Migrant workers in Thailand

Documentary review: Migrant workers in Thailand

SOC221: Business and Culture Current Issue in ASEAN

Lecturer: Sr. Ricardo Lucio Ortiz

By

214110144 Yanisa Kwanlamai

215219009 Hussana Mad-adam

213310198 Teeratree Muangsook

Stamford International University

Summary: International Migrations in Thailand economic.

The movement of migrant workers and their families are rapidly increasing over this past decade in Thailand. Into the fact, this issue becomes a part of important societal and economic development issue.  The inequality as a main economic driver of migration flows in Thailand and other developing countries in ASEAN. Thailand has been experiencing with the labor market dilemma of having a shortage of low-skilled and semi-skilled workers but a surplus of high-skilled worker. As the lack of employment and education opportunities in rural areas and the segmentation of labor market in urban areas can identified as factors driving of Thai worker to seek employment overseas. Moreover, rates of wage between Thailand and other migrant-receiving countries are different, which are more economically developed than Thailand, as well as stimulate emigration. According to this international labor market can serve as outlet for excess labor in Thailand.

While widening income gap between Thailand and neighboring countries, the slow growing of Thailand’s workforce, and the improvements in the road and infrastructure which link the various point in Greater Mekong Sub-region are the major drivers of cross-border movement of migrant worker into Thailand. Many low-skilled workers have come across the borders to work into Thailand.

As mention above, Thailand has a large number of demand for low-skilled workers in labor-intensive production also attracts foreign labor to come across the borders and work in Thailand. Within Thailand, regional income differences have been exacerbate by a decade of economic boom that was concentrate on Bangkok metropolitan region and on the Eastern Seaboard.

The focus of this growth was created more internal migration from rural to urban areas by the improvements of communication and transportation and facilities also help them to move as well. Migrant worker was accepted as the instigation for economic development. In other hand, there is also have both side of positive and negative from this type of migration. At the same time, the economic also have pros and cons from international migration and internal migration in Thailand. Consequently, Thailand government should be analyzed before creating the migrant worker policies. However, the policies for this case should be extremely for beneficial outcome while reducing the economics costs that may happened. Therefore, it essential to compare of the labor benefits and cost to generated and implemented of effective policies.

Thailand’s economy and political are concern, which right now are facing with immigration issue, while currently Thailand’s economic benefits of immigration have been hotly debating. A number of empirical studies have attempted to measure the cost and benefits to this country because migrant workers are contributed to Thailand’s increasing economic output. The economic benefits that immigrants bring are particular prominent sectors and industries with labor-intensive production. Also market failures, which is result from the uncertainty of output production. In the firms, employing migrants helps to stabilize the labor supply in this sector and prevent uncertainties arising from production and unfilled vacancies. More immigrant workers to fill vacancies and smooth out of firm production. Because of the job vacancies have been increasing, the firm has demand for immigrant workers strongly among border area. The immigrants tend to move toward central cities to find better job opportunities as well.

Unskilled migrants are low wage labors also gives Thailand a cost advantage that help attract foreign investment, which in turn to promotes domestic employment and drives economic growth. It also affects the Thai economy is that it helps producers maintain lower prices, which also turn to maintain a low inflation rate, which benefits for the customer.

However, the issues arising of this migrant workers become more complex in recent year. Because of this due to mobility of people and population which moving to Thailand to find better job, government have to protect migrant against abusive practice inflicted by employers or private individual.

Analysis: How migrant workers impact Thai economy?

We note that migrants are the one factor which driving of industrial productivity. As Thailand industrial economy in fast growing zone, Thai citizen gain opportunities to freely choose to work in organization and industry. Especially, Thai citizen select of comfort work and good environment, none 3D work (dirty, difficult and dangerous). Opposite, many industries have demand to increasing labor which mostly in fishing industry, seafood industry, construction, garment industry as well as agriculture industry. As mentioned before, least of Thai citizen willing choose to work in 3D work industries, this so the reason why business owner turn to employment migrant worker to support and discover the way to exist his business. These migrant workers are contributed increased economic output and also they reduce of the Thailand shortage of low-skilled and semi-skilled and smooth the industry productivity. Without these folks Thailand might be step into red-light which economy stop growing instead of slow down.

