Ripe mangosteen and rambutan fruits are left unharvested in eastern Thailand amid a significant shortage of migrant labor, forcing growers to prioritize which crops to harvest and which to abandon. The labor scarcity, triggered in part by recent border tensions and political disruptions in neighboring countries, is driving up wages and threatening agricultural productivity.

Jomsak Putirattana, a durian grower in Chanthaburi province, described how his workforce dwindled after five Cambodian workers withdrew amid a border dispute between Thailand and Cambodia. This reduction intensified competition for laborers, causing daily wages to surge from around 350 baht (approximately HK$82) to as much as 800 to 1,000 baht. The escalating costs have compelled farmers like Jomsak to forgo harvesting lower-value fruits, leading to considerable crop losses. “We have to choose which fruit to harvest and leave the lower-priced fruit to rot on the trees,” he said, adding that hope for improving the situation diminishes daily.

Thailand’s labor shortage underscores the country’s growing reliance on migrant workers to offset its shrinking domestic workforce, driven by population aging. Migrants from Myanmar, Cambodia, and Laos have traditionally filled roles in agriculture, construction, and manufacturing sectors that are less attractive to Thai workers. Increasingly, these migrant workers also serve in service industries across major cities, including Bangkok.

However, recent political unrest and recruitment restrictions in Myanmar have compounded difficulties. According to Myat Thu, managing director of recruitment agency Kaung Myat San Thu, the process of hiring workers from Myanmar now takes six to eight months. Complaints about wages, subcontracting practices, and labor protections have further deterred Myanmar workers from accepting jobs in Thailand’s construction industry.

In response, Thai authorities are expanding recruitment efforts to countries beyond Southeast Asia, focusing on new sources such as Sri Lanka, Nepal, and Bangladesh. Labour Minister Julapun Amornvivat announced plans to bring in Sri Lankan workers starting in January, primarily for construction projects, with an initial pilot targeting roughly 10,000 workers. Discussions for formal labor agreements with Nepal and Bangladesh are also underway, expected to materialize next year. Julapun emphasized the need for diversification to reduce overdependence on any single labor source.

The construction sector is particularly vulnerable, with migrant workers constituting an estimated 60 to 70 percent of its 4.2 to 4.5 million-strong workforce, according to Liza Ngamtrakulpanit, president of the Thai Contractors Association. Industry representatives warn that labor shortages risk delaying key infrastructure projects and private developments, which could strain contractors’ finances as work slows.

To address the immediate challenges, the government is preparing a registration initiative to expedite permit renewals and incorporate undocumented migrants into the formal labor market, potentially regularizing millions currently working unofficially.

Despite these measures, growers like Jomsak remain apprehensive about the coming harvest season, which typically spans only four to five months starting in late April. While some business owners are relocating workers from other regions as a temporary fix, Jomsak likened this approach to “giving a painkiller to treat the wound,” emphasizing that fundamental labor shortages persist.