Migrant worker

Child migrant workers in the Thai-Burma border town of Mae Sot struggle to earn enough to survive, working in dirty, difficult and dangerous work, many miss out on an education and are vulnerable to exploitation. To mark World Day Against Child Labour, Karen News followed the story of one of Mae Sot’s child migrant workers, a garbage collector. Ali, 10,…

Migrant workers from Burma are finding that life has just become much more complicated following Thailand’s military coup on May 22, with the military closing border crossings and a nationwide curfew disrupting their travel. Saw Ye Tun Zaw, a migrant worker in Bangkok, said that the curfew made getting home from work difficult and risky. “There are more restrictions on…

Hundreds of workers gathered in Mae Sot’s district office today to march through the town and along Asia Highway in solidarity for workers worldwide and to demand their rights and better working conditions for migrants working in Thailand. Shouting “Fair opportunities for workers! Rights for Workers!” The workers marched down one of Mae Sot’s main streets, curious onlookers poked heads…

Mae Sot children and adults ride pickup trucks engaged in water battles as they circle the town centre. Mae Sot on the Thai-Burma border is home to tens of thousands of migrant workers from Burma who also celebrated the Songkran water festival (known in Burma as Thingyan). Songkran – Thailand’s New Year celebration – is perhaps the country’s most visible…

Migrant workers, millions of whom come from neighboring Burma, are being cast adrift in a chaotic migration system – known as the National Verification Scheme – forcing them to pay as much as 10 times the official cost for their documents in Thailand, according to the Migrant Workers Rights Network (MWRN). “More than 1.7 million Myanmar workers have been cheated…

Migrant schools working in Thailand’s border town of Mae Sot are bringing hopes of a better future for students, many of whom face huge challenges in just trying to survive. “Last Sat…tehr…day! They went to the stay…di…um! To watch the foot…bawl match!” Shwe Sin Win booms, her voice bouncing off the concrete walls of the small classroom – twenty children…

Saw Hta, 31 is migrant living and working in in Phopra area. He is originally from Kawkreik Township in Karen State, Burma. Saw Hta left his home more than ten years ago and only visited his place of origin once. Saw Hta said that living as a migrant in Thailand had its advantages and disadvantages. “On one hand, our livelihood…

As the world mark International Migrants Day today, regional labor rights groups are taking the opportunity to raise the ongoing plight of many migrant workers in Thailand – many of whom are from Burma – where they have few rights and are vulnerable to extortion. With four million migrant workers in Thailand, migrants form a crucial source of cheap labour…

Recent reforms in Burma have not stopped thousands of migrant workers moving to Thailand in search of work. International workers organisations estimate that more than 2 million Burmese migrants have come to Thailand in search of better paid work. It is estimated that in some villages in Karen State, that as many as 80% of young and middle-aged men and…

The Migrant Worker Right Network (MWRN), has criticized the Burma and Thailand’s National Verification process for leaving migrant workers open to exploitation at the hands of corrupt brokers. It is estimated that in the last 30 years more than three million workers from Burma crossed borders illegally looking for better pay and to escape the poverty of their own country.…