Cambodian migrant workers are having to navigate through triple shocks. Escalating tensions along the Thai-Cambodian border are preventing many of them from staying put. A series of heavy fighting over a five-day period in July left at least 43 dead. It forced more than 260,000 people from their homes in both countries. Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet appealed to undocumented migrants to come home. This forced many workers to make the decision to quit their jobs in Thailand.
Kri Phart, a 56-year-old poultry worker, was one of those who moved quickly. After seeing the Prime Minister’s announcement on Facebook, he knew he had to come back to Cambodia. He didn’t want to be the only Cambodian migrant remaining in Thailand. “I didn’t want to be the last Cambodian migrant in Thailand,” he stated. His decision is indicative of a broader and historic choice on the part of Cambodian workers. According to reports, more than 90% of Cambodians at his factory have already left.
For 32-year-old rubber factory manager, Meng Yeam from Chonburi Province in Thailand too, home was calling. He was able to save about 20,000 baht (about $600) to send home to his family before leaving himself. Most of the Cambodians I had come to know working in Thailand had escaped. Each day an increasing percentage of our population escaped,” he told them. Ideally, he says, he would like to find work in Thailand again. He’s skeptical that it can be accomplished before he himself retires.
Thouk Houy, a 26-year-old former leather factory worker from south of Bangkok, expressed similar thoughts. She often sent home as much as $70 to $100 a month to help support her parents. With both the current conflict and the possibility of greater government control over land and citizenship, her choice to depart was unavoidable. “I got scared because of the border conflict,” she admitted. “Now that I’m home, what will I do to make a living?”
Human rights defenders have expressed their concern over the turn of events. They document how some migrant workers experienced mob violence at the hands of young Thais amidst this unrest. Cambodians have traditionally been an important part of Thailand’s labor market, primarily in agricultural, construction, and manufacturing sectors. This has become a perfect storm to spike their fears even more. Around 1.2 million Cambodians were employed in Thailand when tensions started flaring up in June.
Cambodian migrant workers send home close to $3 billion in remittances each year, an economic lifeline sustaining many families on the other end. When families unexpectedly lose this source of income, it can create an immense economic shock. Thousands rely on this money to pay off loans and buy groceries. Nathan Green, an assistant professor of geography at the National University of Singapore, noted, “the loss of that income can be devastating for families relying on it.”
As thousands of Cambodians make their way back home with fear and uncertainty in their hearts, the stakes for their families are high. Thouk Houy expressed her concern about her family’s financial future: “Now that I am back, there is going to be no income for a while and this will really put my family in a bad situation.” She feels the weight of responsibility as the last single sibling: “I’m the last of my siblings who is still single, meaning it’s my responsibility to support my parents. I really don’t know how to go about doing that now that I’m back home.”
Kri Phart, pictured above, expresses his concerns about his family’s future in this country. “I have no idea if the fighting will really stop,” he said. “With fewer and fewer Cambodians in Thailand, I got nervous.” That uncertainty hangs like a dark cloud over the lives of returnees, sending countless men and women home wondering what they’re going to do next.
