It’s no secret that Thailand doesn’t treat its migrant workers very well. Coming to Thailand from poorer countries like Myanmar, Laos and Cambodia, migrant workers in Thailand have no rights, are often mistreated and, if they get on the wrong side of the wrong person, can easily find themselves being deported back to their native country. That’s why it’s nice to see the Thai government finally reacting to international pressure about how the country treats migrant workers.
Thailand will soon be offering free healthcare to the children of migrant workers who are under six years old. Something that’s vitally needed as many migrant workers, who are paid peanuts, find it almost impossible to pay for healthcare for their kids. According to the Thai government, the free healthcare will even include expensive vaccinations.
The new initiative has not gone into effect yet and, as things can take a long time in Thailand to get done due to the inordinate amount of governmental red tape involved in even the smallest changes, it may take a while. Once the law does go into effect, however, it will definitely be a step in the right direction towards migrant workers getting the same rights Thais take for granted.
For more information on the new migrant healthcare law, watch this Aljazeera video.