There are a number of challenges migrants face when attempting to regularise their status in Thailand. The fear of deportation emerges as the most pervasive concern, reported by 65 percent of all respondents. This figure increases to 73 percent among undocumented migrants, suggesting a widespread apprehension to initiate the regularisation process due to potential deportation. Therefore, offering safeguards against deportation, through mechanisms such as the NV process, along with providing clear information on how to obtain documented status could significantly encourage migrants to pursue this.

The next most common issue was high costs, reported by 57 percent of documented migrants and 46 percent of undocumented migrants. We saw earlier that documented migrants pay much more money on average to migrate. Therefore, cheaper costs involved or making employers pay the cost for correct documentation would reduce this barrier. Other issues were a lack of information, complicated procedures, and language barriers, indicating the need for a clear and streamlined process.

Documented migrants could more easily access healthcare, access education for themselves or their children, change job, or move freely around Thailand. Only 16 percent of undocumented migrants said they could access healthcare which corroborates findings in an earlier section about healthcare access. Likewise, only 37 percent of undocumented migrants thought they could access education for them or their family, whilst 9 percent said they had freedom of movement, and 25 percent said they could not do anything. This highlights the benefit of becoming documented in Thailand and shows the limited freedom and quality of life that undocumented migrants experience, showing that there is huge incentive to becoming documented.

Both documented and undocumented migrants identified a simplified visa and work permit application process as highly beneficial. However, this was particularly notable among undocumented migrants. Conversely, lower fees were cited more frequently by documented migrants, who have already navigated the visa and work permit process and incurred the associated costs. The differences highlight a gap in understanding and access to information about the process. Although both groups agree that simplifying the process and reducing the cost are critical, the data suggests that once documented status is obtained, the fees become the most significant concern. As such, simplifying the process, providing clear information on how to navigate it, and reducing associated fees should be prioritised.

One of the significant gaps identified by both survey and KIIs is the limited options available for legal migration to Thailand. At present, there are three routes for legal migration. However, interview respondents indicated that these do not sufficiently meet all the different types of demand for migrant labour. For instance, current border arrangements permit short-term migrants to work in border regions during periods of high demand. Yet, these arrangements do not extend to or cover the entire country. Therefore, expanding opportunities for short-term or temporary migrants to work in sectors such as agriculture or construction, especially during times of high demand, would be highly advantageous for both the countries.