However, migration is the one of the huge economic problem in Thailand, especially labour market in Thailand. Most of labors in Thailand are from Myanmar. The reasons why most of labors in Thailand are Myanmar is the wages of Myanmar's labour are cheaper than Thai's labour, so that the employer choose to employ Myanmar's labour instead of Thai's labour in order to decrease the investment. Into that fact, this problem is impact a lot in Thai's economic because Thai's labours will become unemployment. Moreover, the Thai's labors that are more effective, they will migrate to other countries instead of Thailand to find better job that give them more salary. So that Thailand will lose the effective labors and there can be decrease the profit of company.Another problem is the government will be excess to pay about social security to international labours. Instead of bring that part to develop their citizens they're contribute a lot of money to support international labors.

Issues

Every year immigrant from Myanmar, Lao PDR, and Cambodia migrant workers in Thailand with hopes to make money from what they were not in their country. These workers are in a particularly vulnerable position in terms of workplace exploitation and face specific barriers to articulating and demanding their rights as workers. Migrants are often to be found working in jobs that are dirty, dangerous and difficult (the 3D) that is why Thai people now rejected. While for some migration is a positive and empowering experience. Many migrants have to endure human rights violations, discrimination, and exploitation.

The increased of migrant labors have brought various problem including oppression, unfair treatment concepts have introduce to protect the labor. Human rights violations against migrants, including denial of access to fundamental economic and social rights such as the right to education or the right to health, are often closely linked to discriminatory laws and practice, and to deep-seated attitudes of prejudice and xenophobia against migrants.

Political and Security  

Nowadays, we have a labor shortage in construction, boat fishing and garment industries, consequences some of the employer tend to hire illegal workers which bring to human trafficking. Human trafficking is an invisible issue, because this action is played role moving illegal migrants, the problem is migrants might conduct as slave or enforce working. Trafficking occurs sectors where labor rights protection is low but profits are high.  

Some industries use children at 13-15 year old as adult worker, as well as use them more than 8 hours while the limitation working of children is at least 4 hours.  The United States’ TIP has reported Thailand enforce child to work within the country. Another problem is low pay, no pay, deception and overtime labors or unfair wages pay. Migrant workers who work for limited or unlimited time period must earn money as Thai labor earn. Thai labor earn 300 baht per day, so migrant worker must earn equally. However, it possible that fluctuation in overtime is a problem, sometime business owner cannot guarantee the income, as well as it depend on the environment and economic in specific location.

            All this issues Thailand government regulation mostly to protect of migrant worker and their human rights, but some laws were designed only for Thai citizen.  The challenge today for Thailand in Asean communication has declaration on the protection and promotion of the rights of migrant workers, so Thailand has to write and proclaim of sustainable regulation for every worker in ASEAN to build confidence from countries in ASEAN region and international.

Economy

There are some advantages and disadvantages of labour immigration. First of all, labours are the one of the most important things in production factor that can impact the production factor. The economic benefits that immigrants bring are particularly prominent sectors and industries with labor-intensive production. Which is when the economic expansion, the demand of labour will be increased to achieve the target of production, which is the good point. Moreover, there aren’t lack of lower labours because the wage of employment is cheaper than Thai’s labour.

On the other hand, Thai’s labour will be unemployment because of low wage, easy to control. In additional, somethimes Thailand are alleged that Thailand are infringe International Labour Rights by Western countries. Into that fact, some of business are intervened such marine products stop suddenly or protest from customers.To sum up, there are advantages and  disadvantages of labour immigration, however, there are beneficial for the economic that bring are particularly prominent sectors and industries with labor-intensive production.

Social and Culture

                Migration from our neighboring countries are also play roles in society sector. As they moving from their country to working for money, migrant workers might take their families and relative to settle into our country. Today's, we can see tons of Burmese citizen every area in 4 regions of Thailand. For instance, migrant workers in Southern Thailand, they cross border from Song Island, which border with Ranong province to located and living their life in southern provinces. We might see migration villages and their little houses which are mostly settle in rural community and combined both temporary and permanent migrants.  Migrant worker are become as a part of Thai society because every day people need to consume, for Thai enterprise or business owner such as vendor gain more income from these people. In other hand, we could say migrants worker increase of Thai vendor citizen income, as well as in workforce migrant labors can shared their value and norm of their culture into that community so create certain relationship and build the connection between 2 communities.

Nonetheless, migration of worker also impact to Thailand in other side. Foreign workers who come to the country, mostly Burmese, if they are increasing contribute to seize of Thai citizen livelihood. Since then, Burmese has been settling and incest of owner business as dwelling place which is difficult for authority to control widely. But if none of these workers, entrepreneurs cannot operate their business running-well because today most migrants sustenance merchants. Or we could say that migrant workers consuming are building of production and merchandising cycles. Which both side can also earn profit to each other which merchants employment labor to boost their business, and labor will support merchants buy consuming.