On 3 November 2025, the Mekong Migration Network (MMN) in collaboration with SEA Junction hosted a panel discussion on Thailand’s evolving responses to cross-border migration and labour issues. The event examined Thailand’s long-standing dependence on migrant workers from neighbouring countries and recent shifts in migration patterns caused by the Covid-19 pandemic, the Myanmar military coup, and the Thailand–Cambodia border conflict. Discussions focused on new policy developments, including Thailand’s decision to grant work rights to refugees along the Thai-Myanmar border and plans to recruit workers from Sri Lanka to address labour shortages. Bringing together representatives from UN agencies, migrant and refugee advocates, employers’ associations, and academia, the event explored policy options for managing mixed migration, strengthening social cohesion, and upholding the rights and wellbeing of migrant workers in Thailand.

The panel included the following speakers:

  • Jacqueline Strecker, Senior Development Officer UNHCR
  • Nilubon Pongpayom, Group of Entrepreneurs with Foreign Workers
  • Htoo Chit, Foundation for Education and Development

Moderator

  • Jackie Pollock, Migration Expert