Thai migrant labor crunch leaves fruit rotting and jobs unfilled
The shortage highlights Thailand's growing dependence on migrant labor as an aging population shrinks its domestic workforce.
Ripe mangosteen and rambutan remain unpicked in eastern Thailand due to a scarcity of migrant laborers. Growers are forced to make difficult decisions about which crops are worth harvesting and which will inevitably rot in the fields. Jomsak Putirattana, a durian farmer in Chanthaburi province, has experienced firsthand the impact of this labor crunch.
After a border dispute disrupted crossings, his five Cambodian workers left, intensifying competition for workers. Daily wages have surged, doubling in some cases from around 350 to 400 baht ($10 to $12) to as much as 800 to 1,000 baht ($24 to $27). This wage increase has made it unprofitable for Jomsak to harvest lower-value fruits, as he must now choose which crops to pick and which will go to waste.
"We have to choose which fruit to harvest and leave the lower-priced fruit to rot on the trees," Jomsak lamented. His optimism that more of the crop could be saved from going to waste is fading.
Written by urgent.news from Japan Times's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
