Thailand's Treatment of Myanmar Nationals: A Human Rights Crisis

Strategic Insights -

Thai authorities are threatening, extorting, and detaining Myanmar nationals who have fled the abusive military junta to seek safety in Thailand. Many of these individuals, including refugees under international law, are forced to live in the shadows with limited access to documentation, protection, and basic rights. Human Rights Watch is calling on the Thai government to introduce a temporary protection regime for Myanmar nationals and to establish a framework for recognizing refugee status and providing asylum that meets international legal standards.

Key Takeaways:

  • Human Rights Watch has documented widespread human rights abuses against Myanmar nationals in Thailand, including extortion, detention, and deportation.
  • The Thai government's National Screening Mechanism excludes certain nationalities, including migrant workers from Myanmar, Cambodia, and Laos, from access to protection.
  • Myanmar nationals are forced to rely on brokers to obtain documentation, often paying exorbitant fees for the process.
  • The Thai government has failed to provide a pathway for refugee status recognition, leaving thousands of people in limbo.
  • The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) has urged the Thai government to provide effective protection for people fleeing Myanmar.
  • In 2023, the Thai government introduced a new National Screening Mechanism, but it largely excludes certain nationalities from access.
  • Thailand is not a party to the 1951 Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees or its 1967 Protocol, making it challenging to recognize refugee status.
  • Human Rights Watch has interviewed 30 Myanmar nationals living in Thailand, highlighting the urgent need for protection and asylum.
  • A 30-year-old journalist from Myanmar who had fled to Mae Sot said, "The main threat [in Mae Sot] is the police. I was scared of them.... I got stopped [by the police] six times: three times I paid the police money, and they let me go."
  • The Thai authorities' practices have left millions of undocumented Myanmar nationals feeling marginalized and exploited in Thailand.

Statistics:

  • More than four million Myanmar nationals are currently in Thailand, nearly half of them undocumented.
  • In February 2025, Human Rights Watch interviewed 30 Myanmar nationals living in Thailand.
  • Only 10% of Myanmar nationals in Thailand have a migrant worker's card, commonly known as the "pink card."
  • The process of obtaining a "pink card" requires an employer to sponsor the migrant worker, but many individuals are excluded due to the lack of a formalized asylum procedure.
  • Thailand has no refugee law or formalized asylum procedures that are applicable to all nationalities.
  • In 2021, the Myanmar military junta carried out widespread abuses across the country, including war crimes and crimes against humanity.

Sources:

  • Human Rights Watch, "I'll Never Feel Secure': Undocumented and Exploited Myanmar Nationals in Thailand"
  • Human Rights Watch, "Thai Government Should Provide Protection for Myanmar Nationals"
  • Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), "Thai Government Urged to Provide Effective Protection for People Fleeing Myanmar"