On 10 January 2024, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Organization for Migration (IOM) Thailand co-hosted a public forum on “Shaping Public Perceptions towards Migrants”, at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The forum opened the floor for a vibrant discussion on public perceptions and attitudes towards migrants in Thailand. Participants included approximately 80 representatives of the Thai and foreign media, government agencies, international organizations, civil society organizations, academia and students, as well as members of the diplomatic corps. The event was also broadcasted live via the Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ Facebook page.

The event commenced with a keynote speech by H.E. Mr. Sihasak Phuangketkeow, Vice Minister for Foreign Affairs, who underscored the contribution of migrants to Thai society and the constructive role that all parties, especially the media, can play to combat misperceptions and encourage positive policy change. He also highlighted Thailand’s role as a Champion Country in advancing implementation of the Global Compact on Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration (GCM), especially objectives to promote inclusion and social cohesion and eliminate discrimination.

In her welcome remarks, Ms. Gita Sabharwal, United Nations Resident Coordinator, emphasized the crucial role of the media and social media users in fostering connection between the Thai public and migrants. She also highlighted the role of UN agencies in Thailand in improving living conditions and opportunities for migrant workers across Thailand and ASEAN.

To provide background and context for the discussion, Ms. Géraldine Ansart, Chief of Mission, IOM Thailand, gave a presentation of key findings of the Public Perception Survey of Migrants conducted by IOM. The findings show that greater exposure to and familiarity with migrants is correlated to a more positive outlook toward migrants. Therefore, community engagement with migrants should be supported to foster mutual understanding and empathy. Balanced migration reporting in Thailand should also be encouraged by tailoring training to journalists from traditional and new media.

The event featured the discussion on “Domestic public perception of migrants and migration: What more can media do to promote balanced and accurate narratives of migrants, especially migrant workers in Thailand?”, moderated by Ms. Thapanee Eadsrichai, founder of The Reporters online news agency. Panelists included representatives from all sectors, namely Dr. Sriprapha Petcharamesree, lecturer at the Faculty of Law, Chulalongkorn University, Assoc.Prof. Dr. Sudarat Musikawong, Deputy Director for Research and International Relations, Institute for Population and Social Research, Mahidol University, Mr. Adisorn Kerdmongkol, Manager of Migrant Working Group, and Ms. Jitvipa Benjasil, Director of Social Division, Department of International Organizations, Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

The panelists exchanged views on how public perceptions affect the lives of migrants in Thailand and migrant narratives prevalent in the Thai society. Recognizing the unique and prominent role of the media in shaping public perceptions, panelists also discussed ways to promote the role of the media in promoting positive and sensitized portrayals of migrants, as well as how these narratives can reach the mainstream audience. The outcome of the seminar will be disseminated with the aim of leading to further discussions, as well as implementation by the relevant agencies and media working on the issue.

This public forum is part of a joint 2-year project between the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and IOM to foster evidence-based migration discourse and media reporting. The public forum will be followed by series of capacity-building sessions for journalists, journalism students and government officials, as well as journalism grants and international exchanges.