Health Care Accessibility of Migrants in Border Areas of Northeast, Thailand.

Access to health care among migrants groups is major concerning in Thailand. This study aimed to explore the situation of health care accessibility of migrants in the border land in the Northeast of Thailand. This quantitative survey research was conducted in 72 migrants in the border areas in the Northeast of Thailand. Collecting data was using a created questionnaires whose ever been accessed in healthcare service in the system. The results showed that migrants, there were four nationalities comprised such Laos (77.8%), Cambodia(16.7%), Myanmar (2.8%) and stateless (2.8%) respectively. Most of them came to Thailand without the resident’s visa and illegal immigrant as 73.6%. There was only only 29.6%has registered with Thai health insurance scheme which was seperated in Universal care coverage for migrant 47.6%, Social Security scheme for migrant worker 38.1% and Others 14.3%. The major problem of migrants was poor opportunity to access in health care service due to their inability to pay. In the other hands, group with health insurance system was facing to continue their right and maintaining. In conclusion, this finding is most of the migrant workers could not access health services. Legal status has important for applying for a health management system. Obstacles to accessing the health service system due to the lack of legal status which affects various aspects of the migrant population. The Thai government should develop a system for a registration system for a migrant in the health system without regardless of legal status. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]