Working and employment conditions in the agriculture sector in Thailand: A survey of migrants working on Thai sugarcane, rubber, oil palm and maize farms

Agriculture has historically been the backbone of the Thai economy, employing the majority of the national working age population. While the sector has seen a decline in the number of workers in recent years, some 12.7 million workers, approximately 30 per cent of Thailand’s total labour force, work in agriculture today. Increasingly, the sector is depending on migrant workers from Cambodia, the Lao People’s Democratic Republic, and Myanmar to fill the growing labour shortages in the sector.

Given the decent work deficits facing workers in the agricultural sector globally, this report aims to shed light on the specific situation of migrant workers in the agricultural sector in Thailand. The analysis in this report is based on a survey of 528 migrant agricultural workers in four prominent export crops – maize, oil palm, rubber and sugarcane – as well as in-depth interviews with local officials, NGOs, employers and migrant workers. It closes significant knowledge gaps on employment practices, including the recruitment and hiring process, and on the working conditions of migrant workers in the Thai agricultural sector, including wages and working hours, occupational safety and health conditions, housing, and access to social protection and other important support services.

By determining the current situation of migrant workers employed in Thailand’s agricultural sector, the report identifies key gaps in policies and practices that need to be addressed, and provides a comprehensive set of recommendations.