Resilience & Uncertainty: Mekong Migrant Workers amid the Pandemic Downturn

Since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, the situation of migrant workers in Thailand has become increasingly precarious. With the global reach of the pandemic disrupting supply chains and necessitating the closure of national borders, migrant workers employed in tourism and export-orientated manufacturing industries have been especially hard hit by the economic downturn. Migrant workers employed in other sectors have also had their wages and working hours cut and are currently facing a prolonged period of uncertainty.

While the impact of COVID-19 is felt across the world, the nuances of the specific challenges faced by migrant workers in Thailand remain unfamiliar to most. In order to amplify their voices and raise awareness, MMN has initiated a visual storytelling project. It is our hope that the project will provide migrants an opportunity to tell their stories in their own words, and bring their challenges and resilience into the limelight. From an advocacy standpoint, MMN hopes that these stories will serve as a means of illustrating how the complex legal and policy landscape surrounding migration and social protection impacts the daily lives of migrants, highlighting both existing problems and possible solutions.

This booklet introduces the stories told by migrants, along with dynamic images by documentary photographer, John Hulme. Additional photographs captured by John Hulme for this project were displayed at a photo exhibition hosted by SEA-Junction at the Bangkok Art and Cultural Centre from 15 to 20 December, 2020, with more exhibitions elsewhere planned for 2021.

Download the booklet here