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Athikhom Saengchai

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Little Myanmar

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Aung Myo Thun, a migrant worke...d, hoping for a better future.

1 of 14 © 2025 Athikhom Saengchai

Aung Myo Thun, a migrant worker from a village near Naypyitaw, Myanmar, praying in his apartment in Yaowarat, Bangkok’s Chinatown. Under the Buddha’s portrait is a photo of his old mother, who still lives in his hometown. He is one of 1.5 million workers from Myanmar who came to work in Thailand, hoping for a better future.

A Myanmar worker is on the ter...ment in the late 17th century.

2 of 14 © 2025 Athikhom Saengchai

A Myanmar worker is on the terrace of a commercial building where he works and lives in Yaowarat, with the skyline of Bangkok in the background. Hundreds of Myanmar workers live in Bangkok’s Chinatown. They are an integral part of the workforce that drives the business of Yaowarat, living up to its original spirit as a melting pot of foreign immigrants since its establishment in the late 17th century.

On the top floor of an apartme... rooms as high as 1.20 meters.

3 of 14 © 2025 Athikhom Saengchai

On the top floor of an apartment building in Yaowarat. All tenants in this building are Myanmar workers. The rooftop is converted and partitioned into small rooms as high as 1.20 meters.

A Myanmar migrant worker setti... Yaowarat work in this market.

4 of 14 © 2025 Athikhom Saengchai

A Myanmar migrant worker setting up a stall at Ratchawong Intersection, which marks one of many entrances to Sampheng Market, a wholesale night market for fashion accessories that spreads over backstreets and alleys of Yaowarat. Most of the Myanmar workers living in Yaowarat work in this market.

Myanmar workers at Sampheng Ma...r home country (3.50 USD/day).

5 of 14 © 2025 Athikhom Saengchai

Myanmar workers at Sampheng Market. Due to limited educational background and language barriers, they are hired for low-skilled labor jobs and receive minimum daily wages (10.50 USD/day), higher than they earn in their home country (3.50 USD/day).

A Myanmar worker plays with hi...popular among Myanmar workers.

6 of 14 © 2025 Athikhom Saengchai

A Myanmar worker plays with his pet rabbit after work in the Old Market of Yaowarat. As they live in cramped apartments, small pets, such as rabbits, hamsters, and goldfish, are popular among Myanmar workers.

A Myanmar worker carrying toil...showering in shared bathrooms.

7 of 14 © 2025 Athikhom Saengchai

A Myanmar worker carrying toiletries in a plastic basket walks back to his apartment after showering in shared bathrooms.

Most Myanmar workers in Yaowar...s, which is common in Myanmar.

8 of 14 © 2025 Athikhom Saengchai

Most Myanmar workers in Yaowarat prepare meals and eat at home, primarily Burmese food. Special ingredients from Myanmar can be found easily in Myanmar grocery shops in the neighborhood. They usually eat by using their hands, which is common in Myanmar.

A betel shop run by a family o... the urban society of Bangkok.

9 of 14 © 2025 Athikhom Saengchai

A betel shop run by a family of Myanmar workers in the Old Market. It also serves as the meeting point for Myanmar workers in Yaowarat. Many Myanmar men still maintain the habit of betel chewing, even when it is no longer common in the urban society of Bangkok.

At a party to celebrate and we...mar worker family in Yaowarat.

10 of 14 © 2025 Athikhom Saengchai

At a party to celebrate and welcome a newborn of a Myanmar worker family in Yaowarat.

A poster of a Myanmar actress ...s as a reminder of their home.

11 of 14 © 2025 Athikhom Saengchai

A poster of a Myanmar actress inside a shared apartment of Myanmar workers as a reminder of their home.

Zaw Min and his wife check the...ing in Thailand for two years.

12 of 14 © 2025 Athikhom Saengchai

Zaw Min and his wife check the Thai lottery results. They allocate a budget from their wages to play the lottery every month. They have won prizes a few times after living in Thailand for two years.

Aung Myat exercises with a bar...t jobs require physical labor.

13 of 14 © 2025 Athikhom Saengchai

Aung Myat exercises with a barbell he made himself by filling plastic water bottles with sand. Keeping fit is essential for Myanmar workers, as most jobs require physical labor.

Aung Myo Thun crosses Yaowarat...rt a business in his hometown.

14 of 14 © 2025 Athikhom Saengchai

Aung Myo Thun crosses Yaowarat Road, the artery of Bangkok’s Chinatown. He has been working in Thailand for seven years. However, he is considering moving back to Myanmar after saving enough money to start a business in his hometown.

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Thumbnail of Aung Myo Thun, a migrant worker_nd, hoping for a better future.

Thumbnail of A Myanmar worker is on the terr_hment in the late 17th century.

Thumbnail of On the top floor of an apartmen_l rooms as high as 1.20 meters.

Thumbnail of A Myanmar migrant worker settin_n Yaowarat work in this market.

Thumbnail of Myanmar workers at Sampheng Mar_ir home country (3.50 USD/day).

Thumbnail of A Myanmar worker plays with his_ popular among Myanmar workers.

Thumbnail of A Myanmar worker carrying toile_ showering in shared bathrooms.

Thumbnail of Most Myanmar workers in Yaowara_ds, which is common in Myanmar.

Thumbnail of A betel shop run by a family of_n the urban society of Bangkok.

Thumbnail of At a party to celebrate and wel_nmar worker family in Yaowarat.

Thumbnail of A poster of a Myanmar actress i_rs as a reminder of their home.

Thumbnail of Zaw Min and his wife check the _ving in Thailand for two years.

Thumbnail of Aung Myat exercises with a barb_st jobs require physical labor.

Thumbnail of Aung Myo Thun crosses Yaowarat _art a business in his hometown.

Public Project

Little Myanmar

Copyright Athikhom Saengchai 2025

Date of Work Sep 2018 - Ongoing

Updated Jun 2020

Location Bangkok

Topics Bangkok, Burmese, Chinatown, Documentary, Essays, Hope, Immigration, Migrant workers, Migration, Minority, Photography, Photojournalism, Poverty, Thailand, workers, Yaowarat

Summary

Myanmar migrant workers in Bangkok's Yaowarat (Chinatown) are the anonymous driving force of this commercial hub, yet they face discrimination from ethnocentric Thai society due to their ethnicity, poverty, and language barrier. This project documents their lives as a sub-community, showing their hardship and hope for a better future for themselves and their families.

Despite being an integral part of the workforce in Thailand for decades, Myanmar migrant workers are still discriminated against by the ethnocentric Thai society because of their ethnicity, poor backgrounds, and language barrier. This project documents Myanmar workers in Yaowarat, Bangkok’s Chinatown, who are the anonymous driving force of this commercial quarter and live together as a sub-community inside this Chinese community. Like all of us, they would endure hardship, hoping for a better future for themselves and their families.

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