Thai fishing boats are planning to recruit Myanmar workers to replace Cambodian workers who have returned home, reported The Nation.

Thousands of Cambodian workers working in Thailand’s fishing sector have returned home due to border tensions, and Myanmar workers are being recruited to fill the gap.

Cambodian workers working in Thailand’s fishing industry are classified into two categories: those who come to work under the MoU system and those who come under Section 83.

The MoU is a memorandum of understanding between the Thai government and Cambodia government that allows foreign workers to be legally recruited for the marine fishing industry, and the contract is usually for two years.

Under Section 83, workers are employed on fishing vessels by the Department of Fisheries, which issues seafarer certificates to foreign workers, which can be used as both a temporary residence permit and a work permit under Thai labour laws.

Following the recent clashes between Thailand and Cambodia, about 4,000 to 5,000 Cambodian workers, mostly under the Section 83 category, have returned home, said Mongkol, president of the Thai Fisheries Association.

The Thai Fisheries Association has submitted a request to the Thai Ministry of Labour to recruit new workers to replace the workers who have returned.

The plan is to recruit Myanmar and Bangladeshi workers, the president of the Thai Fisheries Association said, adding that Myanmar workers are skilled in fishing and can immediately fill the gap, while Bangladeshi workers need training.

The report said that there are about 14,000 to 15,000 Cambodians legally working in the Thai fishing industry.