The EU has launched a €15 million (about 570 million Thai baht) programme in Thailand to support Myanmar displaced people in border shelters and nearby communities.
The initiative, titled “Supporting Thailand’s Transition to Self-Reliance & Inclusion: Preparing Myanmar Displaced Persons for Inclusive Future”, was signed in Bangkok by the EU’s Ambassador to Thailand Luisa Ragher and representatives from the UN refugee agency UNHCR, the International Rescue Committee (IRC) consortium, and Expertise France.
It will support Myanmar displaced people in nine temporary shelters across Mae Hong Son, Tak, Kanchanaburi and Ratchaburi provinces, as well as migrants living outside shelters in Tak province, the European External Action Service (EEAS) announced on Tuesday.
The programme comes as Thailand advances policies that allow displaced people to access legal employment and national services.
Thailand increased the programme’s funding from €12 million to €15 million for 2026 — 2028, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ Department of International Organizations Director-General Pinsuda Jayanama said.
How the funding will be used
The funding package includes a €10.5 million project led by the IRC to support essential services and employment readiness across the nine shelters, with partner organisations including Save the Children Thailand, COERR, Malteser International, ADRA, and Humanity and Inclusion.
A separate €2 million initiative led by Expertise France, with partners including the Borderland Health Foundation, Dreamlopments, Mae Tao Clinic and the International Organization for Migration, will focus on improving access to healthcare in Tak province.
UNHCR will run a €2.5 million action aimed at strengthening child protection systems and supporting inclusion in national frameworks.
Thailand hosts over 80,000 Myanmar displaced people in temporary shelters along the border, in one of the world’s longest-standing refugee situations.
