Thailand's Hidden Workforce: Burmese Migrant Women Factory Workers - Asian Arguments

Millions of Burmese women migrate into Thailand each year to form the basis of the Thai agricultural and manufacturing workforce. Un-documented and unregulated, this army of migrant workers constitutes the ultimate "disposable" labour force, enduring grueling working conditions and much aggression from the Thai police and immigration authorities. This insightful book ventures into a part of the global economy rarely witnessed by Western observers. Based on unique empirical research, it provides the reader with a gendered account of the role of women migrant workers in Thailand's factories and interrogates the ways in which they strategize about their families and their futures. "Millions of Burmese women migrate into Thailand each year to form the basis of the Thai agricultural and manufacturing workforce. Un-documented and unregulated, this army of migrant workers constitutes the ultimate 'disposable' labour force, enduring grueling working conditions and much aggression from the Thai police and immigration authorities. This insightful book ventures into a part of the global economy rarely witnessed by Western observers. Based on unique empirical research, it provides the reader with a gendered account of the role of women migrant workers in Thailand's factories and interrogates the ways in which they manage their families and their futures."--Publisher's website Millions of Burmese women migrate into Thailand each year to form the basis of the Thai agricultural and manufacturing workforce.Un-documented and unregulated, this army of migrant workers constitutes the ultimate'disposable'labour force, enduring gruelling working conditions and much aggression from the Thai police and immigration authorities. This insightful book ventures into a part of the global economy rarely witnessed by Western observers.Based on unique empirical research, it provides the reader with a gendered account of the role of women migrant workers in Thailand's factories and interrogates the ways in which they manage their families and their futures. 1 Thailand's Hidden Workforce: Burmese Women Factory Workers 1 -- 2 Thailand's Industrialisation And Labour Migration Policies 22 -- 3 Burmese Women Migrant Workers In Thailand's Export Industries 46 -- 4 Migrant Women In Thailand's Factories: Working Conditions, Struggles And Experiences 77 -- 5 Burmese Migrant Women And Families In Thailand: Reproduction, Children And Care 106 -- 6 After The Crisis: New Struggles And Possibilities 132 -- 7 Burmese Migrant Workers Between Two Worlds 165. Includes Bibliographical References And Index. Millions of Burmese women migrate into Thailand each year to form the basis of the Thai agricultural and manufacturing workforce. This insightful book ventures into a part of the global economy Western observers rarely witness. Based on unique empirical research, it provides a gendered account of the role of women migrant workers in Thailand's factories and interrogates the ways in which they manage their families and their futures.