In managing migrant labour in ASEAN, Thailand should take a lead

The Government of Thailand needs to think boldly about its labour migration policies if it is to be ready for future demographic, economic and labour force trends. In our new report, “Agenda for Labour Migration Policy in Thailand”, we urge the Government to be the first in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) to experiment with the free movement of labour across its borders, beginning with Lao PDR. It works between India and Nepal, and in the European Union. So why can’t it work here?