The Cost of Labor: Thailand and Burma’s Post-Coup Exodus

Thailand's border with Myanmar has only grown more significant since the coup began, offering both an alternative to workers in the declining economy and a solution to Thailand's labor crisis. From January to October last year, a total of 32,170 illegal migrants crossed over from Myanmar to Thailand, 11,101 of those in September and October alone, making up 75% of Thailand's migrant workforce.

In a series of four stories, Democratic Voice of Burma will join Deutsche Welle, The Guardian, and Al Jazeera to investigate both the motivations behind and impact of Thailand's massive migrant worker population and what the recent influx means. As migrants and advocacy organizations continue to work for legal protections, many workers remain in residential limbo, illegal unions, and even in debt slavery.