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THAILAND MIGRATION REPORT 2011 Edited by Jerrold W THAILAND MIGRATION REPORT 2011 edited by Jerrold W. Huguet Aphichat Chamratrithirong International Organization for Migration International Labour Organization United Nations Development Programme United Nations Population Fund United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees World Health Organization United Nations Children’s Fund United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights International Telecommunication Union World Bank United Nations Country Team in Thailand Migration for development in Thailand: Overview and tools for policymakers edited by Jerrold W. Huguet Aphichat Chamratrithirong CoverPhotos: Top left: Martine Perret (UN), Centre top: Claudia Natali (IOM), Top right: Daniel Tshin (UNDP) Foreword Centre right: Chris Lom (IOM) Bottom left & right: Labour Rights Promotion Network Thailand Migration Report 2011 - the third in a series which started in 2005 - is the product of a collaborative effort between member agencies of the United Nations Thematic Working Group on Migration in Thailand, under the leadership of the International Organization for Migration. Like its predecessors, it aims to provide policymakers, practitioners and academia with current information on migration trends and patterns in Thailand, together with relevant policy developments. The designations employed and the presentation of the material in this report do not imply the expression of In addition to its standard features, this new volume focuses on “Migration for development in Thailand: any opinion whatsoever on the part of the United Nations or the International Organization for Migration overview and tools for policymakers”. This theme has been high on the United Nations and government concerning the legal status of any country, territory, city or area, or of its authorities, or concerning the agendas in recent years, as the world increasingly recognizes that migration can be a key driver for delimitation of its frontiers or boundaries. development, if it is managed in a comprehensive manner. Thailand has evolved into a global and regional migration hub for outgoing, incoming and transiting migrants The opinions, figures and estimates presented in these chapters are the responsibility of the respective in South-East Asia. Economic and demographic differences have resulted in the movement of low-skilled authors, and should not necessarily be considered as reflecting the views or carrying the endorsement of migrants from weaker economies in the region to Thailand. the United Nations or the International Organization for Migration. A significant number of Thai workers are also migrating to stronger economies in Asia or the Middle East. With the establishment of the ASEAN Community by 2015, mobility within the region is also expected to increase among highly skilled workers. Internal migration in Thailand is another trend that merits Publisher: further study. International Organization for Migration, Thailand Office Migration is a phenomenon that has a multi-faceted impact on societies, economies and cultures, both in Bangkok, Thailand countries of origin and destination. The economy, human rights and gender are some of the interrelated 18th Floor, Rajanakarn Building dimensions of development that require close attention in defining an effective and comprehensive 183 South Sathorn Road, Sathorn migration policy. Bangkok 10120, Thailand With this in mind, this volume of the Thailand Migration Report includes specific chapters that analyse the Tel: +66.2.3439300 relationship between migration and these areas. It provides insights into how policies can help to maximize Fax: +66.2.3439399 migration’s benefits, while minimizing its costs. E-mail: [email protected] Internet: http://www.iom.int Migration, whether temporary, transient or long-term, has a significant impact on Thailand’s development, growth and stability. However, as a country of origin, transit and destination for migrants, Thailand faces Design & Print: unique challenges in migration management. FSPNetwork Company Limited A comprehensive and coherent migration management strategy is critical in ensuring, firstly, that there is Bangkok, Thailand proper coordination across distinct policymaking spheres, and secondly, that migration benefits both the host Tel: +668.1.6283799 society and the migrants themselves. Fax: +66.2.9385069 The successful implementation of such a strategy will ensure that the potential developmental benefits of E-mail: [email protected] migration are fully realized. For Thailand, this could mean moving from being a middle-income country to a hign-income country. Printed in Thailand Thailand will continue to face the challenges of managing both inward and outward migration in a manner that meets societal interests, while respecting migrants’ legitimate aspirations, dignity and human rights. ISBN: 978-92-9068-613-2 The ongoing process of migrant nationality verification and the latest developments related to the management of irregular migrants pose particular challenges in this respect. It is our hope that the Thailand Migration Report 2011 will provide valuable guidance on how human mobility can best contribute to development in Thailand. © 2011 International Organization for Migration (IOM) All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise without the prior written permission of the publisher. Rebecca Hansen Monique Filsnoël Resident Coordinator of This publication may be reproduced in whole or in part for educational or non-profit purposes without special permission from the Chief of Mission copyright holder, provided that the source is acknowledged. the United Nations System in Thailand IOM Thailand vi Thailand Migration Report 2011 Thailand Migration Report 2011 vii • United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) Preface • United Nations Office of the Resident Coordinator (UNRC) • United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) • United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women (UN WOMEN) In recent decades Thailand has evolved into a regional migration hub in South-East Asia, and is concurrently • World Bank (WB) a country of origin, transit and destination for large numbers of both regular and irregular international • World Health Organization (WHO) migrants. With a dynamic economy, there is also a great deal of internal migration, including circular and seasonal migration. However, the highly dynamic nature of migration trends and patterns in Thailand makes All of the agencies that comprise the Working Group participated in the production of the report by the timely formation of comprehensive and coherent migration policies very challenging. providing financial support and/or technical advice. The Working Group is also indebted to the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) for contributing financially towards the production of this publication. It is also increasingly being recognized that migration can play a key role in stimulating and facilitating social, The involvement of ITU further highlights the cross-cutting nature of migration and the need to look beyond economic and human development, a theme that has been high on the United Nations and government traditional disciplines to get a well-rounded understanding of the forces and mechanisms shaping migration agendas in recent years. Migration is having a significant impact on the growth, development and stability of and development. Telecommunication technology facilitates migration while also further harnessing its Thailand, and will continue to do so in the future. It is with these challenges and opportunities in mind that development potential. “Migration for development” has been chosen as the central theme of the Thailand Migration Report 2011 with an objective to explore how Thailand can most effectively harness the developmental potential offered by IOM played a central role in the preparation of the Thailand Migration Report 2011. Through tireless its flows of international and internal migrants. coordination between members of the Working Group, the editors, Mahidol Migration Center experts, language editors and other relevant service providers, IOM guaranteed the high quality and timely submission The Thailand Migration Report 2011 follows in the footsteps of the successes of the 2005 and 2009 of each chapter and at the same time ensured that the report was the result of a truly collaborative and editions, which were both very well received by key stakeholders and the public. The 2005 report compiled participatory effort. and reviewed available information on international migration in Thailand in one study for the first time, while the 2009 report expanded and updated this information based on the rapidly changing migration Several chapters of this report have been compiled by relevant experts from the Mahidol Migration Center situation in Thailand. through a combination of desktop research and interviews with relevant stakeholders. In particular, the preparation of this report has benefited immensely from the cooperation of the Government of Thailand, The 2011 report again aims to expand on previous reports by including an analysis of internal migration, which provided both published and unpublished data on migration trends. Chapter authors also conducted while also adopting a different format to
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