'Don't have to hide': Thai IDs, legal work give hope to Myanmar refugees

NAKHON SAWAN, Thailand: Myanmar refugees working on a Thai farm, receiving job security through legal work permits and non-citizen Thai ID cards. Ney La Jaw, 25, works on a conveyor machine arranging seed trays, stating he enjoys the work and sends money home to his mother. Over 4,600 refugees from Myanmar have sought legal employment in Thailand since October 2025, a fraction of the 80,000 refugees living in camps.

Myanmar leader Min Aung Hlaing visited Bangkok on Aug 6 to sign a labor cooperation agreement with Thailand. Refugees like Gay Lah, who fled as a child, hope to work hard, save money, and eventually bring their families out of the camps. UNHCR welcomed Thailand's move to issue ID cards, calling it a landmark step towards inclusion, protection, and self-reliance for the world's most protracted refugee population.