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The purpose of this paper is to examine some of the antecedents and outcomes associated with a sense of place (SOP) on the part of Myanmar migrant workers working in Thailand toward their place of work. The transformational leadership of top management and diversity climate were selected as the antecedent variables, whereas turnover intention was selected as the outcome variable. Belongingness theory and social identity theory were used as the theoretical foundation to support the roles of these variables.

Survey data were collected from Myanmar migrant workers working at two factories in Thailand (n=736). Partial least squares regression was used for the data analysis.

The results support a negative linkage between SOP and turnover intention. The positive contribution of transformational leadership of top management and diversity climate to SOP was also supported. Moreover, diversity climate was found to partially mediate the positive contribution of transformational leadership of top management to SOP. Finally, the analysis found that the linkage between diversity climate and SOP was positively moderated by the length of stay of the Myanmar migrant workers in the organization.

This study provides new evidence showing that SOP also matters for foreign migrant workers in terms of developing emotional attachment to the workplace outside their home country and that these workers were less likely to leave the workplace although they were a culturally minority group in the organization. This research also provides new evidence concerning the role of the transformational leadership of top management and workplace climate, which were antecedents of an SOP toward the organization.

The purpose of this paper is to determine the prevalence of Alcohol Use Disorders (AUDs) among Myanmar male migrant workers (> 15 years) living in Mae Sot, Thailand, and their patterns of drinking.

A cross-sectional survey was administered to 512 participants to measure AUDs and drinking patterns. ANOVA and χ² analyses were performed to assess demographic differences between abstainers, harmful and hazardous drinkers (HHDs) (those showing signs of AUDs) and non-harmful drinkers.

Results showed that 12.3 percent of male Myanmar migrants were HHDs, a rate only slightly higher than in Thai men (9.1 percent), but much higher than in men still living in Myanmar (2.7 percent) (WHO, 2014). Also, 19 percent of alcohol-consuming Myanmar male migrant workers reported patterns of heavy episodic drinking, which is markedly higher than in alcohol-consuming Thai (4.7 percent) and Myanmar men (1.5 percent) (WHO, 2014).

Given the health risks associated with AUDs and heavy episodic drinking, the findings of this study suggest a need for appropriate alcohol-related health education and intervention for Myanmar male migrant workers.

This research examines the effect of cultural intelligence (CQ) of top management on pro-diversity climates and perceived discrimination of the Myanmar migrant workers in Thailand. This research also analyzes the effect of perceived discrimination on job satisfaction and turnover intention of the Myanmar migrant workers.

The data were collected from 650 Myanmar migrant workers who are employed at two factories in Thailand. Partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) was used as the data analysis method.

The results significantly support the positive effect of perceived management CQ on pro-diversity climates. Pro-diversity climates are also negatively and significantly associated with perceived discrimination. Moreover, the effect of perceived management CQ on perceived discrimination is fully mediated by pro-diversity climate.

This research clarifies that simply ensuring top management possess CQ may not be a sufficient condition for the company to successfully tackle discrimination in the workplace. Rather, it is crucial for the top management to create an organizational climate that is supportive of the racial diversity of foreign migrant employees.

The purpose of this paper is to investigate how institutional mechanisms operate within both formal and informal channels of cross-border remittance.

Face-to-face interviews were conducted with Myanmar migrants mostly working in Thailand. Thematic coding was used to analyze field notes and identify themes in channel member perceptions and institutional environmental process.

Informal money transfer channels have achieved higher levels of legitimacy when compared to formal channels. Channel legitimacy is a more important attribute than efficiency. Lack of financial infrastructure, such as bank branches and ATM machines particularly in rural or outlying areas of Myanmar, the requirements for formal documentation and language and communication are the major institutional constraints that encourage the development and use of multiple channels in Myanmar. Formal money transfer channels develop with stronger regulative institutional processes, whereas informal money transfer channels develop with stronger cultural-cognitive and normative institutional processes.

Using convenience sample of remitters mainly from one area of Thailand and other channel members from Yangon, the financial capital of Myanmar, may limit the applicability of the findings, which calls for future research.

Banks and money transfer offices need to improve legitimacy perception within migrant communities by building stronger networks with local banks and international banks. They could provide Myanmar speaking front-line service personnel and include brochures in the Myanmar language to improve the communication process. The findings and recommendations from this study are also applicable to informal channels and formal financial institutions in other ASEAN countries that are preparing to make investments in Myanmar. Moreover, Myanmar banks should also consider opening branches to cater for Myanmar workers in ASEAN, especially in Thailand, Singapore and Malaysia.

This paper applies institutional theory within channels, investigates the context of a financial channel rather than a product channel, addresses the importance of institutional environmental mechanisms and constraints in influencing channel behavior and is embedded in the situational context of Myanmar, a newly opened South-East Asian economy where little prior research has been conducted.

