A thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science, School of Environment, Resources and Development

Thesis (M.Sc.) - Asian Institute of Technology, 2001

Mobile populations have an increased risk of HIV infection due to a lack of inf01mation on health, HIV I AIDS and STDs. In the past decade several million persons migrated from Myanmar seeking employment in Thailand. At the Thai-Myanmar border migrants are ethnically diverse from all over Myanmar speaking many different languages. Most are employed in labor intensive jobs such as plantation, agriculture, construction, and domestic services - all at low wages. Economic hardship, political repression and health problems are the main driving force behind migration. Most migrants are illegal and undocumented. Their existence at their destinations is usually not acknowledged, which renders them vulnerable. They often lack access to necessary social services. Their poor awareness and access to vital public information, such as health care, education and their desperate need for income means that as a group they are at a particular disadvantage, even in comparison to the native poor. This study argues that migrants workers seeking a better life abroad increase their vulnerability to HIV infection due to socialization and recreation patterns, living and working environments, lack of access to health care services, and the availability of sex services, as well as drng and alcohol abuse. The study was conducted during the ThaiMyanmar border clashes in Mae Sai in and after February 2001, and in Mae Sot in April 2001. This study attempts to understand the intersection of gender, migration and HN/AIDS risks for Myanmar migrants to Thailand. It focuses on the migration experiences of men and women, their survival strategies in Thailand and explores the gender aspects of HIV risk and vulnerability. The study concludes that peer pressure as well as economic need influences many women to practice transactional sex on a pa1i time basis for supplementary income. It was also found that widespread use of unusual sexual practices favored by men from Myanmar leads to increase health risks for their sexual partners. The study is based largely on qualitative research in order to provide information and insights, which can view the gender difference among migrants and their vulnerability to HN/AIDS.