Conclusions
Seasonal labour migration that had been practiced has tended to decrease due to the changes of paddy field
working patterns of Malaysia from transplanting rice seedlings to sowing rice seedlings and the bringing-in of
machines to work in the paddy field. However, in Thailand, especially border southern border provinces, the
employment and job availability are locally limited. The sole dependence on the agricultural sector is
insufficient to support family. Those people still need supplementary income by migrating to work in Malaysia.
However, to minimize the cost of migrants, it will be helpful if the Thai government could negotiate with the
Malaysian government to establish that people from southern border provinces who hold a border pass can work
legally in Malaysia. There is also little formal structure to protect Thai workers in Malaysia and this needs to be
addressed.