Thai Migrant Workers’ Struggles in Malaysia During the Coronavirus Outbreak

The COVID-19 outbreak significantly impacted vulnerable groups globally and regionally. This study explores the hardships experienced by Thai nationals working in Malaysia, including their vulnerabilities related to undocumented status and inadequate social protection. Layoffs, lack of access to aid, and strict border controls exacerbated financial and emotional distress for these migrant workers. Many faced deportation threats, healthcare inaccessibility, and exploitative working conditions. Interviews with migrant workers, academics, government officials, non-governmental organization staff, and community members reveal severe socioeconomic challenges that reflect systemic inequalities within the country, highlighting the need for comprehensive strategies to address these pressing issues. The findings also underscore the urgent need for regional cooperation between Thailand and Malaysia to address the legal, humanitarian, and health-related issues exacerbated by the pandemic, particularly those affecting Thai labor migrants

Deportation · Health care · Immigration · Inequality · Migrant workers · Outbreak · Pandemic · Socioeconomic status · Migration and Labor Dynamics · Migration, Health and Trauma · Southeast Asian Sociopolitical Studies

• Constrained sovereignty, insecure margins

  Aizat Khairi, Muhammad Luqman Rosli et al.•The Pacific Review•2026

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