Name: Su Su Htwe
Age: 34
From: Dawei, Myanmar
Currently working in Khao Lak, Phang Nga, Thailand

One of seven siblings and raised in a very poor farming family, Su Su Htwe first came to Thailand from Myanmar when she was around 19 years old. Before migrating, she worked on her family’s land and undertook daily jobs in the agricultural sector. Her older sister was the first person in the family to cross the border to work in Thailand, but after migrating she lost contact with the family and didn’t send any money home. Her parent’s marriage fell apart due to the stress, and it fell on Su Su Htwe to support everyone when her father left.

Due to the pressure of having to support her family, Su Su Htwe decided to leave for Thailand. She paid a broker $271 (10,000 Thai Baht) to smuggle her across to Thailand by boat at night along with over 20 migrant workers whom she didn’t know.

She recalls being taken to a remote island and instructed to climb to a temple on the highest point. There, the group stayed for two days waiting for word from the smuggler. Eventually, they were told to climb down the mountain and get on another boat which took them to Ranong in the early evening.

After 20 days in Thailand, Su Su Htwe was arrested during a raid on the accommodation she was staying at. She had no documents and was taken to the immigration center, where she paid a fee of $407 (15,000 Thai Baht) for her release. After two days, she managed to raise the money through family members and was released.

She then found work at a shrimp peeling factory in Ranong, where she stayed for two years, earning approximately $4 (150 Thai Baht) per day because she didn’t have any documents. After two years, she was able to apply for a visa and work permit, allowing her to work in another factory and then as a waitress, though she still only received around $5 (180 Thai Baht) per day.
 

Su Su Htwe got married in Thailand and had a child, whom she sent home to be raised by her mother. Her husband worked on Thai fishing boats, earning only $109 - $136 (4,000 - 5,000 Thai Baht) per month. She then got a job at a tuna factory, where she stayed for seven years, earning around $5 (200 Thai Baht) per day at the beginning but eventually increasing to $8 (300 Thai Baht). Although she has left, she has heard that the factory now pays the minimum wage of $9 (345 Thai Baht) per day as well as overtime.

Currently, she works as a housekeeper for a private family, earning around $325 (12,000 Thai Baht) per month. She is happy with the job, which starts at 8 a.m. and finishes around 4-5 p.m.

Su Su Htwe would never advise anyone to come the way she came, as she was terrified throughout the journey. She recommends people get a good agent, pay a bit more, and come legally. Despite her current stability, she always wishes to return home and says that if Myanmar were safe with work opportunities, she would go back immediately.

Photographer: Luke Duggleby