Thailand's Hidden Workforce Burmese Women Factory Workers

Millions of Burmese women migrate into Thailand each year to form the basis of the Thai agricultural and manufacturing workforce. Un-documented and unregulated, this army of migrant workers constitutes the ultimate "disposable" labor force, enduring grueling working conditions and much aggression from the Thai police and immigration authorities. This insightful book ventures into a part of the global economy rarely witnessed by Western observers. Based on unique empirical research, it provides the reader with a gendered account of the role of women migrant workers in Thailand's factories and interrogates the ways in which they strategize about their families and their futures.

RUTH PEARSON is Professor for Development Studies at the University of Leeds.


KYOKO KUSAKABE is an Associate Professor of Gender and Development Studies, and Associate Dean of the School of Environment, Resources, Development (SERD), at the Asian Institute of Technology, Thailand.

"The authors give a voice to a part of Thailand's workforce invisible to many Thais, and to consumers across Asia and around the world who buy the cheap goods they produce. That voice is authentic, and paired with sound analysis of the issues raised." - Chris Hogg, correspondent BBC Asia, Shanghai

"The labels on your clothes do not say 'Made by Burmese migrant women in Thailand', but once you have read this book you will carry that information with you. Many thanks to the authors for exposing these conditions." - Jackie Pollock, director, MAP Foundation, Thailand

"This book reveals the hidden face of Thailand's industrial and migration policies by giving visibility and voice to Burmese female migrants employed in the country's ready-made garment and knitwear factories. The authors shine the spotlight, not only on the women's work experiences on the factory floor, but also on the way they juggle care responsibilities for their children. It is a compelling story about ordinary women making hard decisions under precarious conditions as they live transborder lives." - Professor Brenda Yeoh, National University of Singapore