BANGKOK - Thailand has become the first country to sign a memorandum of cooperation with Japan under a new skill development and employment programme for foreign workers.
The agreement was signed on Tuesday and is aimed at ensuring the smooth implementation of the new scheme before it takes effect in April 2027.
Japan’s Immigration Services Agency said on June 4 that the memorandum revises a 2019 agreement linked to the country’s existing technical intern system.
The latest arrangement makes Thailand Japan’s first official partner under the new programme.
The upcoming framework will replace Japan’s Technical Intern Training Programme, which has faced criticism over allegations of worker exploitation and abuse involving foreign labourers employed in low-skilled sectors.
Under the new agreement, Japanese authorities will certify employment plans submitted by participating companies.
Thai authorities will be responsible for approving recruitment and training agencies that send workers to Japan.
The memorandum also allows Japan to suspend certification of employment plans if the number of incoming workers exceeds sector-specific quotas.
As of the end of 2025, a total of 11,672 Thai trainees were residing in Japan under the existing system.
The Japanese government also plans to update similar memorandums with 16 other partner countries, including Vietnam and Indonesia, as part of preparations for the new programme.
Japan introduced the Technical Intern Training Programme in 1993 with the stated objective of transferring skills and knowledge to developing countries.
Over time, however, the programme came under increasing scrutiny from labour rights organisations and international observers following reports of excessive working hours, unpaid wages, poor living conditions and restrictions on worker mobility.
In response, Japan approved a new Employment and Skill Development Programme designed to provide stronger worker protections, clearer career pathways and greater flexibility for foreign employees.
The reform is part of broader efforts to secure overseas labour as the country faces acute workforce shortages driven by demographic decline and an ageing population.
Thailand has long been one of Japan’s key labour partners, supplying workers to industries such as manufacturing, agriculture, food processing and construction.
