The military junta in Myanmar has suspended the sending of migrant workers to Thailand through official channels, according to overseas employment agencies.
While workers can go to other countries with specific restrictions, the sending of employees to Thailand was suspended as of Friday, according to The Irrawaddy, an independent news site.
Junta officials gave an oral instruction to the Myanmar Overseas Employment Services Entrepreneurs Association and refused to issue written instructions, it quoted an agency source as saying.
“When we asked them to issue a letter confirming the closure, they said it was a verbal order. They said that they suspended only to Thailand and other countries are not included,” said a source.
On Wednesday 140 workers sent by four employment agencies to foreign countries failed to submit their departure permits on time at Yangon airport.
Under growing pressure from ethnic armies and other resistance fighters, the military regime no longer allows men aged 18 to 35 to leave the country as it needs more conscripts.
Men are often prevented from flying from Yangon airport, despite having permits to work or travel.
According to data from the International Organization for Migration, as of March 2024, there were approximately 2.3 million officially registered migrant workers from Myanmar in Thailand, representing around 70% of all registered migrants in the country.
According to The Irrawaddy, Singapore this month urged agencies to look elsewhere for employees because workers from Myanmar might not be available.
“The employers overseas asked us whether we can still send the workers they demanded. But we don’t know what to answer,” said an agent.