Myanmar workers pay brokers 11,000 to 18,500 baht for a permit extension that costs 6,000
A Mizzima report carried by BHRRC says brokers charged 11,000 to 18,500 baht per renewal against an official 6,000, often more than a month's pay on the 363 baht daily minimum wage. Workers use brokers because of language barriers, fear of questioning and a complex process. One factory worker said her family of four needed over 50,000 baht.
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Camera and vision
Document Scan Card: photograph your papers and get a personal checklist in Burmese
A worker photographs the passport, the pink card and the work permit. Claude vision reads the dates and tells in Burmese what is expiring and what documents to bring for a renewal. A printed card shows the official fee of 6,000 baht and the steps to the one-stop service center.
Build with Claude vision, Burmese text generation, Next.js PWA, A5 print
Voice and phone
Permit Desk Interpreter: speaks Thai to the officer, shows Burmese back
At the service counter, the worker speaks Burmese into the phone. The speaker says it in polite Thai to the officer, and the officer's Thai answer appears as Burmese text and audio. A worker no longer needs a broker just to understand 'which form is missing'.
Build with Whisper Burmese and Thai, Claude translation, Thai and Burmese TTS, PWA
AI agent
Broker Quote Check: enter what a broker asks and see which parts are real fees
The worker types or says the broker's price, 15,000 baht. The agent splits it into the official 6,000 fee, health check and documents, and shows what is left as the broker's margin. It prints a card in Burmese and Thai: 'I will pay 6,000 plus these costs, and I want receipts'.
Build with Claude, official fee table, Next.js, PDF card
Web portal
Renewal Buddies: coworkers go together on the same day with a Thai-speaking helper
Workers in one dorm or factory sign up on a paper sheet or QR for a renewal day. The page groups six of them with a volunteer or a Thai-speaking coworker and a shared ride, and prints a group checklist. Six people go with confidence in place of six people paying a broker.
Build with Next.js, Supabase, QR sign-up, PDF checklist
Hardware and sensors
Expiry Wall Calendar: a printed wall chart that marks each worker's start-renewal date
From scanned permits, the page prints an A3 wall calendar for the dorm or factory. Each worker's name is on the day they must start renewing, 60 days before expiry, with a color for how urgent it is. Nobody learns at the last minute that they must pay a broker to rush.
Build with Claude vision, Next.js, A3 PDF, thermal sticker printer for urgent flags
What people reported
BHRRC, 6 Dec 2024: broker fees vs 6,000 baht official fee; reasons workers rely on brokers
business-humanrights.org