Mr Amporn Nitisiri, director general of the Labour ministry's labour protection and welfare department, said most of those losing jobs at Nikon had worked at its manufacturing plant for less than a year.

'I have been informed by Nikon's personnel department that 1,500 sub-contractors have been laid off and the company had paid them compensation,' she told Thai television.

'It's increasingly drastic this year as there are now 348 companies who have laid off a total of 28,600 workers and we also think it is likely that a further 123 companies may lay off an estimated 56,000 workers,' she said.

Amporn said Nikon's plant in Ayutthaya, 76 kilometres from Bangkok, was usually staffed by 8,000 permanent staff and 4,000 sub-contractors. -- AFP