We’re discussing ‘tropical zone’ in this issue. Well, in fact there are loads of topics to write about but for some reason my head is just filled with imaginary fantasy of a stocky, sweaty guys working at some construction sites or having a spicy lunch by a road side making them look sexier and so seductive to me as if I were a pubescent girl.

“Burmese labours truck break checkpoint! 8 killed, 8 hurt”

“54 Burmese labours frozen to death in container”

“Burmese labours ship sinks, 22 bodies float”

I bet many would say “That serves them right” when reading these. Hello, I just wonder if it’s not Burmese but Thai instead, what those headlines would say. Will it be “crossing under footbridge, Thai prostitute horribly hit”, “Jump canteen queue, Thai student trampled and passed out by heated Black” or “cunning Thai cashier spy for robbery”… Are we still saying “That serves them right”?

If we have to list some profits we got from those immigrant labours, believe it or not they do have lots of things really beneficial to us.

As the world today has been globalised with quick and easy access between places, therefore the immigration of workers and people from one place to another is often found, especially from those countries with political crisis or lower wage. Those people move to somewhere better in terms of life quality, wishing to earn more and have an improved life condition. However, nothing can guarantee that moving to Thailand is safer or better than living among border bombs.

…They are a crucial factor to enhance Thai economy, without propagandising like someone who phone-in to a mob or those who get paid 500 baht for joining it, by working for low wage jobs that Thais refuse to take like house maids, fishermen and construction workers.

…They could help preserve Thai financial stability better than any of National Bank’s policy or a government system in Marshal P. Pibulsonggram’s period as they are a large human resource for agricultural labours during harvesting season or when Thailand is short of native labours. Thus, in drought season they usually return to hometown or move to other places (but I don’t think most of them return home as still plenty are seen walking around town.)

…They make balance the Aging Economies in Thailand where more and more elderly citizens seem to be increased that we need more numbers of working age people to support the demand on production and services or to take care of the elders.

…They could also create the remittances and income convergence according to wage equalisation theory which believes that trading or the moving of capital will affect the price of production or the wage to finally become equal (don’t get frown at this sentence if it sounds incomprehensible as it’s just a theory said by economist.)

Nonetheless, if they have good points, they also have bad points. When supply is increasing, then more and more native labors will become jobless and it would lead to reduce wages for Thais. However, researches by many academics have proved it impossible. But what will happen for sure is, for example, government needs to add more budget dealing with law, immigration, management and crimes.

Interestingly Brain Drain problem will definitely occur as highly skillful and knowledgeable working people will migrate to a more developed country that pays better. And this causes the development in underdeveloped country decelerated. If a government happens to solve this problem at last, Thailand would be able to take wing to a little bit higher development.

And I hope I won’t find something in newspaper about ‘brain drain’ like “unfaithful wife shot dead, brain drain in house garage.”