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Research Found Private Sectors Exploit Alien Child Labor in Thailand

Child Labor Situation Assessed in Thailand.

Professor Jarunya Wongprom, a lecturer of Institute and Development of Khonkaen University, disclosed the research finding in National Seminar regarding Worst Forms of Child Labor supported by ILO. Several researches were conducted in different regions in Thailand to assess the child labor situation. Some data was collected in Udornthani Province and it was found that child labor was engaged in agricultural activities such as sugarcane cutting and seed harvesting. The research indicated that Udornthani was the top source of sugarcane planting in the Northeast, but most families had no land to grow the plants for their own. They had to move their families when their employers moved to work in another plantation area. As a result, the children in the families became the dropouts from their schools to help their parents working in sugarcane fields. Though children were rarely employed, they always helped their parents when they were hired. The employers would pay the children through their parents. There were some yoyoung laborers who were hired as jockeys since they were only nine years old. Those children received two thousand Baht wage a month. The burden of this occupation was the children had to keep their weights in the minimum scale. Their employers then restricted certain nutritious diets for them in order to keep them small. Mrs. Supang Chantawanich, Director of Asia Studies Institute of Chulalongkorn University, presented the research finding regarding the use of child labor in Samutsakorn Province that, according to the data from NGOs in the province, there were at least 20,000 child laborers either Thai or alien. From the interviews with 643 children, it was found that the biggest portion was Mon who fled from Burma. The youngest age found was in between 9-12. They were put to work in agricultural sector while those who were 15-17 years old were hired to work in fishery. Most of these children were not provided with formal education. Mrs. Nongyao Naowarat, Director of Lanna Women and Development of Chiang Mai University, suggested a different fact that from 598 samples of child laborers, 90 per cent were Burmese children. In Tak Province alone, there were approximately 5,000-10,000 children and the youngest age was 7. An interesting fact was that 21 per cent received no education.

Adapted from: "Research found private sectors exploit alien child labors." Mathichon. 7 July 2006. Source: UNIAP Thailand.