Abstract
Outstanding labour migration has been reported in the northern region
of Thailand leading to changes in physical and social aspects. Subsequently effects on health status at individual, household and eventually community level
shall be witnessed. This article was aimed at presenting situation, recommended
research issues and strategies in order to develop preventive measures and reassurance of adequate health services accordingly.
Presently, labour is classified as formal and informal. Whereas, the latter
is not yet entitled to legal protection and benefits of the social security scheme.
These discriminations exist among some industrial labors undergoing unfairly a
series of probation periods. As such, the phenomena calls for research related to
situation and pattern of employment; classificaiton of labor and required health
care/insurance; their health behaviors and proper health promotion measures.
Safety regulations and guidelines in working place, particularly in small,
and medium enterprises have often been neglected and the premises can avoid
monitoring of the public sector. It may critically call for strong participation of
community and local health facility. Research effort should, then, be made on;
development on tripartite monitoring and surveillance on safety work place,
labor protection system by community, and labor in home industries, guideline
for labor protection from occupational health risk, guideline on rehabilitation of
vulnerable labor with participation of family and community, an of health status
and safety of labor in service sector.
Haphazard movements of labor on provincial, regional and national
levels do not accommodate registration, provision and coverage of health care
and insurance with respect to their health needs. Further development of health
care system, hence, should focus on accessibility.
Health and safety regulation information should also be disseminated.
The research issues should cover on an effective model for disseminating health
and safety regulation information at community level, life skill for adapting in
cross cultural environment, community and health facilities roles and functions
on surveillance on health, and self-care empowerment of labor Based on information synthesis and brain storm of experts and stakeholders, research strategies and issues were formulated as follows: strategic I promotion health of labor at community and strategic II self-care empowerment of migrant labor. The research issues of strategic I include situation of labor health,
classification of labor based on health care system, effect and impact of Free Trade
Act (FTA) and new production pattern on health, monitoring and surveillance
on safety work place and labor health problem, labor protection at community
industries, health protection and rehabilitation of labor with high risk, and perception on labor’s right at community.
