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Jonghyun Choe
TSEA (3)
3 December, 2010
Miserable Burmese workers in Thailand
A 24 year old man from Yangon said that he worked from 8am to 9pm, sometimes until
midnight, with no extra payment. He also said 30 Burmese migrant workers lived in a hall, about
30 feet by 10 feet, sleeping side by side. He earns only 3000 baht per month (Thailand).
Today, there are over 600,000 migrant workers from Burma who live legally in Thailand,
who have immigrated in order to have better treatments and lifestyles. As Thailand has become
more industrialized, many Thais are unwilling to have dirty, dangerous, and demanding jobs such
as working in construction field (Thailand). These occupations have been replaced by Burmese
migrant workers, who are suffering from abuse of human rights and unfair treatment from their
employers and government authorities. Although the Thai government has taken some action to
help the Burmese migrant workers in Thailand, not only the Thai government is not taking
appropriate action towards Burmese workers in Thailand such as giving out work permits, but
also Burmese workers in Thailand are treated unfairly and are suffering from abuse of their
human rights.
Supporters of the Thai government state that even though many blame the government
for the lack of action taken to help Burmese migrant workers, the government is taking
effective actions for the Burmese workers in order to improve their standard of living. The
government’s efforts are significant in the Northern Province of Tak in Thailand where the
Burmese Migrant Workers Education Committee (BMWEC), made by the Thai ministry of

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education has provided 6221 children with schooling in 45 schools in order to aid the Burmese
Migrant Workers and their children who would have had harsh time getting educated because
of financial and legal issues (Main Library Education). Moreover, the Thai government’s tries to
help the Burmese migrant workers in Thailand by giving them out more work permits than
before and making the registration process less difficult. According to the government
document, “alien workers can change employers and still legally remain in Thailand for one
year. Once an alien worker is registered, the Government confers the same rights in the control
of labour as are granted to Thai workers” (Thailand). 1.3 million migrant workers were given the
temporary work permits due to Thai government’s helpful action of improving migrant workers’
conditions (Thailand). In addition, Thai government has been providing the public health system
for Burmese migrant workers, whereby people can receive medical care for 30 baht per visit
(Thailand). This 30 baht scheme helps Burmese migrant workers in Thailand since people of any
age can receive any public health service facility for 30 baht which is beneficent financially and
for health. Therefore, by building schools, giving out work permits, and providing public health
care, the Thai government is doing its best to improve the lives of Burmese migrant workers in
Thailand.
Contrastingly, although the Thai government has taken some positive actions to help
the Burmese migrant workers in Thailand, it isn’t enough. The efforts made by Thai government
have affected the Burmese migrant workers in a negative way rather than in a positive way.
Burmese migrant workers find it difficult to participate in the education system, because the
access to education for migrant children is impeded by extra costs associated with education,
for example, school uniforms and text books, availability of suitable education and language of

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instruction (Burmese Migrant Children). Also the language barrier and financial struggles for
Burmese migrants makes it hard for their children to get an education (Burmese Migrant
Children). As for the work permits, many Burmese migrant workers have confusion because of
the complexities of the registration process and the rights to which they would be permitted to
under this new system (Thailand). Not only this, Burmese workers did not have enough money
to register. A 56 year old Shan woman said, “I heard about the registration- I would like to do
this but I have no money, barely enough to eat. I can’t decide whether to stay here or not. Even
if we want to return to Burma we have no money. But staying on- we can’t see any future”
(Thailand). Burmese migrant workers are also unhappy about the public health system, because
they did not believe that they would receive proper medical care, or because they had
experienced discrimination by Thai public health workers. A 37 year old Kayah woman
described her husband’s health problems: “My husband has a kidney problem-from heavy
work- he went to 30 baht program but it is not as good as private hospital. He was suffering and
screaming. He finally went to a Chinese herbal medical doctor, which costs a lot of money”
(Thailand). This case shows how Burmese migrant workers in Thailand suffer from illness and
diseases due to ineffective public health system. Hence, it can be said that the effort put by
Thai government does not appear very helpful to Burmese migrant workers due to difficulties
of getting education, complex work permits system and poor public health care.
Although Burmese migrant workers aren’t very satisfied with the Thai government’s
action to help them, many Burmese workers in Thailand think that living in Thailand is better
than living in Burma. In Burma, people are forced to work and the military sometimes destroy
properties and land (Snodgrass). A 37 year old Mon woman said that she left home because the

