Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
INVISIBLE MIGRANT WORKERS
Construction workers, hotel cleaning staff, a middle-class family's nanny: many of Thailand's low-wage, low-
skill jobs are now filled by the people of Myanmar who have either crossed over the border for economic oppor-
tunity or who have escaped their home country due to armed conflict between ethnic groups and Myanmar's cent-
ral government. Thailand hosts about three million Myanmarese migrants living and working in Thai cities and
about 150,000 refugees and asylum-seekers in nine camps along the two countries' border. The recent liberalisa-
tion in Myanmar's central government has brought about ceasefires in some ethnic areas and optimism that there
can be repatriation or stabilisation of displaced people.
But the strength of the Thai economy means that outward migration from Myanmar to Thailand will continue.
The current Thai government has sought to remedy the situation through its nationality verification process,
which qualifies migrants for legal status and the newly instated minimum wage of 300B. It is estimated that about
500,000 migrants (of various nationalities) have registered, according to figures from Thailand's office of foreign
workers administration. Many undocumented workers have missed the deadlines, are uninformed about the pro-
cess or can't afford the associated application fees. Without the proper paperwork, these workers can be arrested
and deported, are paid less and are vulnerable to other exploitation by their employers and by the police.
The majority of migrant workers in Chiang Mai - an estimated 150,000 to 200,000 people - are from the
neighbouring Shan State of Myanmar. A variety of NGOs work on social welfare, labour rights, education, health
care and other issues related to displaced people. These groups have volunteer opportunities for those who would
like to get involved:
Mon-Sat) is a community space that offers English-language courses to migrants, maintains a lending library to
educate the international community about Myanmar and works on positive change within Myanmar.
»
Thai Freedom House
(
www.thaifreedomhouse.org
)
offers education programs.
»
We Women Foundation
(
www.wewomenfoundation.org
) assists the women of Myanmar to be leaders within
their country and communities through scholarships and career development.
»
MAP Foundation
(
www.mapfoundationcm.org
)
is an advocacy group working on labour rights, immigration
policies and legal representation for the migrant population from Myanmar.
Eating
The restaurant scene in Chiang Mai is surprisingly down to earth and wholesome with an
emphasis on healthy ingredients. It is the kind of town that will turn devoted carnivores
into vegetarians. Modest family-run establishments and open-air food courts dominate the
city's hot dining spots. As the sun sets, evening food stalls emerge, peddling all sorts of
delicious stir-fried wonders. Northern specialities include
kôw soy
(sometimes written as
khao soi
), a curried noodle dish claiming Shan-Yunnanese heritage, accompanied by
pickled vegetables and a thick red chilli sauce, which can be found in the markets and
simple shopfront restaurants.
