A Burmese migrant worker in Thailand described working extremely long hours for low pay in poor conditions. While over 1.5 million Burmese live in Thailand, only 600,000 have legal status. The Thai government has taken some steps to help, such as providing education and healthcare, but these efforts are inadequate and face issues. Burmese migrants prefer Thailand to Burma due to forced labor and human rights abuses there, but in Thailand still face unfair treatment and lack of rights. Overall the document examines the challenges faced by Burmese migrant workers in Thailand and criticisms of the Thai government response.

1. Ty Kraichok
Thailand and Southeast Asia (Period 7)
Is Thai Government doing enough to help Burmese Migrant Workers
One Burmese worker in Thailand, who is about 24 years old, described his work at a
wool company by mentioned that he had to work from 8am to 9pm every day and sometime
until midnight, but he did not receive any extra payments. He also mentioned that he needed to
stay in a hall, which roughly measured about 30 feet by 10 feet, with 30 other men sleeping
side by side. Based on all the harsh treatments that he had while he was working for the wool
company in Thailand, he only earns 3,000 baht a month (Thailand)
There are over 1.5 million Burmese in Thailand but only over 600,000 Burmese
migrant workers are living legally in the country. Burmese workers migrated to Thailand in
hope that they will receive a better treatments and lifestyle that they would in Burma. Since
Thailand has continuingly developed towards becoming more industrialized, there is an
increase in jobs that require people who are willing to work in dirty, dangerous and
demanding professions. However, Thai workers refuse to do those tough jobs that the
industrial companies offer, this allows Burmese migrant workers to filled the employment
shortage (Thailand). Though Thai employers choose to hired Burmese migrant workers, they
regularly treated the workers unfairly. Burmese migrant workers constantly suffer from human
rights abuse and unfair treatments from both the employers and the government authorities
(“Illegal Myanmar Workers…”) Although the Thai government has taken some actions to
help the Burmese migrant workers in Thailand, not only is the Thai government not taking
appropriate action towards Burmese workers in Thailand, such as providing work permits, but
Burmese workers in Thailandare also treated unfairly and suffer from abuse of their human
rights.

2. Supporters of Thai government declare that even though many blame the government
based on their lack of supports toward Burmese migrant workers‟ community, the Thai
government is taking some positive action in order to improve Burmese migrant workers‟ life
quality. Thai government is concern that Burmese migrant workers‟ children do not receive a
proper education. In order to provide the workers‟ children a proper education, Thai
government‟s significant effort has shown through the government project in the Northern
Province of Tak in Thailand, where Thai ministry of education has offered 45 schools with
6221 children in the Burmese Migrant Workers Education Committee (BMWEC). The
project greatly benefits the workers and their children in education due to their legal and
financial issues, since there is no requirement on work permit in the registration processes
(Main Library Education). Moreover, the Thai government also tries to encourage Burmese
migrant workers to get work permit, which will make them gain more rights in the country.
The government guarantees that once Burmese migrant workers completed the work permits
processes successfully, they will receive the same rights as Thai workers and social basic
welfare in addition. Thai government also expands the workers‟ jobs limitation, which is
positive change for all of them. Before, Burmese migrant workers were only has two job
options, which are household servant or working in the construction field. Now, Burmese
migrant workers who have work permit have more jobs opportunities since the government
expands Burmese migrant workers‟ job limitations by allowiing them to work in agriculture,
fisheries, some sections in factory and domestic services businesses (Sujan). In addition, the
Thai government also shows their supports in Burmese migrant workers‟ health conditions by
providing Burmese migrant workers the access to the government health care scheme called
“30 baht scheme”, where people can receive medical care for 30 baht per visit (Thailand).
The 30 baht scheme program majorly benefits Burmese migrant workers since people at any

