Amputee Rakhine migrant worker has medical care challenges

Poewah, Narinjara News, June 29, 2025

In a vehicle accident in Rayong, Thailand, on June 19, a Burmese citizen died and a Rakhine migrant worker lost a leg.

Ko Soe Naing Win, 29, of Aung Mingalar Ward in Rakhine State's Mrauk U Township, lost his leg after being struck by a vehicle.

It is now hard to obtain medical care since the Thai man who drove the car has not accepted any accountability.

"We were riding a motorbike to the shop at the corner of the road, which was close to the hostel," Ko Soe Naing Win stated. "We were moving along the side of the road. Our bike was struck by a Thai vehicle at that moment. The Burmese man I was with passed away instantly. I had my leg amputated. The Thai driver who struck us suffered no injuries. The police did not arrest him when we filed the lawsuit because I was unaware of how he had a deal with the police. He also gave us no compensation. He came to see me when we phoned him. He declined to pay for the medical bills since he didn't have the money to do so. I am currently responsible for covering the hospital costs and I'll have to pay an additional 10,000 baht.

The fighting in Rakhine State, where Ko Soe Naing Win and his wife resided, has forced them to work as carpenters in Rayong, Thailand, for the past two years.

The Burmese migrant who was with Ko Soe Naing Win when he lost his right leg in a car accident close to their dorm on June 19 passed away there. Additionally, Ko Soe Naing Win mentioned that the vehicle accident has left him unable to work and that he is having trouble covering his living expenses and medical bills.

"I feel better in the afternoon. I am unable to sleep at night from 1 a.m. until the morning. It aches all night. I'm a bricklayer. I'm unable to work now. In addition, I need my wife to look after me. I must depend on the kindness of others for meals and medical care."

According to a worker who is a labor advocate in Chiang Mai, Burmese migrant workers in Thailand are still subject to abuses of their labor rights and human rights because of linguistic barriers and challenges in acquiring legal residency and work permits.

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