.''

The skills centre at Banj Jo provides training in 22 essential careers including landscaping and gardening, flair bartending, motor mechanics, electricians, housemaid essentials, construction and painting over 280-hour courses.