Thailand opens legal jobs to Myanmar refugees amid aid cuts and labor gaps

A landmark shift in Thailand refugee policy

Thailand has cleared the way for many Myanmar refugees who have lived for years inside nine border camps to take paid jobs legally for the first time. The cabinet backed measures open access to work permits for registered camp residents, a dramatic change from a past approach that kept refugees inside controlled areas with few options beyond aid. The step aims to reduce aid dependence, ease shortages in a tight labor market, and give people who fled conflict a chance to earn an income.

Roughly 100,000 people live in the camps along the Thai Myanmar frontier, many of them from ethnic minority communities that escaped waves of military violence that began in the 1980s and intensified after the 2021 coup. Government figures indicate about 80,000 refugees are formally registered, with about 42,600 of working age and eligible to apply. Nearly half of the camp population was born in Thailand and has never known life outside the fencing and checkpoints.

International agencies describe the policy as a turning point that could shift life in the camps from ration cards toward self reliance. Tammi Sharpe, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) Representative in Thailand, framed the change as both humane and practical.

She said: “For too long, protracted exile has felt like an unending wait. This policy marks a turning point. With this shift, Thailand is transforming refugee hosting into an engine of growth for refugees, host communities, and the nation.”

Thai officials say the move also responds to domestic needs. The workforce is aging, and a recent flare up along the Cambodian border sent many Cambodian migrant workers home. Before the clashes, about 520,000 Cambodians held jobs in Thailand, a critical component of the economy alongside nearly 3 million workers from Myanmar. Opening legal pathways for refugees already inside Thailand is one way to plug gaps in agriculture, manufacturing, construction and services without resorting to irregular hiring.

A cut in foreign funding has added urgency. The United States suspended wide swaths of overseas assistance early this year during a policy review. Humanitarian groups working in and around the camps reported immediate strain on food distributions and medical services. UN agencies and Thai authorities continued to provide help, yet the reductions underscored how fragile life in the shelters had become when aid is the only source of support.

Who can work and what the permits allow

Two cabinet measures underpin the policy. The Ministry of Interior can authorize eligible refugees to live or travel outside controlled areas for work, while the Ministry of Labor is empowered to issue work permits. The permits are valid for up to one year. Applicants need authorization to leave the camp, pass a health screening, and secure basic health insurance. Authorities say the first permit fee will be waived to lower the entry cost.

Eligibility and documents

After approval, workers receive identification recognized by Thai agencies, can open bank accounts, and can send money to family members remaining in the camps. The program does not change legal status toward citizenship, permanent residence, or resettlement. It offers a regulated way to work, while the right to live in the shelter remains in place.

A senior Interior Ministry official said the government is preparing to register an initial cohort of about 40,000 workers starting on October 1. Applicants will register with the Department of Provincial Administration, seek permission from their district chief to work outside the shelter, then complete screening at provincial employment offices that will match skills with employers. Workers must return to the shelter when the permit expires unless renewed under future decisions.

Placement and restrictions

The Labor Ministry says workers will be placed in areas that suffer the most acute labor shortages, including industrial and farm hubs in Rayong and Chanthaburi. Refugees will not be allowed to take jobs reserved for Thai nationals. Job fairs have begun in some camps, and the opening wave of vacancies is expected in agriculture and factories, followed by construction and services.

Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul used the launch to highlight both the humanitarian dimension and compliance duties for employers.

He said: “Anyone who meets the regulations and complies with the law will be given the opportunity to work. Employers must guarantee fair treatment, welfare, insurance and funds as required under the Labour Protection Act.”

Officials stress that those registered will be considered lawful workers under Thai labor law, which sets standards on pay, hours, safety and access to social security funds. Monitoring and enforcement will be key to prevent underpayment and unsafe conditions.

Why the policy moved from idea to action

Thai leaders and aid officials have debated work rights in the camps for years. The balance tipped this year as two pressures converged. A sharp reduction in foreign aid destabilized services in the shelters, and a tight labor market made the cost of inaction more visible.

Aid cuts and a tightening labor market

Amnesty International warned that the United States freeze on funding created a humanitarian crisis along the border and inside Myanmar. Clinics in several camps temporarily shut or scaled back, water services were disrupted, and food programs faced severe ration cuts.

Amnesty described the decision in stark terms, urging Washington to issue clear waivers for life saving work.

The organization said: “The United States government’s abrupt and sweeping freeze on foreign aid is severely imperiling the human rights of refugees… The aid stoppage is posing serious risks to the rights to health of more than 100,000 people living in nine refugee camps on the Thai side of the border with Myanmar.”

In parallel, domestic economic concerns sharpened. Thai factories and farms have struggled to recruit enough staff. COVID era disruptions and the border flare up with Cambodia pushed many migrants to leave. Allowing refugees who are already screened and registered to move into legal jobs gives employers a stable channel and gives the state visibility into who is working where.

What success will require on the ground

Turning legal access into real jobs will take practical support. Many camp residents worry about language barriers and limited experience outside the shelter. Others are unsure how to navigate travel permits, medical checks, and paperwork.

