The raids taregetting communities of Myanmar migrant workers began late last month, under the banner of an “ongoing effort to crack down on illegal immigration and uncover any unlawful activities”.
In one raid, officials including officers from Phuket Immigration “inspected” Myanmar workers in the impoverished community in front of the Phuket Fishing Pier on Sri Suthat Rd, Ratsada, on Mar 24.
The impoverished community lives on Koh Siray, directly across the renowned Soi King Kaew slum.
All Myanmar workers “inspected” were found to have legal work permits. As a result, there were no arrests, officials reported.
That raid was followed by more “inspections” by officials from the Thalang District Office, this time targetting migrant worker camps in Moo 2 and Moo 6, Thepkrasattri.
The two impoverished worker’s camps are home to some 150 workers in total, the Thalang District Office noted in its brief report.
The Thalang raids were reported as carried out under the direction and command of Thalang District Chief Siwat Rawangkun, through Deputy District Chief Wisut Romin and a host of officers from the Phuket Provincial Employment Office, the Phuket Provincial Welfare and Labour Protection Office, Phuket Immigration and the District Public Health Office.
While claiming that the health officials were present for the benefit of the migrant workers, the Thalang District Office in its report admitted that the Myanmar workers, who work in Phuket’s construction industry, were urine tested for drugs and “screened for diseases”.
Work permits and passports were also inspected, yet again no illegal activity was found, the Thalang District Office also confirmed.
The Thalang District Office reported that the officers provided “recommendations” and emphasised the importance of maintaining proper building conditions, security, hygiene and camp regulations, as well as ensuring continued compliance with the labour guidelines, the report said.
Additionally, village headmen in the area were instructed to inspect and supervise the camps closely.
So far it has not been reported whether the raids of Myanmar worker’s camps across the island will continue.
SLAVES FOR SEAFOOD
Pikun Chairat, Director of the Phuket Fisheries Management Division, openly admitted to The Phuket News that the number of migrant workers hired in Phuket’s fishing industry was because Thai nationals simply did not want to perform the hard, menial labour required to supply Phuket, and elsewhere, with daily fresh seafood.
“The reason people choose to hire more of these workers, more than Thais, is because Thais don’t like a job to go on boats very often, or they quit after a only short time,” Ms Pikun said
“And the work on boats is hard work. It requires high endurance and is dangerous, even risking their lives,” she added.
“These workers are very important for Phuket’s commercial fisheries,” she added.
Ms Pikun explained there are currently 346 legally registered commercial fishing boats operating out of Phuket Fishing Pier.
The Phuket Provincial Employment Office (PPEO) reports that of the 1,850 foreigners working in Phuket’s fishing industry, 1,798 are Myanmar men and 15 are Myanmar women. The remainder comprise nationals from Laos (14 men, two women) and 21 men from Cambodia.
Further, of the 279 foreigners issued work permits for the “Continuing marine fisheries”, 144 are Myanmar men and 128 are Myanmar women. The remaining seven are all from Laos (three men, four women).
CONSTRUCTION
So inflammatory is the issue of migrant workers ‘stealing Thai jobs’ that Maetapong Upatising, President of the Phuket Real Estate Association, declined to comment on migrant labour used in Phuket’s construction.industry.
“There’s room for everyone, no nationality is stealing jobs from anyone,” was all he would say to The Phuket News.
Myanmar labour has been used for decades for many government construction projects, including the new Phuket Provincial Hall. Migrant workers are also critical for the construction of the thousands of condos, luxury villas and housing developments on the island.
In short, Myanmar migrant labour is often rightly credited as literally building Phuket, at the base minimum wage while living in deplorable conditions.
According to the PPEO, there are 56,622 migrant workers legally working in Phuket’s construction industry.
Of those, an overwhelming number ‒ 56,050 (98.989%) ‒ are from Myanmar.
The hard labour is not restricted to the men, While 37,238 legal foreign construction workers in Phuket are Myanmar men, 18,812 are Myanmar women.
The remainder are from Laos (131 men, 107, women), Cambodia (174 men, 145 women) and Vietnam (nine men, six women).
A further 1,186 workers from Myanmar (905 men, 270 women) work in the ‘Production or distribution of construction materials’, reports the PPEO.
Myanmar migrant workers also lead the way in Phuket homes, with 2,277 (327 men and 1,727 women) working in the category ‘Housework’.
THAIS’ CHOICE
Despite the ‘crackdowns’ on migrant workers, some officials have emphasised the importance of these workers, and the workers’ right to work and education.
Migrant workers are used in all types of industries across Phuket, including schools, wholesale, retail and sales, petrol stations, landscaping and even recycling centres. There is not a facet of life on Phuket that remains untouched by them. They are needed ‒ and wanted ‒ everywhere.
According to the PPEO report for April 2025, a total of 135,626 foreigners have been issued work permits in Phuket. Of those, 120,006 were of four nationalities: Myanmar, Laos, Cambodia and Vietnam.
An overwhelming majority of those four nationalities are Myanmar migrant workers, with 117,245 work permits issued to them The remainder comprise workers from Laos (1,602), Cambodia (481) and Vietnam (678).
Kongsak Koophongsakorn, President of the Phuket Chamber of Commerce, said Phuket needs immigrant workers, especially in jobs Thais avoid.
“It’s not just Myanmar workers; we have many other nationalities working here, including foreigners who come to work in management positions or high positions. However, the real labour shortage is in jobs that Thais don’t take, especially in construction, housekeeping and dishwashing,” he said.
“As the tourism economy expands, we need these workers,” Mr Kongsak told The Phuket News.
Mr Kongsak also openly supported the need to provide for migrant workers’ rights, and the right of their children to education.
“They should study alongside Thai students in a legal school, receiving proper care and education. As more workers settle and raise families in Thailand, education helps their children integrate, understand Thai culture and become valuable members of society,” he said.
“Instead of pushing them out, it is better to bring them into the system to teach. We cannot deny that we need this group of people,” Mr Kongsak noted, in response to the last month’s targetted raids of the schools operated by the Good Shepherd Foundation, which provide free education and even school lunches to children of Myanmar migrant workers living in poverty.
Mr Kongsak raised concerns about unauthorised businesses operated by immigrant workers, such as illegally working as ‘samlor’ vendors, whereby migrants make a living by selling food on the street from a motorbike ‘mobile stall’.
“I do not agree with immigrant workers joining together to do their own business, setting up their own businesses without a license,” he said.
Yet Mr Kongsak remained adamant that migrant workers deserved fair care.
“If we push these workers out, Phuket’s growth will come to a halt. We must face reality and adapt,” Mr Kongsak said.