The purpose of this paper is to examine Myanmar’s “hundi” system, an informal value transfer system used widely by local Myanmar citizens and offshore migrant workers to remit money domestically and internationally. Due to historically stringent banking and foreign exchange controls and a lack of domestic and internationally linked financial services, the system grew to become the dominant medium for remittances in Myanmar. It also remains unregulated despite authorities acknowledging its use in criminal and terrorist activity. However, with an expanding and modernising financial sector, there is now increasing competition and challenges facing Myanmar’s hundi system.

This paper draws on available literature and open source reporting, as well as interviews with former Myanmar Police Force officials.

This study provides a unique insight into Myanmar’s hundi system, its history and the challenges it faces. The once dominant system remains a known anti-money laundering and countering the financing of terrorism (AML/CFT) risk and is having to compete with an expanding and modernising formal banking sector and the introduction of fintech and mobile money services. In the short term, these are unlikely to eliminate the hundi system completely, but may instead push hundi operators towards adopting these networks and technologies in their own operations.

Myanmar remains a very under-researched area and there has been a limited focus on its informal hundi remittance system and related AML/CFT issues. This paper will be a useful source for academics, development professionals, policymakers, law enforcement agencies and private sector actors seeking to understand Myanmar’s informal remittance system.

Migrants may be vulnerable towards HIV infection for many reasons including separation from spouses, lack of family restraint, peer norms, alcohol use, low perceived vulnerability toward HIV infection, limited access to health care and health education, and low levels of education. The objective of this paper is to assess the influence of duration of stay and subsequent moves in Thailand on AIDS knowledge and sexual risk behaviors of migrant workers from Myanmar and Cambodia.

Data are drawn from a survey of 3,374 migrants conducted by the Institute for Population and Social Research, Mahidol University in 2008. Multiple linear and logistic regression were used to assess factors related to AIDS knowledge and risk taking behavior.

The average length of stay in Thailand for these migrants was about five years. Duration of residence in Thailand was related to an increase in AIDS knowledge as well as an increase in condom use with regular partners. Duration of residence was also associated with an increase in visits to unpaid non regular partners and a decrease in visits to paid non regular partners. The number of moves across provinces within Thailand was not related to AIDS knowledge but was related to a decrease in paid and unpaid non regular partners.

The research is limited by the cross sectional nature of the survey. Longitudinal surveys of the migrants' experience should be conducted.

Duration of residence in Thailand had both positive and negative effects on migrants' vulnerability to HIV infection. A focus on minimizing HIV risk behaviors may be needed throughout their stay.

This is the first paper to focus on duration of residence and movement with Thailand on HIV prevention for migrant laborers. The findings are of value to health promotion programs for migrants.

This study aims to examine the systems and mechanisms at provincial level to develop health volunteers to improve health of the immigrant workforce in Ubon Ratchathani, Thailand.

This qualitative study collected data from document research and in-depth interviews with 22 concerned people who worked at policy and provincial levels to develop health volunteers to improve the health of immigrant workforce. Data were collected from May to July 2017. Then, content of the conceptual framework was analysed. The research objectives were examined and summary and induction analysis interpreted data from documents, observations and interviews.

Ubon Ratchathani has developed a Thai village health volunteer network to provide health care to immigrant workforce. This consisted of four systems and one supporting mechanism, namely, selection of health volunteer, knowledge management on primary health care, welfare management and moral enhancement and resource and budget support. Development is driven through the committee under the mechanisms of government agencies, i.e. the provincial public health office together with non-government organizations and network partners.

The findings from this study could help develop health volunteers to significantly improve the health of the immigrant workforce in the Thai health service system.

This study aims to convey the understanding of the ecosystem – how “hundi” works on the border trade between Myanmar and northern Thailand, which is an informal transfer system and is widely used as an alternative banking system. Even though the role of hundi is unable to declare the sources of money under the standard settlement of formal banking system, a failure to operate of its official mechanism are carrying using hundi, as a financial platform across the border between Thailand and Myanmar. This study surveys the best practice mechanism for the regional and international cooperation.

This paper draws on relevant literature, open-source reporting, and interviews with more than 30 interviewees on the border between Thailand and Myanmar. Interviewees includes border-trader, money changer, money transfer operators, business leaders, hundi operators, immigrant labors, government officials and commercial banking staffs.

