NGOs working for Myanmar migrant workers say the Thai government is planning to call for more migrant workers from Myanmar, Laos, Cambodia and Vietnam.

The NGOs reportedly met with the Thai Ministry of Labour on 20 March and the officials discussed the issue but they have not yet disclosed how these migrant workers would be called for employment.

The people who are helping and assisting Myanmar migrant workers say Thai labour demand lies in manufacturing and construction work, primarily, and the use of Myanmar migrant workers would be convenient if the Thai government could give them temporary work permits, or pink cards, when the government implements this plan.

The Thai government reportedly issued about 700,000 temporary work permits (or pink cards) to the illegal migrant workers working in Thailand in 2022.

The migrant worker scene in Thailand was negatively affected by the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020-22, particularly as the borders were closed and care was taken to control the spread of the pandemic.