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Myanmar: Scarce local job opportunities force over 63,000 MoU workers into Thailand in four months
With few job opportunities inside Myanmar, more citizens are going abroad to work, and over 63,000 workers left for Thailand in four months, according to the Labour Department.
After memorandums of understanding had been signed, 60,461 workers went to Thailand in four months through Myawady, border town with Thailand. The number was 16,988 in January, 15,109 in February, 15,881 in March and 12,483 in April.
Last year also saw 145,161 MoU workers leaving for Thailand.
Some say that the country will be losing more human resources because Thailand’s minimum daily wage has increased to 315 baht (about K13,000) compared with K4,800 in Myanmar.
“In Thailand, they face hard work. They have to work in 3-D conditions—dangerous, difficult and dirty. But we will be losing human resources until the factories and industries in our country develop,” said Moe Gyo, chairman of the Joint Action Committee for Burma Affairs.
Yong people from across Myanmar have been leaving for neighbouring Thailand for many years. Most of them went there undocumented.
Under MoUs, 2,269 workers went to Thailand in 2013, 31,828 in 2014, 52,765 in 2015 and 97,998 in 2016. The number reached to 145,161 in 2017, over year after the current government took office.
Source: http://www.elevenmyanmar.com/business/13880