CNI News
25 March 2024
Myanmar people were competitively renting houses, dormitories and apartments in Mae Sot on the Thai-Myanmar border and they were finding it difficult, residents of Mae Sot told CNI News.
House rental fees and advancement payments were much higher than before, Ko Thargyi, a person who is helping in the affairs of migrant workers, told CNI News.
"An apartment whose rent was 6,000 bahts per month in the past has been 13,000 bahts now. In the past, if you pay for one month in advance and advance payment (that is equal to rental fee for one month), you can stay there. But now, only if ypu pay for four months in advance, will you be able to stay. The people from Myanmar enter here and then they are competitively renting houses or apartments. The problem is that it's not convenient for those who came into just now to rent a house or an apartment. Even though your acquaintances help you with renting an apartment, if you are illegally staying, landlords or landladies can be prosecuted with human trafficking." he said.
While seeing inner Mae Sot city
The reason why Myanmar people are competitively renting houses in Mae Sot is because those who evaded the conscription law and locals who fled the battles in Karen State entered Mae Sot in droves reportedly.
Moreover, it is not easy to rent houses because all apartments and houses for rent have been already rented and houses only in nearby villages can be rented reportedly. Because there are so many renters, landlords are stricter than before in renting, Ko Moe Lay, a resident of Mae Sot, told CNI News.
" Landlords give priority to documented people. They were not so fussy in renting in the past because there were not so many IDPs and refugees. They are afraid of being prosecuted if they receive undocumented people. But they can take advantage of the situation." he said.
While seeing inner Mae Sot city
Before the Covid-19 pandemic, house rents in Mae Sot were from 1,500 to 5,000 bahts only. However, because there were political changes in 2021 and battles are breaking out in Myanmar, the number of Myanmar people who migrate to Mae Sot has increased. So, house rents have gone up.
Inspections by Thai authorities are also more frequent than before when a large number of Myanmar people has arrived in Mae Sot reportedly.