3. age can get their health examination or any public health services facility for only 30 baht,
which is beneficial for both financial and health reasons (Thailand). Therefore, by building
schools, giving out work permits, and providing public health care access, Thai government
has shown significant effort in trying to improve and support the Burmese migrant workers‟
community.
However, while Thai government has shown their urge to help Burmese migrant
workers through their positive actions, yet the actions has not yet enough. The effort that
made by the government affected the Burmese migrant workers in a negative way rather than
in positive way. Burmese migrant workers have a difficult time to participate in the
government education program due to the extra cost associated with education, for example,
school uniforms and text books (Burmese Migrant Children). Language difficulty is also
another problem that the workers need to face because most of Burmese children do not
know how to speak Thai, which makes it complicated for them to learn in government
education support program (Burmese Migrant Children). With regard to the work permits,
many Burmese migrant workers do not fully understand how the information that they
provided will be used and the rights that they will receive (Thailand). Burmese migrant
workers also admitted that the cost of work permit registration is the main problem that
prevents them to register for work permit. Burmese migrant workers need to pay 1,900 baht
for health examination that required in the registration of work permit processes and also
additional 100 baht for application fee and another 1,800 baht for work permit fee valid for
one year. Cost of the work permit registration worries the Burmese migrant workers since
they almost have nothing to eat due to the low wages that they receive each month. A
Burmese worker mentioned that “I heard about the registration- I want to do this but I have
no cash, hardly enough to eat. I can‟t decide if I should stay here. Even if we want to return
home we have no money. We are just staying on- there is no future” (Thailand). Burmese

4. migrant workers are also unsatisfied with public health services program that the government
provides because they believe that they do not receive proper treatments for their health
conditions and also experience discrimination by Thai public health workers. A 37 years old,
Kayah woman, who has an experience in the 30 baht scheme program mentioned: “My
husband has a kidney problem-from carrying heavy materials at work- he went to 30 baht
program but it is as helpful as private hospital. He screamed and suffered a lot. He eventually
went to a Chinese herbal medical doctor, which was very expensive” (Thailand). This case
shows an ineffective public health system that the government provides to assist Burmese
migrant workers that do not help Burmese migrant workers to suffer less from illness and
diseases. Hence, it is justify to say that the supporting programs that Thai government
provides in order to help Burmese migrant workers are not effective enough due to the
difficulties of getting education, complex work permits system and poor public health care.
Although Burmese migrant workers believe that the government could do better in
terms of improving the Burmese migrant workers‟ community in Thailand, but Burmese
migrant workers tend to feel more secure when they live in Thailand than when they live in
Burma. In Burma, people are force to join the military labor force that makes people do many
different tasks without getting paid. The workers mostly described their working conditions
at the army labor forces as a slave-like condition (Snodgrass).The Burmese army also takes
over people‟s traditional lands and migrate people, regardless on the ages, into the detention
centre, which people are distributed to do different jobs, for example, working in the
construction filed, working in the gem mine and some section in domestic services
(Thailand). This shows how Burmese are manipulated and are forced into labour day and
night by the government. For the past 40 years under the current government power, people
have been treated very cruelly, which makes Thailand is a much better place to live in
(Cropley). A Shan described his live in Burma by mentioned that he decided to left Burma

5. because he was suppressed by the government authorities and his brother was killed and his
sister was sexually abused then murdered by the Burmese police (Thailand). In addition, one
of the Burmese migrant workers said that although he has dilemmas living in Thailand, it is
much better because at least there is a career where he can earn money and work
(Cropley).Since there are many conflict going on in Burma for the past several decades, for
example, civil conflicts and economic mismanagement. One Burmese migrant worker stated
that “Thailand is better. If I could become a citizen I would. In Burma I‟m panicked all day,
every night I dreamed of Misery Number 1, Misery Number 2” (Thailand). He also described
the harsh living condition in Burma, which mainly due to the military dictatorship. A lot of
migrant workers have left Burma for various reasons, including forced labour,abuse by the
military, and lack of job opportunities.
Even though Burmese migrant workers feel more secure in Thailand than in Burma
but the Burmese workers in Thailand do not receive equal rights or treated fairly like other
Thai workers. The Burmese have poor working conditions, longer working hours, and do not
receive the minimum wage according to Thai law. Burmese migrant worker normally face an
unhealthy working conditions, which most of the time dirty and unsafe. One of the workers in
a knitting factory said that many women fainted from the heat when they are working due to
the work cite‟s temperature. Also, the Burmese workersnormally do not get enough time to
rest, which always made them exhausted and ill (Cropley). In addition, Burmese workers
need to work for more than 14 hours a day but do not receive an extra payment (Burmese
Migrant Worker). A 24yearold man from Yangon said that he worked from 8 am to 9 pm
without any overtime pay (Thailand). Burmese workers in Thailand suffer from poor wages,
most workers receiving only half of the minimum wage. On average, they are paid 70 baht a
day working for 10 hours, while the minimum wage in Thailand ranges from 133 baht to 169
baht a day (Burmese Migrant Worker). A man from Yangon said that his earnings varies

