Ship to Shore Rights Project

Baseline research findings on fishers and seafood workers in Thailand

The ILO Ship to Shore Rights Project (funded by the European Union) assessed working conditions in the fishing and seafood industry in Thailand. The research covers both fishing and seafood processing including aquaculture.

The survey includes the result of interviews conducted in 2017 with 434 workers —predominantly migrant workers— from a mix of large and smaller employers across 11 provinces from Thailand. It covers recruitment practices, wages, hours, safety and health, support services, complaint mechanisms, living conditions, forced labour indicators, and legal compliance levels.

While not designed to be representative, the study reveals a mix of progress and remaining challenges among workers surveyed, and ends with specific recommendations for more effective enforcement of Thai law to prevent and end unsatisfactory labour practices for migrant workers.