BANGKOK – Seven weeks after a deadly earthquake triggered the collapse of a high-rise construction site in Bangkok, labor rights groups say the disaster has exposed long-standing flaws in Thailand’s construction sector – particularly its failure to protect the migrant workers who keep it running.
On the day of the March 28 quake, more than 100 workers were inside a 32-story unfinished tower when tremors from a 7.7-magnitude earthquake in neighboring Myanmar shook the Thai capital, causing the building to crumble. Many of those trapped were migrant workers from Myanmar, drawn to Thailand by economic hardship and political upheaval.
Migrant workers from Myanmar dominate Thailand’s so-called 3D jobs – dirty, dangerous, and demeaning – with estimates suggesting at least four million now live in the country. Many fled their homeland following the 2021 military coup, seeking safety and opportunity across the border.
Thailand’s construction industry relies heavily on this workforce. In 2023, around 600,000 foreign nationals were employed in the sector, according to the International Labour Organization.
Yet it remains one of the country’s most hazardous industries. A 2022 study by the Workmen’s Compensation Fund found that more than 4,500 workers were killed or injured in construction accidents in 2021 alone – over 40% of them in Bangkok.
The recent collapse has reignited concerns about safety, prompting widespread fear among migrant laborers.
“[Migrant workers] don’t want to work in construction anymore,” said Koreeyor Manuchae, project coordinator at the Migrant Working Group, an advocacy organization supporting survivors.
“They are afraid of that, but they have no choice.”
Despite their fears, many survivors find themselves unable to leave their jobs. Under Thailand’s bilateral memorandum of understanding system, migrants from Myanmar are bound to their original employers and face significant restrictions if they try to change jobs.
Critics argue that such a system is not only time-consuming, but also can financially burden job-seekers as they often need to go through brokers to find jobs, leaving many little choice in their placement.
