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Battambang: Krai Phalla, in her 30s, was up early to attend a job fair where she brought her four children and husband. Along with people from her village, they boarded a free bus to the event organized by the Ministry of Labor for workers who returned from Thailand.
Phalla used to be employed as a construction worker in Thailand for about 10 years, noting that this is her first time seeking a local job after coming back with her husband three months ago. She was informed of the job fair where she might be able to get construction work, or work in the garment and agricultural sectors.
“I am interested in an agricultural job because my husband and I have been working on construction sites for 10 years; we are tired of it. I hope to be interviewed.”
She said she and her husband will not return to Thailand as they are afraid of facing threats following the deadly border clash. However, she hopes to secure a job via the ministry and earn some money to pay off her debt of about $1,000 with a three percent interest rate, which is causing her family a lot of stress.
The job fair took place in Battambang from November 15 to 16 in Thma Koul district, and will be held in Banteay Meanchey province on November 22 to 23 and Siem Reap from November 29 to 30, 2025.
A ministry official said there are 75,000 job opportunities available in 17 factories and private companies in special economic zones for returning migrants.
Chhouy Channa, 37, who had been working in Thailand as a cleaner for seven years, was at the job fair after receiving information about it from the local authority.
She and her husband returned from Thailand three months ago, and contacted the ministry hotline (1297) to ask about job openings, sharing that she was initially keen to work as a cleaner at the new international airport in Kandal province. However, she had to wait until her husband got an ID card.
Channa said she attended the fair with the hope of securing a job with a decent salary, as she could earn about $400 per month in Thailand.
“I wanted more information so that I could find a suitable job. After I was interviewed, I did not feel like working as a cleaner, but wanted to work in a shoe factory. I was told that the basic salary is $220 and with overtime pay,” she added.
Sem Socheat, 40, a former construction worker in Thailand, said he was interested in the same job as he possessed skills after working in the neighboring country for eight years.
“I came to get information about job opportunities and interviews. I decided to work on a construction site with a company that will get back to me. A ministry official also instructed me to do a test to get a certificate from the Department of Labor for my construction skills. I will do that,” Socheat said.
He added that he has applied for a construction job in Japan but needs a “backup plan” in case he is not selected, hence the job search in Cambodia.
“If our brothers and sisters who are working in Thailand want to return, please do, or risk being assaulted. The ministry is ensuring there are job opportunities, although the salary is slightly different. We can get NSSF [National Social Security Fund] benefits and retirement funds,” he advised Cambodian migrants in Thailand.
Unlike others who are seeking jobs, Sun Vanna, 36, who lives in Thmor Kol district, decided to start his own business raising grasshoppers to support his family. Several months after coming back from Thailand, an expert farmer went to his house to teach grasshopper farming, and he became interested in the venture.
He invested $75 in four mesh cages and expects to harvest grasshoppers in the next few days. “If I succeed in grasshopper farming, I would save money to run a chicken farm as well. I do not want to work in a factory or construction site,” he said.
He, too, called on Cambodian migrant workers in Thailand to return home, saying there are many jobs available in Cambodia with the ministry’s assistance.
Soeung Sreyneang, a representative of Splendid Apparel Co., Ltd. in Phnom Penh, said her company needs 200 skilled or unskilled male and female garment workers.
“If they don’t have skills, we will train them. Those who are skilled will be paid between $211 and $225, along with $15 additional pay for regular work, $15 for rent, $0.50 for lunch per day, $7 for travel and other benefits,” she said.
Meanwhile, Labor Minister Heng Sour said they not only offer jobs to workers but also provide NSSF, adding that from July to mid-November, over 900,000 workers returned from Thailand, and some 280,000 workers got new jobs. Most of them were employed by garment and footwear factories, and also in the electronics and vehicle industries.
“I noticed some of the people who are seeking employment already have informal jobs near their home. Out of 900,000 returnees, 400,000 to 450,000 are employed or self-employed,” he said.
Moeun Tola, executive director of CENTRAL, said the fair is good for jobseekers. However, some of them may not know how to write a resume. In addition, workers are told by companies to wait for their decision, which is a waste of time for those who need a job.
“It is good to have job fairs, but the ministry should intervene and ensure that construction companies prepare shelter and food for workers […] workers need income to pay for their debt,” Tola said.
He urged the ministry and government agencies to help migrant workers by considering delaying debt repayment with banks or microfinance institutions (MFIs), as they just returned from Thailand and do not have regular income yet.
In line with this, Minister Sour said the National Bank of Cambodia called on MFIs to allow workers to delay loan payments until they have an income to settle debts.
He also asked Cambodian workers in Thailand to ensure their safety and if they feel threatened, they should return home. “The ministry will try its best to help with jobs,” he added.
