Page 24 - Mainstreamer e-Magazine Volume 1, Issue 3 - August 2023

SUCCESS STORY
Employment Situation for Person with Disabilities (PWDs) and Examples of
Successful Organisations in the Employment of PWDs in Thailand

Nitcharee
Peneakchanasak

Introduction Life Promotion and Development Committee. On
or several decades, employment for persons the basis and method of concession, arrange for
with disabilities (PWDs) has continued to the distribution of goods or services, arrange for
Fpresent various challenges in developing and internships, or provide any other assistance to the
developed countries. Thailand is also a country disabled or caregiver. Disabled person 2009: If the
that sees the importance of hiring disabled employer or the establishment owner does not
people. The government supports and creates accept PWDs to work under Section 33, including
systems for PWDs in Thailand. As a member of the not proceeding according to Section 35, send
International Labour Organization, Thailand has money to the Fund to promote and improve the
ratified the 159th Convention. PWDs’ quality of life under Section 34 annually.
The Convention was ratified on the If the government agency fails to comply with
reconstruction of occupation and employment Section 33 and Section 35 of the Persons with
(disabled) 1983 on 15 August 2007 and this also Disabilities Empowerment Act 2007 (B.E. 2550),
applies to Thailand when the Convention has respectively (Office of the Council of State, 2007),
made its subject matter in 11 October 2008. and the employer or owner of the establishment
The government of the Member State must take does not submit, the fund or delay of delivery is
steps to have or amend laws, rules or regulations, subject to 7.5% interest per year and the power
as well as lead serious actions for PWDs to of the Director of the Office of Promotion and to
participate in society equitably with opportunities. improve the quality of life of PWDs. The National
This has led to the development of vocational Authority has the power to suspend the property
training and jobs based on new ideas in society of the employer or the owner of the establishment
and international commitments. The domestic for payment (DEP, 2020), debt to the Fund, and
law in 2007 and ministerial regulation aimed to the power to advertise the list of legal and non-
promote and improve the PWDs’ quality of life. compliance persons to the public.
The number of PWDs that an employer or the
workplace owner must accept and the amount The Current Situation of PWDs in Thailand
of money they submit to the 2011 Accessibility The number of people with disabilities in
Fund should be determined. The employer, owner, Thailand registered with the public sector is
and government agencies with 100 or more approximately two million, including all kinds
employees shall accept PWDs who can work in of disabilities. Therefore, the public sector has
the ratio of employees who are not disabled for become increasingly more flexible in hiring
every one hundred persons per disabled person models. The government of Thailand has seen the
(Ministry of Labour, 2015). If more than fifty, take importance of PWDs and wants to help. Therefore,
one more. Employers or owners of government the welfare of disabled people is provided. In
establishments or agencies may provide addition, in the case of PWDs who want to work in
concessions to distribute goods or services if you the workplace, their neds will be met.
refuse to accept a PWD. Arranging for an internship In addition, the government provides facilities
or other assistance to a disabled person is subject that employ PWDs to work with tax benefits. If
to the following: National Disability Quality of

23 Vol. 01, Issue 3 | August 2022