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Access to Healthcare and Social Protection among Migrant Workers in Thailand before and during COVID-19 Era: A Qualitative Study

Author

Listed:
  • Watinee Kunpeuk

    (International Health Policy Program, Ministry of Public Health, Tiwanon Road, Nonthaburi 11000, Thailand)

  • Sataporn Julchoo

    (International Health Policy Program, Ministry of Public Health, Tiwanon Road, Nonthaburi 11000, Thailand)

  • Mathudara Phaiyarom

    (International Health Policy Program, Ministry of Public Health, Tiwanon Road, Nonthaburi 11000, Thailand)

  • Pigunkaew Sinam

    (International Health Policy Program, Ministry of Public Health, Tiwanon Road, Nonthaburi 11000, Thailand)

  • Nareerut Pudpong

    (International Health Policy Program, Ministry of Public Health, Tiwanon Road, Nonthaburi 11000, Thailand
    Educational Service Unit, Sirindron College of Public Health, Chonburi 20000, Thailand)

  • Tharani Loganathan

    (Centre for Epidemiology and Evidence-Based Practice, Department of Social and Preventive Medicine, University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur 50603, Malaysia)

  • Huso Yi

    (Saw Swee Hock School of Public Health, National University of Singapore and National University Health System, Singapore 117549, Singapore)

  • Rapeepong Suphanchaimat

    (International Health Policy Program, Ministry of Public Health, Tiwanon Road, Nonthaburi 11000, Thailand
    Division of Epidemiology, Department of Disease Control, Ministry of Public Health, Nonthaburi 11000, Thailand)

Abstract

Thailand is a popular host nation for international migrant workers, particularly those from Cambodia, Lao PDR, and Myanmar. Thailand has introduced approaches to protect their rights for health and social welfare, using various mechanisms over many years. However, the implementation of these policies is dynamic and has been influenced by national security, economic necessity, and public health concerns. The aim of this study was to explore how Thailand designs and implements health and social welfare policies for migrants in Thailand, both before and during COVID-19. A qualitative analysis was used alongside interviews with 18 key informants in various sectors in this field. Thematic coding was applied. Results show that there were seven key themes emerging from the analysis, including: (i) sustainability of the HICS; (ii) people dropping out from the Social Security Scheme (SSS); (iii) quality of health screening in the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) migrants; (iv) health screening problems and state quarantine management in response to COVID-19; (v) managing the migration quota and dependency on migrant workers; (vi) influx of migrants in the backdrop of COVID-19; and (vii) poor living conditions of migrants and the impact of COVID-19. The majority of interviewees agreed that undocumented migrants is a critical concern that impedes access to migrants’ health and social welfare. This situation was especially pronounced during the second wave of COVID-19 in Thailand, which took hold in migrant communities. In the short term, the poor living conditions of migrants urgently need to be addressed in order to contain and mitigate this crisis. In the long term, there needs to be an improved health system design that includes migrants, regardless of their immigration status. This requires intersectoral policy coherence, including the hastening of nationality verification to sustainably mitigate undocumented migrants.

Suggested Citation

  • Watinee Kunpeuk & Sataporn Julchoo & Mathudara Phaiyarom & Pigunkaew Sinam & Nareerut Pudpong & Tharani Loganathan & Huso Yi & Rapeepong Suphanchaimat, 2022. "Access to Healthcare and Social Protection among Migrant Workers in Thailand before and during COVID-19 Era: A Qualitative Study," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(5), pages 1-16, March.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:19:y:2022:i:5:p:3083-:d:765103
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    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Rapeepong Suphanchaimat & Nareerut Pudpong & Phusit Prakongsai & Weerasak Putthasri & Johanna Hanefeld & Anne Mills, 2019. "The Devil Is in the Detail—Understanding Divergence between Intention and Implementation of Health Policy for Undocumented Migrants in Thailand," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 16(6), pages 1-19, March.
    2. Watinee Kunpeuk & Pard Teekasap & Hathairat Kosiyaporn & Sataporn Julchoo & Mathudara Phaiyarom & Pigunkaew Sinam & Nareerut Pudpong & Rapeepong Suphanchaimat, 2020. "Understanding the Problem of Access to Public Health Insurance Schemes among Cross-Border Migrants in Thailand through Systems Thinking," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(14), pages 1-19, July.
    3. Fiona Leh Hoon Chuah & Sok Teng Tan & Jason Yeo & Helena Legido-Quigley, 2019. "Health System Responses to the Health Needs of Refugees and Asylum-seekers in Malaysia: A Qualitative Study," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 16(9), pages 1-21, May.
    4. Pasadilla, Gloria, 2011. "Social security and labor migration in ASEAN," ADBI Policy Briefs 34, Asian Development Bank Institute.
    5. Everett Lee, 1966. "A theory of migration," Demography, Springer;Population Association of America (PAA), vol. 3(1), pages 47-57, March.
    6. Tharani Loganathan & Zhie X Chan & Nicola S Pocock, 2020. "Healthcare financing and social protection policies for migrant workers in Malaysia," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 15(12), pages 1-20, December.
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    Cited by:

    1. Sonvanee Uansri & Watinee Kunpeuk & Sataporn Julchoo & Pigunkaew Sinam & Mathudara Phaiyarom & Rapeepong Suphanchaimat, 2023. "Perceived Barriers of Accessing Healthcare among Migrant Workers in Thailand during the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) Pandemic: A Qualitative Study," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 20(10), pages 1-11, May.
    2. Muhammad Asaduzzaman & Tual Sawn Khai & Vergil de Claro & Farzana Zaman, 2023. "Global Disparities in COVID-19 Vaccine Distribution: A Call for More Integrated Approaches to Address Inequities in Emerging Health Challenges," Challenges, MDPI, vol. 14(4), pages 1-9, October.

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