From 11–13 October 2025, researchers from the Regional Center for Social Science and Sustainable Development (RCSD) and the SPACE team conducted their second field visit to Mae Sot, Thailand, as part of ongoing research on social and legal protection mechanisms for displaced communities. The visit aimed to assess the protection needs of Human Rights Defenders (HRDs), migrant populations, and former civil servants involved in the Civil Disobedience Movement (CDM).
During the visit, the team carried out participatory observations across Mae Sot and held in-depth discussions with migrant youth, CDMers, activist scholars, and multiple local stakeholders. These engagements provided critical insights into the lived experiences, challenges, and aspirations of displaced communities, almost five years on from Myanmar’s military coup.
The findings strengthened the team’s understanding of the local socio-political dynamics, ongoing protection gaps, localized protection strategies, lived experiences, the motivations and aspirations of the exile communities in Mae Sot. The visit also highlighted the resilience and agency of displaced populations in navigating complex legal, social, and economic challenges in their host community. This field visit feeds into ongoing initiatives aimed at strengthening research-based advocacy and support mechanisms to improve the protection and well-being of at-risk communities in Mae Sot and the surrounding areas.