The Thai Government's Management of Migrant Workers: A Case Study of the MOU between Thailand and Myanmar Migrant Workers

Authors

  • คณินนาท ศิริวัฒน์ สถาบันการทูตและการต่างประเทศ มหาวิทยาลัยรังสิต

Keywords:

Myanmar, Burmese worker, migrant worker, worker-management, memorandum of understanding, MOU on migrant worker

Abstract

            In 2003, an MOU between the government of Thailand and the government of Myanmar for Cooperation in the Employment of Workers was signed to organize a system for legally registering migrant workers. This study examines the problems of the MOU system to identify existing obstructions and offer appropriate solutions for greater effectiveness of the system. The data were collected using semi-structured interviews with nine participants selected according to their relevant experiences in the area of migrant workers from Myanmar to Thailand. Five documented Burmese workers and four officers from the Ministry of Labor and the Ministry of Defense were interviewed. The results of the interviews illustrate the government’s current efforts to manage the documented workers through the MOU system, such as solving social problems and human trafficking, and establishing transparent employment contract. The results also indicate that there are three problems with the MOU, such as overly complicated procedures, high and unregulated expenses, and long registration periods. After the MOU system was implemented, the government proposed solutions by arranging bilateral meetings, extending registration times, and solving exploitation of migrant workers by agencies. This study recommends two solutions for improving migrant worker management. The first solution is that the governments of Thailand and Myanmar must improve the details of the MOU for more suitable and practical benefits for workers and employers. The governments, through regular bilateral meetings with relevant officers, to share problems and discuss solutions for proper procedures, expenses, and effective management. The second solution is to improve public relations and public understanding of the MOU system to increase legal employment in Thailand.

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Published

2020-06-29

How to Cite

ศิริวัฒน์ ค. (2020). The Thai Government’s Management of Migrant Workers: A Case Study of the MOU between Thailand and Myanmar Migrant Workers. Sahasat: Journal of Social Sciences and Humanities, 20(1), 68–78. retrieved from https://so02.tci-thaijo.org/index.php/sahasart/article/view/240998

Issue

Vol. 20 No. 1 (2563): January - June

Section

Research Article

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