Appendix I: Questionnaire
Questions
(1) Please give me the following personal details about you -- name (pseudonym), gender, ethnicity, age, place of origin (state/division), when was the first time you came to Thailand, how long you have been in Thailand this time, what languages do you speak (and especially, do you speak good Thai).
(2) Are you registered to work in Thailand now? Have you ever been registered to work in Thailand?
(3) Do you now have an identity document, and if so, what is it? (For example, migrant worker card, national ID, passport, etc.) Are you able to hold in your hand the original document? If not, who has your document now (for example, government officials (police), supervisor/employer, broker, others)? If do not have the original of your document with you, do you have a photocopy of the document? Can you get the original document from the person who has it, and if so, under what circumstances?
(4) Have you ever faced harassment and abuse by Thai officials (local, sub-district, district, or provincial)? (And tell me about your worst experience with Thai officials?) If so, please explain.
Ø Types of harassment (for use by interviewer to check...) – and ask in each case, how many times did these things happen?
i. Confiscation of property during raids or spot-checks
ii. Robberies and theft, extortion
iii. Threats and/or verbal abuse
iv. Violence/beatings
v. Sexual harassment/rape
vi. Arrest/detention
vii. Involvement in delivering workers into situations of exploitative labour and/or trafficking
viii. Killings of migrant workers
ix. Others, please specify
Ø Please give the specifics of each incident of harassment or abuse, such as date, time, specific group(s) of officials involved, place, presence of witnesses, etc.
(5) Do you have to pay any sort of protection fees to any person so that you are not arrested? If so, how much do you pay and who do you pay it to? Do you have to perform other work or activities, or purchase goods, in order to be protected from arrest? Please explain, and do you feel safe as a result?
(6) Have you faced harassment or abuse at work by your employer or supervisors? (For example, physical beatings, verbal harassment and abuses, intimidation, held against your will/not allowed to leave the workplace?)
Ø Did you discuss this with other workers? Did you try to work together to solve problem and if so, how? What happened?
(7) In the past two years, have you changed your employer? If so, how did you do it? Did you face any problems or difficulties in changing your employer? Please explain.
(8) Restrictions on freedom of association
Ø What has been your experience with trying to organize workers (such as holding meetings, trying to improve the situation at work)? Please explain.
Ø Have you ever been involved in trying to establish a workers’ group, association, or union? Please explain what happened.
Ø Have you ever been involved in trying to present demands to your employer or government authorities about the situation at your work? What happened?
Ø If your employer or a government official found out about your involvement in the workers’ group, association or union – what happened? (For example -- threats, retaliation, firing from job, violence, etc.)
(9) When and where do you meet other migrants when you are not at work? Do you have any problems gathering with other migrants at those places?
Ø Have you faced any restrictions on freedom of assembly, such as attending community gatherings, sports activities, religious ceremonies, or other events involving social or cultural life and practice of your beliefs?
Ø Do you face any curfew restrictions from the authorities or employers? If so, please explain.
(10) What kind of restrictions do you face on communications using land-line phones, mobile phones, regular mail and any other form of communication (computers, internet)? If so, please explain in detail.
(11) Freedom to travel/mobility -- How did you go from the border to your place of work? Have you traveled in Thailand (outside the province) and why? Where did you go, how much did you pay to go there – and please give details of any bad experiences? Have you ever wanted to travel outside the province but were prevented from doing so? What or who stopped you from traveling?
(12) How do you travel locally? Are you allowed to drive a bicycle, motorcycle or a car?
Ø If you are not allowed to drive a motorcycle or a car, what impact does this have on your life and freedom of movement?
Ø Have you ever experienced any problems from the authorities about using a bicycle, motorcycle, or car? Please describe.
(13) In cases of abuse and harassment that you have faced, what did you do and who did you call/talk to? Describe any cases that have happened to you.
Ø By employers?
Ø By authorities?
Ø By Thai people who are not authorities?
Ø By other members of the migrant community?
Ø By others?
Ø Was the problem(s) resolved? If so, how?
Ø If you reported the case to the Thai authorities, what did they do?
(14) Do you know about or have you ever witnessed retaliation or attacks against organizations supporting migrants?
(15) Have you personally seen or witnessed physical violence/attacks against another migrant worker or workers? If so, please explain.
(16) Do you have any questions that you would like to ask the interviewer? Do you have any additional things that you want to share? Do you have any suggestions or recommendations for this research?
Additional question, if time is available – for registered migrant workers:
(17) If you are registered, did you pay yourself for your migrant worker card? If you did not pay yourself, are you free to leave your work before you pay back the money?
(18) Did you face any other problems or abuses in registering?