Perception and misperception: Thai public opinions on refugees and migrants from Myanmar

Abstract

This article reports on a quantitative survey in four provinces on the Thailand- Myanmar border that investigated Thai perceptions of refugees and migrant workers from Myanmar. The results show that the public is highly concerned with security issues and that the majority of the Thais surveyed believe that refugees and migrant workers pose a threat to public safety and may carry diseases. Respondents also saw refugees and migrants as competing for jobs and national resources with native Thais. Those who lived closer to the refugee camps, who are rural residents, generally had more positive views of migrants and refugees than those in urban areas located farther from the camps. The results are discussed in terms of recommendations that would help to dispel misperceptions and improve integration of refugees, migrants and ethnic minorities into Thai society.