6. from 2,000 to 3,000 baht a month, and it was very hard for him and his wife to earn enough
to cover their everyday expenditure (Thailand). These unfair treatments towards Burmese
workers in Thailand such as poor working conditions, long working hours and receiving less
than the minimum wage clearly shows that the Thai government is not doing enough to help
the Burmese migrant workers in Thailand.
In the contrary, critics of the Thai government claim that even though some positive
actions have been taken in order to aid the Burmese migrant workers, they are alao being
abused by the government and police, along with their employers. When policemen in
Ranong beat a Burmese teenagers to death, people just stood there and watched the abuse but
did not care to help because they were frightened of the police. One of the witness said that
he felt that Burmese people always have to be frightened of the Thai police because they are
scared of getting deported (Pichai). Many Burmese workers in Thailand also live under the
threat of arbitrary arrest by the police. For instance, a Karen worker said that Thai police
discriminate and abuse against Burmese workers and that even if they have work permits,
they must give money to the police to avoid worse abuse (Burmese Migrant Worker). In
another case, a 12 year old girl who had no registration card when stopped by the police was
forced to pay 1,000 baht as a bribe in order to avoid getting arrested (Thailand). Burmese
workers are also abused by their employers, who keep their work permits in order to be able
to treat them like slaves (Cropley). Yin Ma became an illegal immigrant when her employer
took her work permit. She said that she was frightened and was hurt mentally, that she could
get deported (Cropley). Phoe Nge was beaten constantly and was killed by his employer who
treated him like a slave, and was shot by his employer 7 times simply because the employer‟s
wife took and interest of him (Burmese Migrant Worker). These cases of human rights abuse
both mentally and physically show how Burmese workers‟ lives in Thailand are devastated
due to the Thai government‟s lack of care and action towards them concerning forced

7. deportation, arbitrary arrest, and inhumane treatment by their employers.
Although the Thai government has helped the Burmese migrant workers in Thailand
in several ways, it is evidentthat they suffer and face difficult challenges due to the lack of
help provided by the Thai government. Additionally, although Burmese workers prefer
Thailand over Burma, Burmese migrant workers are treated unfairly when compared to local
Thai workers and are abused by police and employers. In conclusion, the Thai government
should provide more attention and care to the Burmese migrant workers in Thailand more and
think of effective methods in order to make them feel more secure and comfortable.

8. Works Cited
"Burmese Migrant Children Missing out on Education." One World South Asia. 16 June,
2009. Web. 26 Nov, 2010.
"Burmese Migrant Worker Abuse". Verbal. May 31, 2009. Web.Nov 16, 2010.
Cropley, Ed. "In a Thai Border Town, Burmese Workers Toil in Penury". Reuters. June 04,
2007. Web. 15 Nov, 2010.
"Education of Burmese outside Burma Education of Migrants and Refugees from Burma."
Online Burma Library. 20 Dec, 2008. Web. 26 Nov, 2010.
Pichai, Usa. "„Halt Abuse of Migrant Workers in Thailand‟ HRW." Mizzima News. 24Feb,
2010. Web. 05 Oct, 2010.
Snodgrass, Cedric. "Burmese Migrant Workers in Thailand Burma Digest." Burma
Digest.13June, 2007. Web. 17 Oct, 2010.
"Thailand: The Plight of Burmese Migrant Workers". Amnesty International. n.d.
Web. 10 Nov, 2010.