Thai Government Plans Welfare Expansion for Freelancers, Including Sex Workers

Sorawong Thienthong, Minister of Tourism and Sports

BANGKOK — Thai government aims to create a welfare system for freelancers or self-employed people such as tour guides, Grab drivers, content creators (YouTubers, TikTokers), and sex workers (those working in the sex trade).

Sorawong Thienthong, Minister of Tourism and Sports, announced on Monday that the government is holding talks with the relevant authorities on the welfare of Thai citizens for this plan.

This initiative will ensure that freelancers are provided for by the state, including healthcare rights and other protections similar to those of the social security system. However, once they join the system, they will have to pay taxes accordingly.

As far as social benefits for freelancers are concerned, initial discussions have taken place with the SWING foundation, particularly with regard to sex workers. In these discussions, the group emphasized that they do not want sex work to become a legal profession or for their identity and profession to be registered in the system.

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They do not seek legal recognition, but only want legal protection in cases where clients refuse to pay for their services or when they are exposed to physical harm, so that they can claim their rights before the law. This is in line with the Pheu Thai Party’s policy of extending welfare to all freelance professions.

As far as tour guides are concerned, discussions have been held with the Professional Guide Association of Thailand, which has expressed the desire for the government to support the profession.

They said that tour guides make an important contribution to the tourism industry and the private sector has proposed that the government include tour guides in the social security system. A draft bill to this effect has already been submitted to the Pheu Thai Party.

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A group of Thai tour guides talks to the Minister of Tourism and Sports, Mr. Sorrawong Thienthong, on September 16, 2024.

The progress of this popular bill, which aims to become government legislation, will be reviewed before it is submitted to Parliament. Ideally, the draft would be ready for the next parliamentary session, which is expected between December 2024 and February 2025.

As for the details of the Pheu Thai Party-led government’s draft bill to include freelancers in the social security system, discussions are underway to finalize various relevant aspects, including the name of the bill. Once freelancers are included in the system, they will also have to pay taxes properly.

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Earlier, on September 16, Sorawong held a meeting with the private sector to explain their problems and obstacles. At the meeting, Wasanpol Attaponthanaset, president of the Professional Guide Association of Thailand, suggested that the government should take care of the welfare of tour guides.

He pointed out that the profession has never received attention from the government and urged for the enforcement of laws, as the profession of tour guiding is reserved for Thai nationals and requires examinations and training. Currently, there is an increasing number of illegal tour guides and foreign tour guides and the government needs to take action to tackle this.

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