Phiphat Ratchakitprakarn, the Labor Minister, presided over today’s Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signing ceremony between three agencies under the Ministry of Labor and Grab Thailand, with the aim of enhancing the well-being and working environment for digital platform workers. The MoU was signed at the Ministry of Labor’s meeting room by Sopa Kiatniracha, Director-General of the Department of Labor Protection and Welfare, Somchai Morakotsriwan, Director-General of the Department of Employment, Ekachat Nakachai, Acting Executive Director of the Thailand Institute of Occupational Safety and Health, and Worachat Luxkanalode, Country Head of Grab Thailand.

Worachat Luxkanalode, Country Head of Grab Thailand, said, “Digital platforms have become integral to our daily lives and have played a crucial role in driving Thailand’s digital economy in recent years. The emergence of these platforms has significantly reshaped the workforce landscape, creating new livelihood and earning opportunities for everyone. As a leading platform committed to leveraging technology to improve the quality of people’s lives, Grab prioritizes the well-being of our driver-partners who rely on our platform for their livelihoods. We are committed to ensuring fair compensation by carefully considering market dynamics and supply-demand factors. Moreover, we continuously enhance our offerings to elevate industry standards, including extending personal accident insurance coverage to all our driver- and delivery-partners, facilitating access to financial services like cash loans with equitable interest rates in line with Bank of Thailand regulations, and providing training opportunities through our GrabAcademy programme to equip them with essential skills and knowledge.”

“Our partnership with the Ministry of Labor underscores our dedication to establishing benchmark standards for enhancing the wellbeing and work conditions of digital platform workers. We stand prepared to collaborate closely with the Ministry in developing guidelines to support and protect platform workers, facilitating their access to income-generating opportunities through digital platforms, and ensuring entitlement to appropriate benefits,” Worachat emphasized. 

The MoU signed by Grab Thailand, the Department of Labor Protection and Welfare, the Department of Employment, and the Thailand Institute of Occupational Safety and Health encompasses the primary objective of improving the livelihoods of digital platform workers, focusing on three main aspects;

• Offering benefits for digital platform workers: The Department of Labor Protection and Welfare and Grab Thailand are poised to collaborate in developing guidelines that support the well-being of digital platform workers, including establishing standard benefits aimed at enhancing their quality of life. Currently, Grab extends various benefits to its driver- and delivery-partners, alongside ensuring appropriate compensation. For instance, Grab offers personal accident insurance that covers incidents occurring before, during, and after service provision, with coverage of up to THB 100,000 in case of an accident and up to THB 200,000 in the event of fatality. Furthermore, Grab provides them with access to cash loans of up to THB 100,000, featuring fair interest rates and flexibility in daily repayment.

• Providing income opportunities to the unemployed and the elderly: In collaboration with the Employment Department, Grab Thailand is set to promote the utilization of digital platforms like the Grab app to enable Thais to earn additional income, whether it’s through ride-hailing or delivery services. Over the past decade, Grab has provided income opportunities for hundreds of thousands of people in Thailand, regardless of gender, age, education, or physical capabilities. For example, individuals with hearing impairments can pursue livelihoods as Grab drivers- or delivery-partners. Furthermore, Grab Thailand has launched the “Grab Wai Kao” programme, aimed at supporting retirees and senior citizens by offering them opportunities to earn through the Grab platform, thereby boosting their self-esteem. This programme has already attracted over 13,000 participants.

Raising safety standards for digital platform workers: Grab and the Thailand Institute of Occupational Safety and Health will collaborate to develop guidelines aimed at promoting occupational safety among digital platform workers. These efforts will include occupational safety training and the development of safety technology. Giving top priority to safety, Grab has continually developed safety technologies and standards to provide peace of mind for its platform users. These include features such as real-time Trip Monitoring, the Safety Center feature which allows passengers to share their ride details with friends or family members, and the AudioProtect feature which enhances ride safety and mitigates disputes by recording audio during the trip on both the passenger’s and driver-partner’s devices.