Burmese migrant workers selling goods in the Lonmany night bazaar in the centre of Bangkok have been arrested since the market began earlier this month. About 3700 shops employing thousands of Burmese migrants working in the market had previously paid 1,000 Baht per worker to the local police. Store owners discontinued these illegal payments once work permits had been obtained.

However, those without legal documents still need to pay 2,000 baht, and stores selling fake commodities must pay 7,000 baht on a regular basis. Early in the morning on 2nd December, police waited until the opening of the market and arrested shop assistants entering through gate No-6. These workers where sent in a truck to a police station, and then police returned to make further arrests.

"Even though we have a work ID, we are arrested because we don’t have permission to sell goods. And although we tried to negotiate to pay more money, they wouldn’t release us. The market here has a lot of Burmese migrant workers. Many Burmese can speak English and selling commodities is not hard work. Thai workers are weak in English and are unable to work hard so there were a lot of Burmese migrant workers in the Bazaar,” said one of the workers from the market.

A Burmese worker initially earns 6,000 baht, but wages can increase depending on English speaking skills and ability to persuade customers to buy goods.

A worker of 4 years experience [earning about 12,000 baht] said; "We had to pay police 2,000 baht in 2008 but this was reduced to 1,000 in 2009, and then our Boss stopped paying after we got our work ID".

During the night operation at least 30 people were arrested and taken to the police station. One of the witnesses, a female Burmese student said; "I saw with my own eyes that our Burmese migrant workers were arrested, even though they had a work ID. I felt very sad. I saw women crying. One of the girls told me that a policeman told her that if she didn't have a legal document she could sleep with him so she wouldn’t be sent to Mae Sod."

Usually illegal migrant workers are sent back to the Thai-Burmese border if they are arrested. For Thai owners, it is important to have skilled Burmese workers with good English and selling skills. But recent issues concerning work ID’s have arisen because the ID’s do not include a permit to sell goods. So, whether we like it or not, they need to make a deal and pay money to the police every month.