People who migrate to Thailand from Myanmar to work without documentation experience poor working conditions, have limited to no access to public services and face the constant threat of deportation, says the United nations Development Programme (UNDP).

Yet they are critical in filling labour gaps in Thailand and supporting the country’s economy. Improving their working conditions and dismantling barriers for undocumented migrants to get legal status can benefit both migrants and industry.

In the 30 November report "Seeking opportunities elsewhere: Exploring the lives and challenges of Myanmar migrant workers in Thailand", the UNDP has analysed survey responses from 2,249 migrants, of whom 37 percent were undocumented, living in 13 Thai provinces.

At $223 a month, undocumented women earned the lowest average salary, compared to documented men, who earn $338. While this remains above the legal minimum wage in Thailand, 17 percent of survey respondents reported earning less than this. Of these, over half were undocumented women.

Despite benefits, such as one day off a week, overtime pay and maternity leave being mandatory under Thai law, 40 percent of undocumented migrants said they received no additional job perks. This is double the number of respondents who were working in Thailand legally.

There is also a gulf between the numbers of documented and undocumented migrants who are registered under the state’s safety nets, with 62 percent of documented migrants saying they were enrolled in social security and 44 percent in government health insurance. Meanwhile, for those without papers, the figures are just two and five percent, respectively.

The vast majority are unable to access support, with 95 percent of documented migrants and 98 percent of undocumented migrants receiving no help at all.

Migrants in Thailand experience poor living conditions, discrimination, trouble assimilating and, for those without papers, the looming fear of deportation, which contribute to poor mental health.

Undocumented migrants were more likely to report increased anxiety or persistent sadness, as their precarious legal status leaves them open to exploitation. With mental health care services difficult to access, migrants rely on each other to create strong community relations and social support systems.

While more than half (54 percent) of documented migrants have used public hospitals, just 12 percent of those who are documented have accessed these services. High costs were reported as a barrier to using health care services for 18 percent of respondents, which could be alleviated through affordable health insurance. Yet a lack of accessible information on these plans means they are often underused.

Despite the better experiences of documented migrants, it costs, on average, $124 more to migrate to Thailand with the correct papers. This is a prohibitively expensive figure for many people in Myanmar.