This study provides a unique insight of hundi system, which work as the alternative mode of formal banking. It is an informal fund transfer payment platform used on the border between Thailand and Myanmar in the past five decades. It insists that hundi plays a significant role in both substitution and complementary on the trade and payment across the border of Myanmar–Thailand. Even though confronting with the barriers of financing of terrorism (anti money laundering AML/combating the financing of terrorism CFT) risk, the competition with the expanding and modernizing formal banking sector, and the introduction of Fintech and mobile money services. In the short term, these are unlikely to eliminate the hundi system completely, but may instead push hundi operators towards adopting these networks and technologies in their own operations.

This paper will be a useful source for academics, development professionals, policymakers, law enforcement agencies and business actors who are seeking to understand Myanmar’s informal payment system, hundi.

This is the latest work for border trade payment or trade financing role of hundi which has hidden under the informal market of the border for several decades. It has few research of hundi on border trade and payment, particularly after the military coup in 2021 which made hundi return to be on the spotlight and simultaneous mechanism of border trade and payment ecosystem of Myanmar. This paper will be a useful source for academics, development professionals, policymakers, law enforcement agencies and business actors who are eager to understand Myanmar’s informal payment system, hundi, especially during the hardship.

The purpose of this paper is to describe Burmese migrant women’s perceptions of health and well-being during pregnancy, their health promoting practices and their experiences with the Thai antenatal services.

The study used an ethnographic design. Observations were conducted in two antenatal clinics in southern Thailand. Ten Burmese migrant women and three Burmese interpreters participated in interviews. Data were analysed using thematic analysis.

The Burmese women wanted to take care of themselves and their baby to the best of their ability. This included following traditional practices and attending the antenatal clinic if able. Negotiating the demands of earning an income, and protecting their unborn baby, sometimes led to unhealthy practices such as consuming energy drinks and herbal tonics to improve performance. Accessing antenatal care was a positive health seeking behaviour noted in this community, however, it was not available to all.

This is a small ethnographic study conducted in one Province in Thailand and all Burmese participants were legal migrants. Further research is required to understand the needs of pregnant women not able to access maternity services because of their status as an illegal migrant.

Community-based health promotion initiatives need to focus on the nutrition of pregnant women who are migrants living in southern Thailand. New models of care may increase migrant women’s use of antenatal services.

Most studies of the health of migrant women are conducted in high-income countries. This study demonstrates the difficulties experienced by women migrating from a low to middle-income country.

Statelessness is the worst possible form of violation of fundamental human rights which can lead to improper health systems management and serious adverse health outcomes in children. To address this, the Thai Cabinet introduced the Health Insurance for People with Citizenship Problem (HIPCP) in 2010. The purpose of this study is to examine the association between insurance affiliations and the health status of stateless children insured with the HIPCP. The presence of pneumonia was selected as a proxy for health status. The comparison groups were Thai children insured with the Universal Coverage Scheme (UCS) which was launched in 2002 and the uninsured children of low-skilled migrants in Thailand.

A retrospective study was conducted at four selected district hospitals: Mae Ramat Hospital, Phop Phra Hospital, Tha Song Yang Hospital and Umphang Hospital in Tak Province, located in northwestern Thailand. The study used the medical records of children aged 0-15 years who were admitted to the aforementioned hospitals between January 1, 2013 and December 31, 2017. Multivariate logistic regression model was applied with a binary response variable (ever diagnosed with pneumonia: yes/no). Exposure was three types of insurance status (uninsured, HIPCP and UCS) while covariates were age, sex, domicile and year of hospitalization of children.

Of 7,098 hospitalized children between 2013 and 2017, 1,313 were identified with pneumonia. After controlling for key covariates, multivariate results depicted that the odds of pneumonia was 4 per cent higher in stateless children insured with the HIPCP as compared with uninsured children but non-significant (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] = 1.040, 95 per cent confidence interval [CI] = [0.526, 2.160], p = 0.916). Similarly, the odds of pneumonia was 10 per cent higher in Thai children insured with the UCS as compared with uninsured children but non-significant (AOR = 1.100, 95 per cent CI = [0.594, 2.180], p = 0.767). The children who were hospitalized in 2017 were 26 per cent more likely to have pneumonia as compared with those who were hospitalized in 2013 with statistical significance (AOR = 1.260, 95 per cent CI = [1.000, 1.580], p = 0.050). Results remained robust after performing sensitivity analyses.

This study suggests that health insurance is not associated with the health status of vulnerable children especially in the presence of multiple health interventions for uninsured and/or undocumented children living along the Thai–Myanmar border area. Further experimental studies are warranted to understand the causal relationship between insurance and health outcomes and to overcome the limitations of this observational study.

This study has discovered that age and domicile of children are independently associated with pneumonia. In comparison with the youngest age group (0-1 year), the older age groups presented a significantly lower odds for pneumonia. The children living in Phop Phra, Tha Song Yang and Umphang districts revealed a reduced risk for pneumonia as compared with children living in Mae Ramat district.