Varawut Addresses Labor Shortage from Low Birth Rates

MGR Online•Economy•1d ago

Reader Briefing

Minister of Industry Varawut Silpa-archa proposes human-centric workplace reforms and the development of the Silver Industry to counter labor shortages from declining birth rates.

•Varawut Silpa-archa attended an academic seminar titled 'Low Birth Rate, Low Quality Crisis' organized by the Secretariat of the House of Representatives.
•Registered births in Thailand dropped from 736,352 in 2015 to 462,240 in 2024, a decrease of approximately 37% over 9 years.
•The Ministry of Industry is promoting the 'Silver Industry' to cater to the elderly and encourage them to remain in the labor market.

Overview

•Varawut Silpa-archa attended a seminar titled 'Low Birth Rate, Low Quality Crisis' organized by the Secretariat of the House of Representatives.
•National Statistical Office data for Quarter 2, 2025, shows Thailand had approximately 38.51 million employed persons, with 6.39 million in the manufacturing sector.
•Varawut Silpa-archa stated that the shrinking base of new workers entering the market will intensify labor shortages, especially in labor-intensive industries and SMEs.
•The Ministry of Industry is focusing on smart manufacturing and developing personnel skilled in automation, robotics, and AI to address the quality and skill gap.
•Varawut Silpa-archa proposed a human-centric approach where establishments provide flexibility, such as appropriate shift scheduling and childcare support for parents.
•The Ministry of Industry is promoting the Silver Industry to serve the needs of the elderly in healthcare and daily living.
•Promoting the Silver Industry aims to allow elderly individuals with potential to stay in or return to the economic system and labor market.

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Key Quotes

Varawut Silpa-archa

"We must change establishments into areas where people can both work and have families."

เราต้องเปลี่ยนสถานประกอบการให้เป็นพื้นที่ที่คนทำงานและมีครอบครัวได้

Key Entities

Person

Varawut Silpa-archa(วราวุธ ศิลปอาชา)ℹ️

Minister of Industry who proposed solutions for labor shortages caused by low birth rates.

Sophon Saram(โสภณ ซารัมย์)ℹ️

President of the National Assembly and President of the House of Representatives who presided over the seminar opening.

Yodchanan Wongswat(ยศชนัน วงศ์สวัสดิ์)

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Higher Education, Science, Research and Innovation who participated in the seminar.

Pattana Promphat(พัฒนา พร้อมพัฒน์)

Minister of Public Health who participated in the seminar.

Nikorn Somklang(นิกร โสมกลาง)

Minister of Social Development and Human Security who participated in the seminar.

Suphachai Chearavanont(ศุภชัย เจียรวนนท์)ℹ️

Senior Vice Chairman of Charoen Pokphand Group who participated in the seminar.

Organization

Ministry of Industry(กระทรวงอุตสาหกรรม)ℹ️

The ministry focusing on smart manufacturing and the development of the Silver Industry.

Secretariat of the House of Representatives(สำนักงานเลขาธิการสภาผู้แทนราษฎร)

The organizer of the academic seminar titled 'Low Birth Rate, Low Quality Crisis'.

Charoen Pokphand Group(เครือเจริญโภคภัณฑ์)ℹ️

The organization whose Senior Vice Chairman participated in the seminar.

National Statistical Office(สำนักงานสถิติแห่งชาติ)ℹ️

The agency that provided employment statistics for Quarter 2, 2025.