“From coup to hard labour: The harsh reality of Myanmar’s young migrants in Thailand”

…Four years after Myanmar’s military seized power in a coup, the country is in the grip of a bloody civil war that has driven many of the country’s young across the border to Thailand.

There they scrape by doing hard jobs for little pay — often living in fear of being arrested and sent back to Myanmar.

AFP met three of them in Mahachai, a district of Samut Sakhon in Bangkok’s western suburbs known as “Little Myanmar” for its population of migrant workers…

Thailand is home to the world’s largest Myanmar diaspora…

Lacking Thai language skills, Myanmar migrants in Thailand are forced into difficult and dirty jobs including construction, food and farm work — often being paid below minimum wage.

Ma Phyu now works from 5.30pm to 3.00am in a fish processing plant, six days a week, regularly scolded by her supervisors for not understanding instructions in Thai…

Like Ma Phyu, Lwin Lwin works in a fish processing factory in Samut Sakhon and lives in a crowded accommodation block.

“There is no happiness,” she said…