The Right to Play of Children Living in Migrant Workers’ Communities in Thailand

Abstract

Many research studies point out the human rights and labor protection violations suffered by migrant children in Thailand including problems of statelessness, educational access, public health access, and lack of safe environments. This study was undertaken as part of the six-country International Play Association’s Access to Play in Situations of Crisis research project. The aims of the Thai study were to understand the needs and right to play of children in migrant communities in Thailand, explore relevant policies and measures as well as related problems, understand children’s participation in play promotion, understand how children play, and learn about the dynamics between free play undertaken by children for its own sake and play seen a means to an end within programmatic activities of organizations and agencies. This report highlights through case studies the general and special coping mechanisms found among children that enabled them to play despite limitations in their living conditions, restrictions on their everyday freedoms, and hazardous physical environments. The study found that while in the view of children, play is important, adults still have limited understanding of the importance of play for children.