Mae Sot, one of Thailand’s most prominent border towns, is a transit sanctuary to a large population of migrant workers and displaced individuals from Myanmar. While it has become a migration destination symbolizing hope, safety, and new opportunities, many migrants and displaced people continue to face significant challenges across multiple dimensions of their lives.
To gain a clearer understanding of these communities’ current situation, researchers from the Regional Center for Social Science and Sustainable Development (RCSD) and the SPACE team carried out a field visit to Mae Sot from 1–5 September 2025 as part of RCSD and Nonviolent Peaceforce’s longitudinal studies on the protection and resilience of exile communities.
During the visit, the team met with Myanmar civil society organizations, youth networks, former civil service communities involved in the Civil Disobedience Movement (CDM), and other marginalized groups working on issues related to migration, refugee protection, and youth welfare. Through these engagements, the researchers examined the social and legal conditions shaping the experiences of displaced populations, including their access to protection mechanisms, the challenges and opportunities they encounter, and the ways they demonstrate agency, empowerment, and resilience in their daily lives.
This field visit provided a deeper understanding of the evolving dynamics in Mae Sot and underscored the ongoing challenges faced by displaced communities living along the Myanmar–Thai border.