The third wave of the COVID-19 pandemic hit Thailand and other parts of Southeast Asia in 2021, protracted by struggling vaccine distribution schemes and a military coup in Myanmar.  Borders shut down, hundreds of factories have been shut down, and two main pools of migrant workers have become highly vulnerable: first, foreign migrant workers who were lost their jobs and became stranded in Thailand with no livelihood; and, foreign migrant workers who still had jobs but who became vulnerable to labour exploitation (in factories feeling the pressure to maintain production) or to increased risk of exposure to COVID-19 (due to discriminatory practices that put foreign workers at higher risk as compared to non-foreign workers).

​

Worker voice channel traffic has been high these past months and Issara has been working hard with workers, suppliers/employers, and global brands and retailers to bring these cases of exploitation to light, to help bring about swift remediation and to help protect other workers from abuse and COVID exposure risk.  Issara's Unconditional Cash Transfer (UCT) program has also provided unrestricted funds to especially vulnerable workers in Thailand identified by Issara or through partner referrals.