Thailand exemplifies the many linkages between social and economic development and international migration. The country has provided sanctuary to hundreds of thousands of asylum seekers and displaced persons over more than 30 years.  It has formally deployed large numbers of workers, initially to the Middle East and more recently within East and Southeast Asia.  It currently provides employment for over 2 million foreign workers with both regular and irregular status from Myanmar, Lao PDR and Cambodia.  The country is a point of transit for international travel and migration between other countries.  Many of its nationals study overseas but Thailand also attracts increasing numbers of secondary and tertiary students.

One of the most salient migration trends in Thailand is the huge influx of irregular labour migrants from its neigbouring countries in the past decade. Mainly employed in 3d jobs, these migrants heavily contribute to Thailand economic growth but their irregular status has increased their vulnerability to exploitation and abuses, including trafficking.

To tackle the problem of irregular migration, the Government of Thailand has carried out periodic registrations to permit irregular migrants from the GMS countries to work temporarily in the country “pending deportation”. The last registration round was carried out in July 2009. About 900,000 migrants, 80 percent from Myanmar, obtained new work permits. Some 380,000 migrants were able to renew their work permits.

Upcoming

The GoT has announced that as of 2010 all migration flows from neighbouring countries into Thailand are to be regulated according to the mechanisms established under the MoUs signed with the Lao PDR, Cambodia and Myanmar in 2002-03.  The MoUs have two goals: 1) to regularize the irregular migrants already registered in Thailand through nationality verification (NV) process, and 2) to set up a regular labour migration programme to those who want to come and work in Thailand.

Upcoming

Ministry of Labour