BANGKOK: A recent survey conducted by the Super Poll Research Center reveals significant public approval of the efforts by the Ministry of Labor, the Ministry of Interior, and the Ministry of Public Health in managing the welfare of foreign workers in Thailand. However, there is a prevalent concern among the populace about potential wastage in the government budget allocated for these purposes.

According to Thai News Agency, the Super Poll Research Center conducted the survey to gauge public opinion on the rights of foreign workers across various professions nationwide. The research, both quantitative and qualitative, involved 1,050 respondents and took place from October 10 to October 12, 2024. The findings show that 64.3% of the public deem it necessary to uphold the rights of foreign workers based on moral principles, while 35.7% think otherwise.

The Ministry of Labor topped the satisfaction chart with 64.8%, followed by the Ministry of Interior at 61.5% and the Ministry of Public Health at 60.6%. Despit
e high satisfaction rates with these ministries, a substantial 93.9% of respondents expressed concerns about the government’s fiscal management, particularly fearing wastage in areas like health, education, and welfare for foreign workers.

The survey also touched on the issue of national identification for foreign workers, where only 5.8% of participants felt that issuing 13-digit national ID cards to foreign workers was necessary, with a vast majority of 94.2% satisfied with the current ID cards.

The Super Poll provided several recommendations based on the survey results. These include aligning foreign worker policies more closely with societal needs and moral principles, enhancing the abilities of ministries to provide effective services, reconsidering ID card policies to reflect public opinion without straining the budget, and raising social awareness to mitigate concerns and enhance understanding about the budgetary allocations for foreign worker rights.

Implementing these suggestions could lead to imp
roved fairness and efficiency in addressing foreign worker issues in Thailand, fostering a participatory and sustainable approach.