• Burmese
Sunday, July 13, 2025
No Result
View All Result
NEWSLETTER
The Irrawaddy
28 °c
Yangon
  • Home
  • News
    • Burma
    • Politics
    • World
    • Asia
    • Myanmar’s Crisis & the World
    • Ethnic Issues
    • War Against the Junta
    • Junta Cronies
    • Conflicts In Numbers
    • Junta Watch
    • Fact Check
    • Investigation
    • Myanmar-China Watch
    • Obituaries
  • Politics
  • Business
  • Opinion
    • Commentary
    • Guest Column
    • Analysis
    • Editorial
    • Stories That Shaped Us
    • Letters
  • Junta Watch
  • Ethnic Issues
  • War Against the Junta
  • In Person
    • Interview
    • Profile
  • Books
  • Donation
  • Home
  • News
    • Burma
    • Politics
    • World
    • Asia
    • Myanmar’s Crisis & the World
    • Ethnic Issues
    • War Against the Junta
    • Junta Cronies
    • Conflicts In Numbers
    • Junta Watch
    • Fact Check
    • Investigation
    • Myanmar-China Watch
    • Obituaries
  • Politics
  • Business
  • Opinion
    • Commentary
    • Guest Column
    • Analysis
    • Editorial
    • Stories That Shaped Us
    • Letters
  • Junta Watch
  • Ethnic Issues
  • War Against the Junta
  • In Person
    • Interview
    • Profile
  • Books
  • Donation
No Result
View All Result
The Irrawaddy
No Result
View All Result
Home News Burma

As Suu Kyi Preps For Thai Trip, Migrant Workers Hope For More Rights

Nyein Nyein by Nyein Nyein
June 20, 2016
in Burma
Reading Time: 2 mins read
0 0
A A
As Suu Kyi Preps For Thai Trip

A migrant worker from Myanmar looks out from inside a building where she lives in the port town of Mahachai

3.4k
VIEWS
Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

CHIANG MAI, Thailand — Burmese migrant workers living in Thailand hope to receive greater labor rights protection after State Counselor and Foreign Minister Aung San Suu Kyi visits Bangkok later this week, according to advocacy groups on Monday.

It is expected that the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on Labor Cooperation and the Agreement on the Employment of Workers will be signed during her bilateral meetings with the Thai prime minister and foreign minister Don Pramudwinai.

The state counselor, upon the invitation of the Thai Prime Minister Prayut Chan-ocha, will also visit migrant worker communities in Samut Sakhon as well as the isolated Tham Hin refugee camp in Ratchaburi, during her three-day trip running Thursday to Saturday.

RelatedPosts

Paranoid Junta Turns to Foreign Expertise After 4 Years of Chaos; and More

Paranoid Junta Turns to Foreign Expertise After 4 Years of Chaos; and More

May 10, 2025
1.6k
Myanmar Junta Boss Returns to China’s Embrace After Russia Trip

Myanmar Junta Boss Returns to China’s Embrace After Russia Trip

March 12, 2025
5.4k
India Curries Favor; Junta Boss Showers Titles – Hail ‘King Putin’; and More

India Curries Favor; Junta Boss Showers Titles – Hail ‘King Putin’; and More

March 8, 2025
4.2k

Migrants hope the new agreement and MOU on the employment of workers will ensure their labor rights by addressing issues around the minimum wage, workplace discrimination and legal support.

Min Oo, the coordinator of the Migrant Labor Program at the Foundation for Education Development, said, “There are common demands about a minimum wage, legal protection and discriminatory working environments that are being advocated for by the migrant rights groups, and we hope these will be brought up in a new agreement between Thailand and Burma.”

The labor rights activist said the State Counselor will meet migrant workers before she has bilateral meetings on labor cooperation, in which she will be joined by Burma’s ministers of Labor, Immigration and Population and of Planning and Finance, along with her deputy minister of Foreign Affairs.

