COMMENT | Social security offers a win-win for migrant workers, Asean alike

COMMENT | When Saw Sunday was severely burned and disabled in a workplace accident at a construction site in Thailand in 2019, his future looked bleak.

However, last month the former migrant worker travelled to Bangkok from his home in Myanmar to collect the first instalment of benefit payments that he will receive for the next 15 years.

Saw Sunday was enrolled in Thailand’s Workers’ Compensation Fund and the Thai Social Security Office approved his claim relatively quickly. However, it was not possible for him to access the payment from Myanmar and ultimately, he needed to travel to Bangkok to collect his benefit.