Migrant worker shortage leaves fruit rotting in Thailand

Ripe fruits rot on Thai trees as a migrant worker shortage disrupts the harvest.

Fruit growers in eastern Thailand are watching ripe produce rot on trees due to a severe shortage of migrant labour. The exit of foreign workers following recent border tensions has driven up daily wages and created intense competition for remaining hands. This crisis highlights the nation's heavy reliance on migrant workers as its domestic workforce shrinks.

• The causeBorder disputes and stricter crossings caused Cambodian workers to depart, triggering the severe labour shortage.
• The impactDaily agricultural wages have surged significantly as growers compete fiercely for remaining farm workers.
• The backgroundThailand's rapidly aging domestic population has created a structural reliance on regional migrant labour.