Thousands of Myanmar migrant workers in Thailand have called on Thai authorities to allow legal residence and employment based on Thai-issued migrant registration cards, commonly known as a “pink card,” which is named after the colour of the identification document issued by Thailand’s Ministry of Interior to register migrant workers.
To obtain a “pink card,” a Myanmar migrant worker must first obtain a Certificate of Identity (CI) issued by Myanmar regime authorities through designated centres in Thailand.
Myanmar migrant workers in Thailand told DVB that obtaining a Certificate of Identity (CI) involves “high fees,” a two per cent income tax and proof of remitting 25 per cent of their earnings to family members in Myanmar through regime-approved banks or remittance channels.
They said these requirements add to the cost and administrative burden of obtaining the document, making it more difficult for workers to maintain their legal status in Thailand.
Obtaining a Certificate of Identity (CI) can cost more than 5,000 Thai baht ($149 USD), nearly double the official fee of 2,660 THB ($ 78 USD) due to “additional expenses” such as brokers, migrant workers told DVB.
A campaign launched by the Myanmar Migrant Workers’ Representative Coordinating Committee (MMWRCCT) began collecting signatures in support of a petition calling on Thai authorities to allow Myanmar migrant workers to maintain their legal status without requiring the regime-issued Certificate of Identity (CI).
Nay Myo Zin, an interim committee member at MMWRCCT, told DVB that the workers have raised concerns that personal information collected through the Certificate of Identity (CI) process is being used by regime authorities to identify conscription-aged males 18-35 for compulsory military service under Myanmar’s 2024 conscription law.
Myanmar’s regime-controlled Ministry of Labour stated that more than 429,000 Certificate of Identity (CI) documents were issued to migrant workers in Thailand between February and Aug. 16, 2026.
Nay Myo Zin warned that thousands of migrant workers could lose their legal status in Thailand if they are unable to obtain a Certificate of Identity (CI), raising concerns that they could face arrest and detention during immigration operations.
On Oct. 17, Thai security forces arrested more than 200 Myanmar nationals during an early-morning raid across more than 20 locations in Mae Sot, Tak Province, which is located along the Thai-Myanmar border, 305 miles (492 km) northwest of the Thai capital Bangkok.
According to Thai authorities, a multi-agency task force—including police, military border units, immigration officers, and local administrative authorities—conducted grid inspections across transit points, hotels, rental rooms, bus terminals, boat piers, and at Mae Sot International Airport.
While roughly 200 individuals were initially rounded up, authorities released those holding valid residency documents and kept 85 undocumented Myanmar nationals in custody to face immigration charges.
Thailand’s Labour Ministry reported on Oct. 14 that about 4.1 million Myanmar nationals are working in the country. It remains a major destination for Myanmar migrants, with numbers increasing following the 2021 military coup and further after the 2024 military conscription law.
The International Organization for Migration (IOM) states that 2,308,166 Myanmar nationals were registered as migrant workers in Thailand in March 2024. The number of undocumented migrant workers from Myanmar in Thailand remains unknown but is estimated to be over double the official number, according to IOM.
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