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military destroyed all her 1000 rubber trees and properties, and then lots of other people are
forced to work in Burma (Thailand). This proves how Burmese are manipulated and are forced
into labour day and night by the government. Also Burmese workers are treated harshly by the
Burmese government under four decades of military control, which makes Thailand a much
better place to live (Cropley). A 35 year old Shan farmer said that he left home because he
could not support his family, and because his brother was shot dead and sister raped and then
killed by the Burmese troops (Thailand). In addition, one of the Burmese migrant workers said
that although he has difficulties, it is much better in Thailand because at least there is a job
where he can work and earn money (Cropley). Most workers left their home country, Burma,
because they do not have any jobs or economic opportunities. A young Mon worker also said, “I
like Thailand better. If I could be a citizen I would. In Burma it is 24 hours fear, every night I
dreamed Misery Number 1, Misery Number 2” (Thailand). He described how the life in Burma is
harsh because of the military dictatorship. A lot of migrant workers left Burma for various
reasons: forced labour, control by the military, and lack of job opportunities.
Even though it might be correct that working in Thailand is better than in Burma,
Burmese migrant workers in Thailand are not treated the same as Thai workers. They have poor
working conditions, longer working hours, and don’t even receive the minimum wage. The
workers work in poor conditions, where it is unhealthy and unsafe. One of the workers in a
knitting factory said that due to hot working site, many women had fainted due to the heat.
Also, the workers in factory did not get enough time to rest, which made them tired and sick
(Cropley). In addition, Burmese workers work for 14 hours every day not including overtime pay.
(Burmese Migrant Worker). A 24 year old man from Yangon said that he worked from 8 am to 9

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pm without extra payment (Thailand). Burmese workers in Thailand suffer from poor wages,
where most workers receive only half of the minimum wage. On average, they are paid 70 baht
per day for working 10 hours, while the minimum wage in Thailand range from 133 baht to 169
baht a day (Burmese Migrant Worker). A 35 year man from Yangon said that his salary varies
from 2,000 to 3,000 baht per month, and it was very hard for him and his wife to earn enough to
cover their daily living expenses (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.
On the other hand, critics of the Thai government claim that even though some positive
actions are done in order to aid the Burmese migrant workers, the truth is that they are being
abused by the government, police and the employers. When policemen in Ranong beat a
Burmese youth to death, people just watched but didn’t help because they were scared of the
police. One of the eyewitness said that he felt that Burmese people always have to be afraid of
Thai police because they are scared of forced deportation (Pichai). Many Burmese workers in
Thailand are under stress also because of arbitrary arrest by the police. For instance, a 19 year
old Karen worker said that Thai police abuse and discriminate Burmese workers and that even if
they have work permits, they must give money to the police to avoid worse abuse (Burmese
Migrant Worker). Another example is when a 12 year old girl was stopped by the police and had
no registration card. She had to pay 1,000 baht as a bribe in order to not get arrested (Thailand).
Burmese workers are also exploited by their employers, who keep their work permits and treat
them like slaves (Cropley). Yin Ma’s employer took her work permit, which made her an illegal
immigrant. She said that she was scared and was hurt mentally, that she could get deported

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(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 miserable due to the Thai
government’s lack of helpful action towards them concerning forced deportation, arbitrary arrest,
and inhumane treatment by their employers.
Although the Thai government has helped Burmese migrant workers in Thailand in
several ways, it is clear that Burmese workers in Thailand are in plight due to lack of help given
by the Thai government. Additionally, although Burmese workers like Thailand better than
Burma, Burmese migrant workers are treated unfairly compared to local Thai workers and are
abused by police and employers. In conclusion, the Thai government should care about the
Burmese migrant workers in Thailand more and think of effective methods in order to make
them feel more secure and comfortable.
Works Cited

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"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. 24 Feb, 2010.
Web. 05 Oct, 2010.
Snodgrass, Cedric. "Burmese Migrant Workers in Thailand Burma Digest." Burma Digest. 13
June, 2007. Web. 17 Ocvcct, 2010.
"Thailand: The Plight of Burmese Migrant Workers". Amnesty International. n.d.
Web. 10 Nov, 2010.