Department of Employment Thailand (DOE)
Department of Employment of Thailand (DOE) is the structural Thai government agency under the Ministry of Labour responsible for job placement, labour market information, migrant-worker permit administration, and overseas employment services. Operates the Smart Job Centre network for domestic job matching and coordinates MOU-based migrant-worker flows from CLMV countries. Publishes monthly labour-demand surveys and unemployment statistics. Works with private recruitment agencies under the Private Employment Agency Act and manages the Thailand Overseas Employment Administration (TOEA) programme.
Snapshot
Headline numbers a buyer checks first.
Established
1942
Ongoing
Under Ministry of Labour
Migrant workers registered (annual)
~3M
2024
CLMV migrant-worker permit holders across Thailand
Smart Job Centre offices
100+
2024
Provincial job-placement network across Thailand
Overseas employment placements (annual)
~150,000
2023
TOEA-managed Thai workers deployed abroad
Profile overview
Department of Employment of Thailand (DOE) is the structural Thai government agency under the Ministry of Labour responsible for job placement, labour market information, migrant-worker permit administration, and overseas employment services. Operates the Smart Job Centre network for domestic job matching and coordinates MOU-based migrant-worker flows from CLMV countries. Publishes monthly labour-demand surveys and unemployment statistics. Works with private recruitment agencies under the Private Employment Agency Act and manages the Thailand Overseas Employment Administration (TOEA) programme.
Programs administered
Domestic placement
Smart Job Centre network
Operates job-matching centres across all 77 provinces. Registered ~1.2 million job seekers annually. Coordinates with private employment agencies licensed under the Private Employment Agency Act.
Migrant workers
MOU migrant-permit system
Manages bilateral MOU frameworks with Myanmar, Cambodia, Lao PDR, and Vietnam. Over 2.5 million registered migrant workers in Thailand at any time; DOE issues permits and coordinates nationality verification.
Overseas employment
TOEA overseas programme
Thailand Overseas Employment Administration routes ~130,000 Thai workers per year to Israel, South Korea, Taiwan, Japan, and Middle East. Charges regulated placement fees and coordinates pre-departure training.
Labour market data
Monthly labour-demand surveys
Publishes national unemployment statistics and sector-level labour-demand indices monthly. Key reference for wage-setting under tripartite minimum-wage committee reviews.
Key labour-market indicators administered by DOE
Selected metrics, 2024
Registered migrant workers
Value
~2.5M
Note
Myanmar, Cambodia, Lao PDR, Vietnam
TOEA overseas placements
Value
~130,000/yr
Note
Israel, S Korea, Taiwan, Middle East
Smart Job Centre registrations
Value
~1.2M/yr
Note
Domestic job-matching network
Licensed private agencies
Value
~200+
Note
Under Private Employment Agency Act
Minimum-wage committee cycle
Value
Annual review
Note
Tripartite: government, employer, labour
| Indicator | Value | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Registered migrant workers | ~2.5M | Myanmar, Cambodia, Lao PDR, Vietnam |
| TOEA overseas placements | ~130,000/yr | Israel, S Korea, Taiwan, Middle East |
| Smart Job Centre registrations | ~1.2M/yr | Domestic job-matching network |
| Licensed private agencies | ~200+ | Under Private Employment Agency Act |
| Minimum-wage committee cycle | Annual review | Tripartite: government, employer, labour |
Key drivers 2025-2026
Wage policy
THB 400 minimum-wage push
Government $11.6daily minimum-wage target increases DOE compliance-monitoring burden across 77 provinces and expands enforcement caseload for DLPW and SSO coordination.
Migrant policy
CLMV migrant-permit cycle
Myanmar political instability constrains MOU renewal processing. DOE must balance employer demand for migrant workers against nationality-verification backlogs for ~1.5M Myanmar workers.
Overseas
Korean EPS and Israeli G2G
Korea Employment Permit System (EPS) and Israeli government-to-government placement remain key high-wage channels. DOE is the gating agency for worker selection and pre-departure clearance.
Where this profile is featured
Reports that reference this entity in their operator concentration or analysis.
Featured in
Minimum Wage THB 400 Push: Corporate Cost Cycle and Sector Impact
Enforces minimum-wage compliance; tracks Thai-CLMV migrant-labour permits.
Featured in
The Overseas Thai Workforce: Israel, South Korea, Taiwan, Middle Ea...
Enforces minimum-wage compliance; tracks Thai-CLMV migrant-labour permits.
Featured in
Work Permit and Foreign Quota: 4-Thai-Employee Rule and Capital Floors
Enforces minimum-wage compliance; tracks Thai-CLMV migrant-labour permits.
Related Market profiles
Peers, parents, partners, agencies, and other HR, Staffing & Recruitment actors.
Competitor
Ministry of Labour Thailand (MoL)
Thai labour-policy ministry; sets minimum wage, migrant-worker policy, and skills-development programmes through DSDP and SSO.
Open Market profile →
Competitor
Social Security Office (SSO)
Thai MoL agency administering the Social Security Fund covering 24M+ insured workers for healthcare, disability, and pension.
Open Market profile →
Reports featuring this profile
Minimum Wage THB 400 Push: Corporate Cost Cycle and Sector Impact
Enforces minimum-wage compliance; tracks Thai-CLMV migrant-labour permits.
Open report →
Sits alongside 4 other Atlas profilesThe Overseas Thai Workforce: Israel, South Korea, Taiwan, Middle East Labour Corridors
Enforces minimum-wage compliance; tracks Thai-CLMV migrant-labour permits.
Open report →
Sits alongside 2 other Atlas profilesWork Permit and Foreign Quota: 4-Thai-Employee Rule and Capital Floors
Enforces minimum-wage compliance; tracks Thai-CLMV migrant-labour permits.
Open report →
Sits alongside 4 other Atlas profilesRelated Market profiles
competitor
Ministry of Labour Thailand (MoL)
Thai labour-policy ministry; sets minimum wage, migrant-worker policy, and skills-development programmes through DSDP and SSO.
competitor
Social Security Office (SSO)
Thai MoL agency administering the Social Security Fund covering 24M+ insured workers for healthcare, disability, and pension.