Myanmar Workers in Thailand Need Better Welfare Protection
Myanmar Workers in Thailand Need Better Welfare Protection
Migrant workers queue up for COVID-19 testing at an apartment in Samut Sakhon, Thailand on Dec. 20, 2020. / Arnun Chonmahatrakool / Bangkok Post
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By Kavi Chongkittavorn 22 December 2020
The number 2,482,256 is not a combination that will win the top prize in Thailand’s lottery, but it is nonetheless lucky, as it represents the total number of migrant workers registered with the Thai Ministry of Labor during the pandemic. As such, they should have received the protections prescribed under Thai labor laws. But not everyone has been treated the same way or received the incentives to which they are entitled. Lots of loopholes prevail and exploitation remains a problem.