Labour migration to Thailand is a pathway to socio-economic empowerment and resilience for the estimated three million migrant workers and their families from Cambodia, Lao People’s Democratic Republic and Myanmar. Migrant workers have been contributing to economic growth and social development in Thailand. Yet, only a small fraction of migrant workers receive any form of skills development training or recognition of their qualifications. This presents a key barrier preventing the realization of the full development impact of migration, which is recognized in the United Nations' Sustainable Development Agenda. Further, migrant workers commonly experience various types of abuse and discrimination during their migration journeys. Since COVID-19 has further exacerbated the vulnerabilities of migrant workers, the protection of migrant workers’ human and labour rights remains a key concern of all migration stakeholders.

IOM implements the second phase of the regional PROMISE Programme (2021-2025) to support migrant workers in accessing skills development leading to gainful employment and promoting enhanced protection of migrant workers in collaboration with key stakeholders from public and private sectors.