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During the period of increasing globalization over the past few decades, Thailand has remained one of the most open economies in Asia. The country has actively participated in increased international exchanges of investment, technology, trade and tourism. In that context, it could have been anticipated that it would also become involved in international flows of migrants. Because of its economic and social stability, it is has become a safe haven for hundreds of thousands of asylum seekers and millions of migrant workers from other countries. Although Thailand was an early participant in deploying labour to the Middle East, it now attracts more migrant workers than it deploys, and it is simultaneously a sending, transit and destination country.

Because some of these migration trends have evolved and changed rapidly, government policies, legislation, institutions and programmes often lag behind and do not adequately address the current situation, let alone anticipate future trends. It could also be argued that international development agencies often focus on narrow issues within the broader context and, therefore, do not have the impact that they could on many migration issues. Similarly, much of the recent excellent research carried out related to international migration reviews only a fraction of the overall picture.