There is sustained demand for migrant labour in Thailand which is likely to continue, spurred by demographic changes and continued economic development. The Royal Thai Government (RTG) has recognised the importance of migrant labour and has taken significant steps to facilitate safe and regular migration and ensure labour and employment rights are extended to migrant labour whilst protecting the livelihoods of Thai citizens.

The International Organization for Migration estimates that, overall, there are currently between four and five million migrants living and working in Thailand, originating from surrounding countries. With official figures from Thailand indicating that 75 percent of documented migrants are from Myanmar, and considering the deteriorating economic and security situation there, it is highly likely that the vast majority of these migrants – in addition to the 1.9 million who came through regular channels - are from Myanmar.

This study is based on a survey of people who migrated from Myanmar to Thailand after February 2021 either through regular or irregular channels and are currently working in one of the top eight sectors known for employing Myanmar migrants. The objective of this report is to analyse the needs and challenges of such migrant workers focusing on their socio-economic status differentiated by documented, undocumented gender and sector of employment. This survey is the first of its kind to focus on a potentially vulnerable cohort of people who migrated after political crisis broke out in Myanmar in February 2021 wiping out jobs and livelihoods very rapidly.