Labour inspection is a public function of labour administration that ensures the application of labour legislation in the workplace. Its main role is to work towards the implementation of the labour law in the workplace through enforcement as well as preventive and educational measures, in collaboration with the social partners.

In the world of work, labour inspection is the most important instrument of state presence and intervention to design, stimulate, and contribute to the development of a culture of prevention covering all aspects potentially under its purview: hours, wages, safety and health, forced labour, non-discrimination, child labour, and other connected matters including the employment relationship and social security.

In Thailand, over 2.3 million migrant workers from the neighbouring countries are currently working and greatly contributing to the development of the Thai economy. In this context, interpreters are increasingly needed to mitigate communication barriers between inspectors and migrant workers. Moreover, effective collaboration between interpreters and labour inspectors is very important in assisting migrant workers and ensuring that their rights are protected. As a result, this updated labour inspection guideline with the focus on women migrant workers, violence and harassment, domestic work, and forced labour is a welcome signal and contribution to the shared goal of improving working conditions for all workers in Thailand, including vulnerable migrant worker communities.