Bangkok: Many refugees from Myanmar who have lived for years in crowded border camps in Thailand are now stepping into a new chapter of life as they join the Thai workforce under a recent government policy that grants them legal work rights.

For decades, these camps along the Thai Myanmar border housed tens of thousands of people who fled conflict in Myanmar. Many were born in the camps and had never been allowed to take up formal jobs. That reality is now changing after Thailand approved a plan allowing more than eighty thousand refugees to apply for legal work permits.

Among them is Tun Min Lat, who spent almost twenty years in a camp before moving to an orchard in eastern Thailand. He now works legally in a longan farm and earns a stable income for the first time in his life. Similar stories are beginning to emerge across the region as refugees take up jobs in agriculture, factories and service sectors.

Thailand is facing labour shortages, especially after many Cambodian migrant workers left the country due to recent border tensions. The arrival of refugee workers is expected to ease pressure on industries that rely on manual labour.

International aid groups say this shift could help refugees become more self reliant, especially as foreign funding for the camps has decreased in recent years. The new policy is seen as a significant step in giving long term camp residents a chance to support their families and live with greater dignity.

However, rights organisations stress that strong monitoring is needed to protect refugee workers from exploitation. Many will be entering workplaces for the first time and may face challenges such as language barriers, limited skills and risks of underpayment.

The plan does not change the long term legal status of the refugees, but it offers a path toward independence for people who have spent much of their lives dependent on humanitarian assistance. As more refugees apply for work permits, officials and aid groups will be watching how smoothly the policy is implemented and how it affects both local communities and the broader Thai labour market.