Sai Sai, a migrant worker and member of the Migrant Worker Rights Network, said he hopes Suu Kyi’s trip “yields a lot of benefits for migrant workers.”

“I have heard that the migrants’ rights groups are advocating for changes in the MOU and are asking for the minimum wage to be equalized for the Burmese migrant workers across Thailand,” he said.

In spite of Thailand’s minimum wage of 300 baht (US$9) per day, migrant workers in different sectors still earn different amounts, and those working as domestic helpers or in sweatshops receive significantly less.

Burmese migrant workers are often vulnerable to employment agents who take advantage of Thailand’s 2009 “National Verification” program and the 2012 memorandum, which are considered to be unfavorable to the workers.

Beginning last year, migrants with expired passports were given pink working permits, lasting for two years. Min Oo said the new MOU seems to endorse this scheme, which would save the cost of obtaining new official documents.

In order to obtain official documents, migrant workers have to use employment agents, who charge at least three times the official rate. Migrants usually have to spend more than 10,000 to 12,000 baht for the visa, a health check-up and a work permit. Officially these procedures cost around 3,000-6,000 baht.

After going through unethical agents, some Burmese migrants end up with a fake stamp on their passports, which could result in jail time.

Kyaw Thaung, the director of the Migrant Association of Thailand said the current MOU between the governments of Burma and Thailand, which was introduced in 2012, should be revised because it benefits agents more than the workers.

“I would like to request Daw Aung San Suu Kyi to talk openly about stopping the government-to-government MOU which encourages corruption,” he told The Irrawaddy.

Your Thoughts …
Tags: A_FactivaForeign RelationsLabor IssuesMigrant Issues
Nyein Nyein

Nyein Nyein

The Irrawaddy

Similar Picks:

Myanmar Junta Counteroffensives Failing Across Country: Analysts
Analysis

Myanmar Junta Counteroffensives Failing Across Country: Analysts

by Hein Htoo Zan
September 20, 2024
16.8k

Three major operations to retake territory from ethnic armies and their allies are being hampered by troop shortages, experts say.

Read moreDetails
Myanmar Junta Boss Returns to China’s Embrace After Russia Trip
Myanmar-China Watch

Myanmar Junta Boss Returns to China’s Embrace After Russia Trip

by The Irrawaddy
March 12, 2025
5.4k

Min Aung Hlaing hosts Chinese envoy for talks on Beijing’s Shan intervention and support for regime’s planned poll.   

Read moreDetails
Rakhine War: Dozens More Defeated Myanmar Junta Troops Flee to Bangladesh
Myanmar’s Crisis & the World

Rakhine War: Dozens More Defeated Myanmar Junta Troops Flee to Bangladesh

by Muktadir Rashid  
June 13, 2024
5.3k

Latest exodus from battle with Arakan Army comes just days after Dhaka repatriated 134 regime runaways. 

Read moreDetails
India Curries Favor; Junta Boss Showers Titles – Hail ‘King Putin’; and More
Junta Watch

India Curries Favor; Junta Boss Showers Titles – Hail ‘King Putin’; and More

by The Irrawaddy
March 8, 2025
4.2k

Also this week, the regime chief strengthened ties with Russia and Belarus during a goodwill tour of his key allies.

Read moreDetails
Blaming Ex-Dictator for Blackouts; Leading Tatmadaw’s Historic Humiliation; and More
Junta Watch

Blaming Ex-Dictator for Blackouts; Leading Tatmadaw’s Historic Humiliation; and More

by The Irrawaddy
January 18, 2025
3.5k

Also this week, the Air Force chief urged escalation of a campaign that has killed over 1,000 civilians, and the...

Read moreDetails
Allies Rush to Back Sham Poll; Min Aung Hlaing Finally Confesses
Junta Watch

Allies Rush to Back Sham Poll; Min Aung Hlaing Finally Confesses

by The Irrawaddy
December 7, 2024
3.1k

Also this week, a study showed the regime has arrested over 1,800 netizens for criticizing military rule, and the junta...

