Thais need attitude adjustment on migrant labour

So, before they go further in lashing at and telling Myanmar migrants to return home or before they spur anti-Myanmar sentiment, let’s focus on some clear facts.
Myanmar workers in Thailand have made demands on a very special occasion – during the recent visit of Myanmar’s State Counsellor, Aung San Suu Kyi, an icon of their nation.
Through the Myanmar Workers Network, they have asked for a new round of migrant workers’ registration; sought the Thai daily minimum wage of Bt300; the permission to travel freely within the country; government-to-government hiring of labour; and allow the migrants’ children access to healthcare and education.
Thailand has, in fact, already enforced the Bt300 minimum daily wage. Under current laws, it has also allowed migrant children to receive education and welfare for as long as their parents are registered properly. Their other demands are also very understandable.

Why are so many Thais angry?
Some Thais feel migrant workers simply ask for too much; they point out that not all Thais have access to such privileges.
Some other Thais seem to have a negative attitude towards the people of the neighbouring country, accusing them of stealing jobs from Thais, spreading diseases, being ungrateful, and committing crimes. Many of these Thais perhaps are fed wrong or incomplete information hence they perpetuate their hate.
Let’s pause and think:
All human beings are equal. These migrant workers are also human and they deserve basic human rights.
All Thai migrants working overseas will very likely demand the same treatment, if they are not granted the minimum daily wage and access to healthcare, etc.
So before we criticise, let us put ourselves in their shoes and see if their demands are reasonable.
These are basic human rights that we all should understand and while we should protect our rights it is not proper to deny other people their rights.
Thais should understand one more fact.
Anti-immigrant sentiment is not in our country’s interest, especially when Thailand has officially joined the Asean Economic Community and free flow of labour, sooner or later, is inevitable.
At present, there are 1,362,793 registered migrant workers from Myanmar, Laos, and Cambodia in Thailand, according to the Employment Department.
The actual number, including the unregistered ones, must be higher.
These migrant workers fill up the workforce in three main sectors: construction, service, and agriculture. Without them, Thailand would face serious labour shortage.
These migrant workers are important cogs in the wheel to drive the Thai economy. They take up jobs that most Thai people these days do not want to do. They don’t just earn money in Thailand but they also spend some in the Thai market too.
Although their income is too low to pay any income tax, they definitely contribute towards indirect taxes through VAT.
I do hope that Thais will show a greater understanding of migrant workers. Also, I do hope that we all agree to treat migrant workers the way we like other people to treat us. That will be good for all sides.