Can Thailand continue to be appreciated as a country of asylum rather than be depreciated as a country of transnational repression, colluding with others to push back refugees?

This puzzle is also pertinent to refugees from Myanmar. At this juncture, it is worth noting that the term “refugee” is understood internationally to cover those who flee from their country of origin in response to fear of persecution. In practice, this has been extended to cover persons exiting their home countries in response to armed conflicts.

The various caseloads from Myanmar correlate well with that coverage. Five groups invite rationalization and streamlining of Thai policy as follows.

First, there is the very old group that has been here for half a century or more. The new policy sanctioned by the cabinet decision of October 2024 enables them to be granted permanent residence in Thailand and or Thai nationality, depending on various criteria. This aims to overcome the issue of statelessness affecting some half a million persons from various countries who have been residing in Thailand for a long time.

Second, there is a group of over 80,000 who have been here for some 40 years and are now in nine camps near the border on Thai soil. Generally, they benefit from the practice of temporary asylum and no pushback. They are granted access to the basics of life such as birth registration, primary education and health care.

However, the authorities still insist on education in the Myanmar language, and access to other levels of education is not ensured. Nor are they allowed to work outside the camps, even though it is well known that some do so via non-transparent arrangements.