Thailand’s economy is heavily reliant on labour-intensive industries. However, growing
economic prosperity since the late 1980s has seen a decline in the available Thai workforce
needed to meet the labour demand.5
In 2009, Thailand’s Ministry of Labour estimated that
an additional 116,000 workers would be needed to address the labour-market imbalance.6
In parallel, the relative lack of economic opportunity in Thailand’s neighbouring countries
has made it a destination for migrants seeking employment.