Covid-19 and its impact on informal sector workers: a case study of Thailand

ABSTRACT

Informal sector (IS) workers comprise a significant proportion of the Thai work force and contribute significantly to the Thai economy. Nevertheless, IS workers have little social protection and are economically marginalised, making them especially vulnerable to the effects of the government’s shutdown of the Thai economy to address the COVID-19 pandemic. Using a sample of 384 IS workers, researchers found that IS workers experienced dramatic decreases in their monthly income, although the reduction varied across occupation and geographic region. To compensate for reduced income, IS workers tapped their savings and increased their debt. A Thai government programme to provide income support for workers during the shutdown reached less than half of IS workers. Social workers can help provide better social protection to IS workers from pandemic-amplified social exclusion.

KEYWORDS:

• Informal sector
• Thailand
• Covid-19
• economic impact

Disclosure statement

All authors declare no conflict of interests.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the Chulalongkorn University Social Research Institute (CUSRI).

Notes on contributors

Wichaya Komin

Wichaya Komin, MA, is a researcher of the Chulalongkorn University Social Research Institute (CUSRI) and the head of the Rights and Social Justice Research Group (RSG) of CUSRI. Her main research focuses on the livelihoods and rights of marginal groups such as the low-income, disadvantaged, and informal workers in Thailand. She also has worked collaboratively with networks of academia for informal and disadvantaged workers, organisations for informal workers, organisation for the urban poor, and informal worker organisations in Thailand.

Rungnapa Thepparp

Rungnapa Thepparp, PhD, is an Assistant Professor of the College of Interdisciplinary Studies at Thammasat University, Lampang Campus, Thailand. Her educational background is social work and social welfare and her research focuses on community-based welfare and social policy for marginal persons. Dr. Thepparp is currently developing community-based social welfare and social protection for marginal persons such as migrant workers, human trafficking survivors, and older adults with difficult situations (e.g., poverty, abuse).

Borvorn Subsing, PhD, is a researcher of the Chulalongkorn University Social Research Institute (CUSRI). His research focuses on livelihoods and rights of marginal groups, such as the disadvantaged, elderly, and informal workers. Dr. Subsing is presently an active member of policy research groups on street vendor management at both the local and national levels.

David W. Engstrom, PhD, MA, is a Professor of Social Work at San Diego State University and the Bua Luang ASEAN Chair at the College of Interdisciplinary Studies, Thammasat University, Bangkok, Thailand. His research focuses on immigration policy and services to immigrants and refugees. Dr. Engstrom has written extensively on the plight of vulnerable immigrant populations, such as torture survivors, trafficked persons, and migrant workers, and has explored the role of bilingual social workers in service delivery. Dr. Engstrom co-developed the concept of vicarious resilience which recognises the positive effect of trauma work on therapists, and has co-authored six articles refining its conceptual development. He is presently developing a culturally reflexive trauma assessment scale to better document the suffering of human trafficking survivors in Thailand. Dr. Engstrom has received several awards for his international work: CSWE’s Partners in Advancing Education for International Social Work (PIE) in 2017 and SDSU’s Outstanding International Scholar in 2016.

Borvorn Subsing

Borvorn Subsing, PhD, is a researcher of the Chulalongkorn University Social Research Institute (CUSRI). His research focuses on livelihoods and rights of marginal groups, such as the disadvantaged, elderly, and informal workers. Dr. Subsing is presently an active member of policy research groups on street vendor management at both the local and national levels.