This research brief examines the systemic vulnerabilities faced by migrant workers across the Greater Mekong Sub-region (GMS), highlighting how structural inequalities, reliance on low-cost labour, weak migration governance, and discriminatory practices heighten risks of exploitation and human trafficking.

Drawing on analysis supported by the ASEAN-Australia Counter Trafficking (ASEAN-ACT) program, the brief shows that most migrant workers enter Thailand through informal and costly channels, face differential access to information and protections, and often encounter abuses by employers, recruiters, and authorities. The report also details how the COVID-19 pandemic intensified these risks, particularly in Special Economic Zones and casino hubs, creating new opportunities for coercion and forced labour.

Access: open

Authors: Paul Buckley and Lucia Pietropaoli

Affiliation: ASEAN-Australia Counter Trafficking (ASEAN-ACT)

Date: 07/06/2023

Language: English

Country: Greater Mekong Sub-region