The Visibility of Disabled Cross-Border Migrant Workers in Thailand in Migration Research

Abstract

Migrant workers contribute significantly to Thai economic growth. Their importance attracts the attention of scholars around the world. Many researchers have investigated their lives before and while living in Thailand and when they return home. However, it is still questionable to what extent disabled migrants are included in these studies. This paper intends to answer this question by reviewing works conducted in Thailand related to migration and disabilities that appear in Thai and international journal citation databases. The results show that disabled migrant workers in Thailand are not yet clearly visible in migration research or migration data collection. This investigation suggests that the government, scholars, migration research institutes, and non-profit organizations should put disabled migrant workers on their research agendas. This can make them visible and raise society’s awareness of them, as with other groups of disabled people. The information can be used to support disabled migrants throughout the migration process to give them a better quality of life and prevent them from suffering human rights violations.