CNI News

28 September 2024

Although there were demonstrations and demands in Thailand regarding Myanmar migrant workers, employers in Thailand would not stop recruiting Myanmar workers, those helping migrant workers told CNI News.

Some Thai citizens and Thai nationalist organizations have demonstrated regarding Myanmar migrant workers and demanded the Thai government to tighten the workers for the time being.

Because of the demonstrations, although they could impact on migrant workers a bit, because migrant workers only could do hard labor, employers in Thailand could not stop recruiting Myanmar migrant workers, U Min Oo, In Charge of Labor Affairs from the Foundation for Education and Development, told CNI News.

" The employers in Thailand need migrant workers. Impact can't be great. That's why, in my opinion, the employers could not stop recruiting migrant workers because most Thai citizens can't work hard labor and some jobs. But there might be a little impact." he said.

In the demand of three Thai nationalist organizations were included that the validity of a work permit should be 90 days and if the work permit expired, a migrant worker whose work permit expired should return to his native country and re-enter Thailand; migrant women should not be allowed to be pregnant; if they were pregnant, they should be sent to their native countries.

Moreover, the mayor of Bangkok City announced a few days ago that selling goods on roadside must be conducted by only the Thai citizens and helpers must be the Thai citizens as well. 

While Thai citizens were demonstrating in front of the Myanmar Embassy in Thailand

The situations like this have emerged because Myanmar citizens had no discipline and if discriminative Thai officials were on duty at the border gates, Myanmar citizens could find it difficult.

Although the Myanmar citizens have been doing the forbidden jobs since before, the Thai authorities including the Thai citizens have allowed them with understanding. 

However, later Myanmar citizens have obviously done businesses online, because they are impacting on the businesses of the Thai citizens, the Thai citizens are complaining, U Aung Kyaw from the Labor Right Foundation (LRF) told CNI News.

" The Thai authorities and the Thai citizens are seeing Myanmar migrant workers are doing forbidden jobs. But the Thai government didn't arrest these workers. But later the Thai people officially complained the migrant workers to the Thai government. So, the Thai government take some actions." he said.

There are over seven million Myanmar citizens in Thailand and many of them are doing forbidden jobs such as brokers, selling products on 'Live', selling goods on roadside, opening barber shop and so on.

So, the Myanmar citizens should be careful in other countries that they could not do what they like as in Myanmar, pointed out some people.