Read moreDetails
Load More
Next Post
Mon State Govt to Replace Brahminy Duck Statue

Mon State Govt to Replace Brahminy Duck Statue, Removed by Former Junta

In Mon State

In Mon State, Expanding Quarries Threaten Farms

No Result
View All Result

Recommended

‘Reforms Are Not Optional’: Prominent Activist Urges NUG to Act Before It’s Too Late

‘Reforms Are Not Optional’: Prominent Activist Urges NUG to Act Before It’s Too Late

4 days ago
1.2k
Trump’s Tariffs to Hit Myanmar’s Garment Manufacturers Hard

Trump’s Tariffs to Hit Myanmar’s Garment Manufacturers Hard

4 days ago
1.1k

Most Read

  • Myanmar Junta Airstrikes Kill 25 on Friday

    Myanmar Junta Airstrikes Kill 25 on Friday

    shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • Myanmar Junta Chief Thanks Trump for Shutting Down VOA and RFA

    shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • Parading Comedians and Machines for Election Circus; Rousing the Military Vote; and More

    shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • Myanmar Junta Deploying Conscripts in Major Push to Reclaim Lost Territory

    shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • Chinese Investment Reshapes Myanmar’s N. Shan as MNDAA Consolidates Power

    shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0

Newsletter

Get The Irrawaddy’s latest news, analyses and opinion pieces on Myanmar in your inbox.

Subscribe here for daily updates.

Contents

  • News
  • Politics
  • War Against the Junta
  • Myanmar’s Crisis & the World
  • Conflicts In Numbers
  • Junta Crony
  • Ethnic Issues
  • Asia
  • World
  • Business
  • Economy
  • Election 2020
  • Elections in History
  • Cartoons
  • Features
  • Opinion
  • Editorial
  • Commentary
  • Guest Column
  • Analysis
  • Letters
  • In Person
  • Interview
  • Profile
  • Dateline
  • Specials
  • Myanmar Diary
  • Women & Gender
  • Places in History
  • On This Day
  • From the Archive
  • Myanmar & COVID-19
  • Intelligence
  • Myanmar-China Watch
  • Lifestyle
  • Travel
  • Food
  • Fashion & Design
  • Videos
  • Photos
  • Photo Essay
  • Donation

About The Irrawaddy

Founded in 1993 by a group of Myanmar journalists living in exile in Thailand, The Irrawaddy is a leading source of reliable news, information, and analysis on Burma/Myanmar and the Southeast Asian region. From its inception, The Irrawaddy has been an independent news media group, unaffiliated with any political party, organization or government. We believe that media must be free and independent and we strive to preserve press freedom.

  • Copyright
  • Code of Ethics
  • Privacy Policy
  • Team
  • About Us
  • Careers
  • Contact
  • Burmese

© 2023 Irrawaddy Publishing Group. All Rights Reserved

Welcome Back!

Login to your account below

Forgotten Password?

Retrieve your password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

Log In
No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • News
    • Burma
    • Politics
    • World
    • Asia
    • Myanmar’s Crisis & the World
    • Ethnic Issues
    • War Against the Junta
    • Junta Cronies
    • Conflicts In Numbers
    • Junta Watch
    • Fact Check
    • Investigation
    • Myanmar-China Watch
    • Obituaries
  • Politics
  • Opinion
    • Commentary
    • Guest Column
    • Analysis
    • Editorial
    • Stories That Shaped Us
    • Letters
  • Ethnic Issues
  • War Against the Junta
  • In Person
    • Interview
    • Profile
  • Business
    • Economy
    • Business Roundup
  • Books
  • Donation

© 2023 Irrawaddy Publishing Group. All Rights Reserved

This website uses cookies. By continuing to use this website you are giving consent to cookies being used. Visit our Privacy and Cookie Policy.