The Cabinet of Ministers has approved a proposal to sign a five-year Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on labour cooperation and a supplementary agreement governing the employment of Sri Lankan workers in Thailand.

The agreements, which follow bilateral discussions between Sri Lanka and Thailand, are aimed at establishing a formal framework for cooperation on labour migration.

Under the proposed arrangements, authorities in both countries will establish mechanisms to facilitate the transparent and efficient recruitment and deployment of Sri Lankan workers to Thailand.

The agreements will also seek to protect the legal rights and welfare of Sri Lankan workers employed in Thailand, while introducing measures to prevent human trafficking and labour exploitation.

Asked whether Thailand’s recent decision to end visa-free entry for Sri Lankan passport holders would be discussed with Thai authorities, the minister said there had been several recent incidents involving Sri Lankan travellers allegedly engaging in illegal activities in Thailand or smuggling drugs into Sri Lanka.

“In the recent past, there have been several incidents involving travellers to Thailand engaging in illegal activities. Even today, drugs were smuggled into Sri Lanka from Thailand. Recently, a group of monks also smuggled Kush into Sri Lanka from Thailand,” he said.

The minister said the two countries had discussed entering into new bilateral agreements and that the government hoped these arrangements would help address such issues.

He added that he would travel to Thailand on Sept. 14 and expected to discuss these matters during the visit.

According to a visa notice issued by the Royal Thai Embassy in Colombo, Sri Lankan passport holders will no longer be eligible for visa-free entry to Thailand from Sept. 15, 2026.

Under the new requirements, Sri Lankan travellers must obtain a visa before departing for Thailand, with applications to be submitted online through Thailand’s e-Visa system.