{"id":10412,"date":"2026-11-08T21:39:51","date_gmt":"2026-11-08T15:09:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/moemaka.net\/eng\/?p=10412"},"modified":"2026-11-08T21:41:45","modified_gmt":"2026-11-08T15:11:45","slug":"ci-certificates-the-25-percent-remittance-requirement-and-the-issue-of-myanmar-migrant-workers-in-thai-politics","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/moemaka.net\/eng\/2026\/11\/ci-certificates-the-25-percent-remittance-requirement-and-the-issue-of-myanmar-migrant-workers-in-thai-politics\/","title":{"rendered":"CI Certificates, the 25 Percent Remittance Requirement, and the Issue of Myanmar Migrant Workers in Thai Politics"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\"\"<\/a>
Photo: MMWRCCT<\/mark><\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Myanmar Spring Chronicle \u2014 November 7 Perspective<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

(MoeMaKa), November 8, 2026<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

CI Certificates, the 25 Percent Remittance Requirement, and the Issue of Myanmar Migrant Workers in Thai Politics<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Offices issuing Certificates of Identity (CI) to Myanmar migrant workers opened in several major cities across Thailand on October 14. The issue of Myanmar migrant workers in Thailand has since become increasingly controversial, involving the Myanmar military government\u2019s taxation and remittance requirements, migrant workers\u2019 rights, and growing political tensions within Thailand.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

CI certificates are issued by departments under the Myanmar government responsible for immigration and passport services. Their stated purpose is to verify the identities of Myanmar migrant workers already residing in Thailand who do not possess passports or other recognized travel documents.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, the Myanmar military government\u2019s requirements concerning income tax payments and proof that 25 percent of workers\u2019 salaries have been remitted to their families through official financial channels have fueled growing opposition to the CI system. Throughout October, campaigns urging Myanmar migrant workers not to apply for CI certificates gained momentum.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For the Myanmar military government, income taxes collected from Myanmar nationals working in countries such as Thailand, Malaysia, South Korea, and Japan, together with foreign currency generated through officially recorded remittances, have become an important source of foreign exchange.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Annual remittances from Myanmar migrant workers are estimated at approximately US$4\u20135 billion. However, not all of these funds are transferred through official banking channels. Many workers rely on informal money-transfer systems commonly known as hundi, which operate through networks of trusted intermediaries rather than conventional banks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Myanmar military government obtains foreign currency through several channels, including natural resource exports, export earnings subject to mandatory conversion at government-designated exchange rates, and remittances from overseas workers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

These foreign currency resources are used to purchase goods and services required for government administration and defense-related activities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, it remains impossible to determine precisely how much foreign currency is allocated to military expenditure and how much is used by civilian ministries, as reliable and detailed figures are not publicly available.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

With Myanmar\u2019s civil war continuing, the military requires foreign currency to purchase weapons, ammunition, aviation fuel, and other supplies needed for military operations, including airstrikes. Consequently, securing foreign exchange has become increasingly important for military expenditure.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

During the administration of President Thein Sein, which took office in 2011, economic reforms included the suspension of income tax collection from Myanmar citizens working overseas.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Following the military coup in 2021, however, the military authorities reintroduced income tax requirements for Myanmar nationals employed abroad, reviving policies similar to those enforced during the earlier State Law and Order Restoration Council (SLORC) and State Peace and Development Council (SPDC) periods.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Thailand, which hosts the largest population of Myanmar migrant workers, has become a particular focus of these measures.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Myanmar military government has increasingly linked the issuance and renewal of CI certificates and passports to income tax payments and proof of family remittances. These requirements are intended to strengthen tax collection and channel more foreign currency through officially recognized financial systems.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In recent weeks, the Myanmar Migrant Workers\u2019 Rights Coordination Committee in Thailand (MMWRCCT) launched a campaign calling for Myanmar nationals to be permitted to work legally in Thailand using only Thai-issued pink cards, without being required to obtain CI certificates.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The campaign included an online petition seeking public support.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Meanwhile, Bright Future, an organization advocating for Myanmar migrant workers\u2019 rights, organized a demonstration outside the United Nations office in Bangkok.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

During the protest, individuals believed to be associated with extremist Thai nationalist groups physically attacked demonstrators, including punching and assaulting participants.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Thai nationalist groups also called on the Thai government to review the personal information submitted by Suratgiri, a Myanmar-born individual residing in Thailand under a Thai-issued ten-year residence card, when applying for legal residency documentation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

These developments illustrate how the Myanmar military government\u2019s increasingly restrictive policies toward migrant workers have extended beyond taxation and remittances to become a politically sensitive issue within Thailand.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The disputes have prompted discussions involving migrant worker advocacy organizations and Thailand\u2019s Ministry of Labour.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In recent days, Thailand\u2019s labour minister announced plans to send letters expressing concern to Myanmar\u2019s Ministry of Labour in Naypyidaw and the Myanmar Embassy in Bangkok regarding the requirement for workers to provide receipts demonstrating that 25 percent of their earnings had been remitted to their families.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Thai Ministry of Labour reportedly considers these requirements an infringement of the rights of Myanmar nationals working overseas and has called for the regulations to be revised in accordance with international standards.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ordinarily, the Thai government does not openly criticize laws and regulations introduced by the Myanmar military authorities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, the perception that CI-related requirements are violating the rights of Myanmar migrant workers, combined with confrontations between Thai nationalist groups and migrant worker rights organizations, has created circumstances in which the Thai government has felt compelled to intervene.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Thailand recognizes that the presence of millions of Myanmar migrant workers is closely connected to its economy and social stability.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Although Thai authorities may wish to avoid direct confrontation with Myanmar\u2019s military government, they increasingly appear to believe that intervention is necessary to address the consequences of these policies.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

At the same time, some Thai politicians have sought to attract public attention by taking positions on issues involving Myanmar migrant workers, particularly during politically sensitive incidents.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Thailand\u2019s economy has experienced prolonged sluggishness since the COVID-19 pandemic began in 2020.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Following the lifting of pandemic restrictions, the country had hoped for a strong recovery in international tourism revenue. However, the growth of online scam operations along the Thai-Myanmar border and the negative publicity surrounding these criminal networks have affected Thailand\u2019s tourism industry.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Political instability has also contributed to frequent changes in economic policy, creating uncertainty for businesses and investors.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As a result, Thailand has experienced a difficult political and economic period over the past five to six years.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Against this backdrop, the Myanmar military government continues to impose increasingly restrictive policies on Myanmar migrant workers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For Myanmar nationals living and working in Thailand, these developments have created growing uncertainty over their legal status, financial obligations, and future livelihoods.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Caught between the Myanmar military government\u2019s demands, Thailand\u2019s immigration and labour regulations, and rising nationalist tensions, many Myanmar migrant workers now find themselves in an increasingly vulnerable position, uncertain about where they can turn for protection and support.<\/p>\n\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Myanmar Spring Chronicle \u2014 November 7 Perspective (MoeMaKa), November 8, 2026 CI Certificates, the 25 Percent Remittance Requirement, and the Issue of Myanmar Migrant Workers in Thai Politics Offices issuing Certificates of Identity (CI) to Myanmar migrant workers opened in…<\/p>\n

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