Cambodian Labor Recruitment Process: A Case Study of Two Thai Companies

Abstract

This qualitative study was conducted to determine the recruitment process of Cambodian labor in two Thai companies. The participants were the employees in those two companies and the managers of the recruiting agencies. Tape recorded interviews were conducted with open-ended questions, as well as observations of the recruiting process. Data were coded using codes that were categorized using a Cluster technique. The study showed that the processes of recruiting Cambodian labor were: (1) the employers in Thailand contacted an agency to recruit the labor; (2) a letter of petition was submitted to a Thai immigration office for importing immigrants into Thailand; (3) a Cambodian agency recruited the labor; then the labor had physical check-ups and the agency applied for a labor passport to achieve a name list; (4) the Cambodian agency sent the name list to Thailand for an employer request to employ the labor; (5) the employer submitted the name list to a provincial recruitment office for approval; (6) the name list was sent back to the Cambodian agency to do the labor VISA (LA) for importing labor to Thailand; (7) the employer took the labor for another physical check-up at a government hospital for a work permit; and (8) the employer requested a work permit for the labor. The study also found that the problems of recruiting Cambodian labor were as follows; (1) unclear; incorrect or false information provided for Cambodian labor by the recruitment agencies in Cambodia; (2) poor working conditions and welfare for Cambodian labor in Thailand, compared to Thai labor; and (3) slow and inefficient steps of the recruitment process. It is recommended that the recruitment processes be shortened, that relevant and sufficient professional training and orientation be undertaken by the agency for labor, and that reasonable recruitment fees be charged by the agency.