Introduction
In 2024, migration continues to be a defining feature of social, demographic and economic development in Thailand. Thailand is located centrally within an increasingly integrated South-East Asia region, and therefore its migration patterns are complex and diverse. One defining feature of these migration flows is the movement of inbound migrant workers from Cambodia, Lao People’s Democratic Republic, Myanmar, and to a lesser extent Viet Nam, primarily due to Thailand’s higher economic status, ageing society and structural reliance on labour migration across many key economic sectors.
Labour migration from neighbouring countries into elementary occupations is a key focus of this report, reflecting its predominance – other categories of migrants in professional occupations and those with permission for temporary stay are much smaller. Thailand is also home to a significant number of people without citizenship, including ethnic minorities and hill tribes, and other stateless populations, along with asylum seekers and refugees. Outbound migration and internal migration are also key characteristics of mobility dynamics, driven largely by migrants seeking livelihoods, employment and access to services, in addition to sporadic internal displacement including following crises and emergencies.
The migration landscape since the Thailand Migration Report 2019 has been impacted by two defining crises: the COVID-19 pandemic beginning in 2020 and the military takeover in Myanmar in February 2021. Mobility restrictions, border closures and economic effects of the pandemic had a considerable impact on Thailand’s migrant worker population. Despite commendable efforts by the Royal Thai Government, in coordination with employers and workers’ organizations, United Nations agencies and civil society organization (CSOs), the pandemic shed light on structural discrimination against migrants in labour laws and social protection, and inefficiencies in migration governance. Likewise, the military takeover in Myanmar and subsequent crises including armed conflict impacted on intraregional migration as people were displaced and crossed borders to escape.
Despite efforts to incentivize the use of regular migration pathways, the largest group of non-Thai nationals in the country remain irregular migrant workers. Regular and irregular migrants alike continue to be at risk of violence, exploitation and abuse including trafficking and forced labour. Restrictive policies combined with social barriers prevent migrants from accessing services and justice systems, further inhibiting the protection and promotion of migrants’ rights, particularly for those with other intersecting marginalizations such as ethnicity, gender and poverty.
Cognizant of these ongoing challenges, since the last Thailand Migration Report 2019, Thailand has taken significant steps to address issues affecting migrants. In 2020, Thailand became one of 27 champion countries for the Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration (GCM) and in 2023, became the first country in Asia to adopt a second National Action Plan on Business and Human Rights, which contains 18 action points specifically related to migrant workers. In 2024, Thailand also became the first country in South-East Asia to legalize same-sex marriages, cementing its reputation as an attractive and comparatively safe destination for migrants with diverse sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, and sex characteristics (SOGIESC).
Achieving these commitments at the national level by closing protection gaps through policy reform, enforcement and implementation remains a challenge. Recent positive policy reforms include the establishment of a National Referral Mechanism (NRM) to Protect and Assist Survivors of Trafficking in Persons in March 2022. In 2024, Ministerial Regulation No. 15 on Domestic Work expanded protections in a sector long associated with limited labour and social protection coverage, but gaps remain. While the past decade has seen important reforms in the fishing sector, the revocation of the Fisheries Act, B.E. 2558 (2015) in January 2024 leaves future protection and welfare for workers in the industry uncertain. Successive Cabinet Resolutions continue to provide irregular migrants with opportunities to stay and work in the country, although this stop gap measure offers more limited rights and protections compared to regular migration pathways.