Survey on Profiles and Conditions of Freelance Workers in Chiang Mai City

Chiang Mai city is Thailand’s second largest after Bangkok and constitutes the northern region’s main economic and transit hub. In its Pa Tan district near the city center, migrant and Thai workers gather in a specific soi (alley) to wait for potential employers to drive by and offer them freelance work. Once an agreement is made, workers are transported to destinations throughout Thailand’s north to complete mainly agricultural or construction work before being dropped back off in Chiang Mai city. To gain a better understanding of the profiles of freelance workers and the conditions of their work, IOM Thailand initiated a survey exercise at this soi in Chiang Mai city, interviewing those waiting for employers regarding their employment choices, wages, work accommodations, and challenges. Data was collected in October 2023 among 179 respondents.