BANGKOK - Thailand will propose a new ASEAN skills-certification framework and pilot a Digital Skills Passport when regional labour ministers meet in Bangkok this month.

The 2026–2030 framework will be presented at the 29th ASEAN Labour Ministers’ Meeting and related sessions beginning Aug. 23, according to an Aug. 18 government announcement.

The framework would cover three areas: certification of training programmes, occupational skills standards and ASEAN Centres of Excellence. Thailand also plans to pilot an ASEAN Digital Skills Passport, the Ministry of Labour said.

Officials say the passport would help workers keep a portable record of their skills and qualifications as industries and job requirements change, while giving employers a clearer way to identify candidates with the skills they need.

The Bangkok meetings will also include ASEAN’s Plus Three partners China, Japan and South Korea. ASEAN’s public meeting calendar lists senior labour officials’ meetings, the 29th ASEAN Labour Ministers’ Meeting and related ASEAN Plus Three sessions in the Thai capital in late August.

The proposal comes as Thailand expands domestic upskilling and reskilling programmes and seeks closer cooperation with employers on industry-aligned skills development. The government is also broadening labour cooperation with Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and Indonesia as part of efforts to diversify labour sources.

The government said the passport would give workers “a recognized record of their skills and qualifications that travels with them across the region.”