US EditionThai Government Grants Refugees From Myanmar the Right to Work
Thailand's policy allows 42,601 Myanmar refugees of working age to legally work, aiming to reduce aid dependence and boost local economies, says UNHCR.
- On 26 August 2025, the Thai Cabinet approved measures allowing long-staying Myanmar refugees to work legally, a move welcomed by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees and the Royal Thai Government.
- Facing years-long encampment and funding shortfalls, Thailand hosts some 81,000 forcibly displaced people in temporary shelters along the Thai-Myanmar border, continuing its 50-year legacy in hosting refugees.
- Under the new measures, eligible refugees in nine temporary shelters in Mae Hong Son, Tak, Kanchanaburi and Ratchaburi can apply for work permits valid for up to one year, covering 77,718 people including 42,601 of working age.
- Officials expect the move to let refugees and their families support themselves, ease the state's burden, address labour shortages after the Cambodian worker exodus, and boost the Thai economy and local communities.
- UNHCR suggested the move could set a regional precedent for rights-based refugee policies as millions of displaced people affected by aid cuts face losing access to life-saving aid, and stands ready to support the Royal Thai Government.
15 Articles
15 Articles
The Straits Times
The Star Kuala LumpurThailand grants some Myanmar refugees right to legal work
BANGKOK - Thailand will give legal employment rights to thousands of Myanmar refugees now living in camps along the border between the two countries, the government said on Wednesday, a move that won the praise of the United Nations' refugee agency. Read more at straitstimes.com.
Thailand To Allow Myanmar Refugees In Border Camps To Work Legally
The policy change will grant the right to legal work in Thailand to around 80,000 refugees, many of whom have been living in the camps for more than 40 years, the government said. The post Thailand To Allow Myanmar Refugees In Border Camps To Work Legally appeared first on StratNews Global.
The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) had welcomed the Thai Government ' s new resolution that would allow long-standing Myanmar refugees to work legally. UNHCR noted that it would also provide a major boost to the national economy; some 81,000 forcibly displaced persons were housed in temporary shelters along the Thai-Myanmar border, where they had been living in camps for decades; almost half of the refugee population had b…
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