Nearly 200 Myanmar refugees enter Thai workforce in a month

Nearly 200 work permits have been issued to refugees in Thailand over the past month, according to officials of refugee committees based along the Thai-Myanmar border. The move comes after a recent decision by Thailand’s government to allow long-term refugees in the country to legally enter the workforce, as overseas aid for camps housing tens of thousands of refugees along the 1,500-mile border continues to dry up. Residents of five camps, including the Mae La, Umpiem, and Nu Po camps in Tak Province, have already found work, officials from the committees for Karen and Karenni refugees told Myanmar Now. Most have found employment in rambutan, pineapple, cassava, and tangerine plantations near Bangkok and Ayutthaya, as well as in other provinces such as Chanthaburi, Sisaket, and Sa Kaeo, said Saw Pwe Say, secretary of the Karen Refugee Committee. “If they can do these jobs, it will be for their own benefit. We don’t force anyone who can’t do it or who doesn't want to go. I think the number of workers will increase in 2026. There’s a situation where tens of thousands could leave and work,” he said. “Right now, if we talk about the situation inside the camps, we can say that donors’ support has weakened. Since aid and assistance have decreased, we think that people will have to go out and work.” Refugees will be granted work permits on one-year contracts, after first undergoing health examinations, job compatibility assessments, and various other screening processes, he said. He added that directives issued by the Thai government are being distributed in the camps so that people can work in accordance with rules and regulations. Karenni refugees from two camps in Mae Hong Son Province have also entered the workforce, and could be joined by around 60 more this week, according to a refugee from one of the camps. “Everyone needs to understand the work permit situation. Those going to work need to know everything. If they face difficulties, they need to know what to do—who to report it to, how to inform them,” the man said, speaking on condition of anonymity. Already, however, there have been reports of employers exploiting workers, by not paying them the set wages and by failing to sign full one-year contracts. Ethnic Karen and Karenni villagers have been fleeing conflict in Myanmar for nearly half a century, filling nine camps in Thailand’s Mae Hong Son, Tak, Kanchanaburi, and Ratchaburi provinces. Refugees have long sought permission to work in Thailand, but have only succeeded now due to critical shortages of food and medicine in the camps following the suspension of American aid. The decision to allow refugees to work legally in Thailand has been welcomed by Myanmar’s publicly mandated National Unity Government, as well as by the UN refugee agency UNHCR and other aid organisations. Tammi Sharpe, the UNHCR representative in Thailand, said it would not only allow refugees to become self-reliant but also benefit local economies and support Thailand’s long-term growth. “By unlocking the potential of these individuals, Thailand is not only upholding humanitarian principles but also making a strategic investment in its own future,” Sharpe said.

Nearly 200 Myanmar refugees enter Thai workforce in a month

International aid cuts have prompted Thailand’s government to allow long-term refugees to legally work in the country

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