Local authorities, humanitarian groups, and employers are preparing to help with Thai language lessons, basic work readiness training, and transport from shelters to worksites. Community mentors can explain safety rules, wage slips, and how to use banking services. Clear complaint channels can help workers report problems without fear.

Transparency in recruitment will matter. Authorities plan to match skills to vacancies through provincial employment offices. That approach can reduce the role of labor brokers, who often charge high fees and sometimes expose migrants to debt and exploitation. A simple permit process, clear job descriptions, and written contracts in languages workers understand can reduce disputes.

The scope is large, yet manageable. If roughly 42,600 adults take up work in the first year, that would be a fraction of Thailand’s migrant workforce. Thailand already employs millions of workers from Myanmar in construction, seafood processing, agriculture and domestic work. Integrating a smaller number of refugees who live nearby can be done with steady coordination.

Economic stakes for Thailand and for border communities

Economists expect a modest but meaningful boost if tens of thousands of new workers enter formal jobs. Wages earned inside factories or on farms will flow back to markets near the camps, lifting demand for goods and services. Employers benefit from lower turnover and less risk of raids or closures tied to irregular hiring.

UNHCR has partnered with the World Bank to measure the effect on household income, local consumption, and business formation. Early evidence from other contexts shows that when refugees work legally, host communities often see rising demand and new job creation, while aid providers can shift scarce resources to people with the greatest need.

A regulated channel can also reduce trafficking risk. When a worker has legal papers, an identity card, and a bank account, it is harder for recruiters to confiscate passports or lock people into debt. Regular work rights can narrow the space for forced labor and child labor, especially in remote farm areas.

The program also sets the stage for more orderly mobility between camps and surrounding districts. Public transport links, predictable schedules, and clear rules on curfews and leave days will help workers keep their jobs without violating shelter regulations. That reduces friction with security rules while preserving the protective nature of the camps.

Legal boundaries and limits of the program

The permits are temporary. They do not create a path to Thai citizenship or permanent residence, and they do not replace the long term solutions of voluntary return or third country resettlement. Thai officials are clear that the work scheme is a humanitarian and economic measure, not a change in status.

Some Thai citizens worry that opening the labor market could pull more people across the border while conflict in Myanmar continues. That concern shaped earlier resistance to any easing inside the camps. The current approach aims to avoid that risk by limiting eligibility to long staying residents already registered in the nine shelters and by keeping the right to reside inside the camps.

Refugees will also face constraints. They cannot hold jobs that Thai law reserves for citizens. They must comply with shelter rules, keep their permits current, and carry identification in public. Employers must follow Thai law on wages and safety, and violations can lead to fines or loss of permits.

How Thailand compares to regional practice

Work rights for refugees are rare in South and Southeast Asia. Many countries tolerate large refugee populations but keep them out of formal employment, citing security and political pressures. Thailand, which is not a party to the 1951 Refugee Convention, has still hosted displaced communities from neighboring countries for decades through ad hoc arrangements.

By opening a legal route to jobs for people in the shelters, Thailand is testing a model that balances control with opportunity. If the program functions, it could influence policy debates in countries that host large numbers of refugees without formal status, including Malaysia and Bangladesh. Each context differs, yet the basic idea is similar. Allow people to work so they can support themselves while larger political questions remain unresolved.

What to watch in the coming months

Implementation will roll out in stages. Registration is set to begin at shelters in Mae Hong Son, Tak, Kanchanaburi, and Ratchaburi. Provincial employment offices will screen applicants and sign contracts with employers. Health checks and insurance documentation are mandatory. Many fees are waived, but the cost of medical screening will be negotiated between worker and employer.

Analysts will track take up rates, the share of women who secure jobs, wage levels compared to similar migrant roles, and whether reported labor abuses rise or fall. Policymakers will look at how quickly workers receive identification and bank access, and how often people move between jobs.

UNHCR and the World Bank plan to publish data on economic outcomes. Those findings could shape whether Thailand expands the scheme beyond the initial cohort or extends work rights to refugees who live outside the camps in Thai cities. Civil society will watch closely to ensure that any expansion guards against exploitation.

Key Points

• Thailand will let many Myanmar refugees living in nine border camps apply for legal work permits for the first time.
• About 80,000 registered refugees reside in the camps, with roughly 42,600 of working age eligible to apply.
• The permits last up to one year and require travel authorization, health screening, and basic health insurance.
• Officials say the first permit fee will be waived and workers will receive identification and bank access.
• Refugees will be placed in sectors with the biggest labor gaps, especially farms and factories, and cannot take jobs reserved for Thai citizens.
• The policy aims to cut aid dependence, respond to workforce shortages, and protect human rights.
• UNHCR calls the decision a turning point that can benefit refugees, host communities, and the national economy.
• Amnesty International warns that US aid cuts deepened the crisis in the camps, adding urgency to policy action.
• An initial tranche of about 40,000 permits is expected from October, with screening and job matching handled by provincial employment offices.
• Employers must follow the Labour Protection Act on pay, safety, insurance and welfare, with enforcement seen as critical.
• The permits do not change refugee status or provide a path to citizenship, permanent residence, or resettlement.
• UNHCR and the World Bank will track economic results that may guide future decisions on scope and eligible groups.