The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees’ (UNHCR) primary purpose is to safeguard the rights and well-being of refugees. In its efforts to achieve this objective, the Office strives to ensure that everyone can exercise the right to seek asylum and find safe refuge in State other than their own. By assisting refugees to return to their own country when they are ready to do so or to settle permanently in another country, UNHCR also seeks lasting solutions to their plight. UNHCR’s work is entirely humanitarian and non-political.

UNHCR in Thailand

The Royal Thai Government (RTG), together with international agencies and non-governmental organizations, as well as other governments and private donors, have a long tradition of working together to address the protection, assistance and durable solutions needs of successive influxes of refugees from Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam, Myanmar and beyond.

UNHCR has been present in Thailand since 1975, and won its second Nobel Peace Prize in 1981 in part for its humanitarian and non-political efforts in South East Asia arising from the “boat people” crisis which impacted not only Thailand but the entire region. In 1998, the RTG requested UNHCR’s assistance for the protection of refugees from Myanmar on the Thai/Myanmar border. At present, Thailand continues to host some 90,337 refugees (as of June 2023, under reverification) from Myanmar in the nine RTG-run temporary shelters on the Thai/Myanmar border, in addition to approximately 5,000 urban refugees and asylum-seekers from over 40 countries, and some 480,000 persons registered by the RTG as stateless.

Since October 2016 over 1,000 refugees in the temporary shelters on the Thai-Myanmar border have returned to Myanmar through the Facilitated Voluntary Return programme led by the governments of Thailand and Myanmar with the support of UNHCR and other partners. However, as the large majority have not come forward to apply for return, UNHCR continues to work closely with the Thai and Myanmar governments, refugee community and other stakeholders to unlock a multi-solutions approach to find a dignified, sustainable and comprehensive end to this situation of protracted encampment.

At the same time, UNHCR continues to advocate for international protection to continue to be extended to those who need it while maintaining its focus on delivery of protection activities including facilitating refugees’ access to the Thai justice system, addressing child protection concerns through its partner and conducting activities to prevent and respond to Sexual and Gender-Based Violence (SGBV).

At present, UNHCR continues its full complement of protection and assistance activities for urban refugees and asylum-seekers including undertaking refugee status determination, the provision of emergency/life-saving health care, legal and social counseling, as well as psycho-social support. We also support access to education, including Thai language classes, and provide financial and other material support to refugees and asylum-seekers, including in detention through its partner, as well as pursuing durable solutions for the most vulnerable cases.

There are approximately 120 national and international staff working for the Thailand operation based in Bangkok and two field offices in Mae Hong Son and Mae Sot. In 2020 the Thailand operation expanded its coverage to include Cambodia, Laos and Viet Nam. In Cambodia, UNHCR will support the Government in its efforts to implement a national asylum system, through capacity building. It will aim to facilitate an increase in refugees’ access to rights, as well as their inclusion in national systems.