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To comprehend environmental changes and develop sustainable land management plans, it is crucial to thoroughly understand the complexities involved in land use change. This study investigated land use changes in Mae Sot district, Tak province, Thailand, in the years 2003, 2013, and 2023 using pixel-based supervised classification employing the Random Forest (RF) algorithm. The findings revealed that a substantial portion of the area is dedicated to agricultural purposes, accompanied by a decrease in forest areas and an increase in urban development. Furthermore, five spatial factors—elevation, slope, distance from the city center, distance from the main road, and population—were integrated as explanatory variables in training the cellular automata-artificial neuron network (CA-ANN) model to construct a land use change simulation for 2023. A comparison of the projected and actual land use maps for 2023 demonstrated a high level of agreement, with a kappa coefficient of 0.81, confirming the reliability of the model’s predictions. Subsequently, the CA-ANN model was used to forecast future land use for the year 2033. The projection suggested a significant expansion of built-up areas, primarily originating from the core of Mae Sot sub-district and spreading towards Tha Sai Luat, Mae Pa, and Mae Tao, and potentially extending northward along the national highway to Mae Kasa sub-district. Additionally, forested areas are anticipated to diminish, transitioning into agricultural zones, while certain existing agricultural regions are expected to be converted into urban spaces. These findings underscore the imminent expansion of urban areas within Mae Sot, emphasizing the necessity for well-thought-out planning to ensure long-term development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A new Mesozoic fossiliferous locality was discovered in the Mae Sot Basin, western Thailand. Ginglymodian fish scales and bones are reported, as well as wood (Brachyoxylon sp.) and leafy twigs (cf. Cupressinocladus sp.). These are associated with Skolithos and Scoyenia ichnofacies. The biotic remains were deposited in an anoxic fluvial environment and wood underwent humification. Fossil wood specimens show a wide range of composition, ranging from nearly pure carbon to mixtures of coal and siliceous sediment. The limited fossil record makes biogeographical comparisons and stratigraphic deductions difficult. It is however the first time that terrestrial Mesozoic biota is reported from the Shan-Thai terrane west of the Chiang Mai suture and north of the Three Pagoda fault. Further research in and around this locality may refine our still fragmentary knowledge of Mesozoic continental ecosystems west of the Nan-Uttaradit suture. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article reports on a longitudinal case study, which included site visits in Thailand from 2014 to 2015, and participant follow-up to mid-2018. It documents the lived experience of children from Syria, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Vietnam, and Myanmar in two different locations in Thailand: Bangkok and Mae Sot (a district close to Thailand-Myanmar border with a long history of economic migrants and refugees from Myanmar). It documents perspectives of children and the adults in their lives while in exile. It presents an analysis of the children's perspectives on needs and how unmet needs for safety, basic materials, health care, and education put them at risk of arrest, detention, abuse, and exploitation, and impact their psychological development. Contextual factors such as available services, existing policies and laws are also discussed in relation to the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Cenozoic Doi Ton Formation is outstanding for its leaf fossil deposited in sandstone of which the geologic age is still controversial. This research focuses on stratigraphy and sedimentary facies analyses in order to interpret the paleoenvironment, paleoclimate and identify the geologic age of the study area. Doi Ton Formation can be divided into upper and lower members. The upper Doi Ton member can be divided into five facies including, Sm, Sg, Sr, Sp, and Gm (Gm and Gmg). Furthermore, these facies make up two facies associations, which are (1) channel deposit (Gm, Gmg, Sg, Sr, Sp, and Sm), and (2) sandy bar (Sg, Sr, and Sp) indicating the braided river depositional environment. The lower member is mainly composed of mudstone that suggests the low energy environment. The mineral compositions and leaf fossils indicate the warm and humid climatic conditions during their deposition period. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study was aimed at evaluating the effects of cadmium (Cd) on bioaccumulation, acetylcholinesterase (AChE) activities and histopathological alteration in African catfish (Clarias gariepinus) from a contaminated fish farm in Mae Sot District, Tak Province, western Thailand. Along with water and sediment samplings, fish samples were collected from the contaminated fish farm after two, four and six months of cultivation. The Cd accumulation in liver and muscle of C. gariepinus were measured. Moreover, the effects of Cd on AChE activities in brain, kidney, liver, and muscle were studied. The results showed that Cd concentrations in water of Mae Tao Stream and fish pond ranged 0.001-0.038 mg/l, while in the sediments ranged 0.367-21.250 mg/kg. Cadmium concentration in the liver of C. gariepinus was higher than in the muscle, i.e., 0.190 mg/kg (range 0.150-0.270 mg/kg) and 0.030 mg/kg (range 0.020-0.040 mg/kg), respectively. AChE activities showed significant increase in the brain and the muscle and decrease in the kidney and the liver. In addition, after six months of fish cultivation, AChE activities were found significantly decreased in the liver. Furthermore, histopathological alterations were observed in the gills, the kidney and the liver after exposure, i.e., loss of all mucus membranes of the gills, distortion of capillaries of glomerulus in kidneys and large vacuoles in liver tissues. These results are useful for biomarker of Cd contamination in the aquatic environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article explores how the forces of mobility affect the border society of Mae Sot, Thailand. In particular, it examines two forces generating population movements involving Burmese migrants: the Bangkok Dream, which pushes migrants from the borderland to Bangkok in their search for better opportunities, and refugee resettlement programs, which take refugees from the borderland to other countries. These two processes create massive human migrations across and beyond the border, with Mae Sot serving as a node. The study found that migrations have become part and parcel of societal formation of the border town. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This investigation examines the potential, and the factors affecting the potential of network partners to manage solid waste in the epidemic control area for Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19). The study area was Mae Sot Municipality in Tak Province, Northern Thailand, which consists of twenty communities. This is an especially pressing study topic given the dearth of literature on solid waste management in Thailand during a pandemic. The sample group was purposively selected, and was composed of household representatives living within the coronavirus epidemic control area. Data was gathered using a quantitative research method. A questionnaire was presented to 400 household representatives. Data results led to the development of an equation to determine waste management potential: Logit(y) = 0.435 - 0.086(X1) - 0.203(X2) - 0.110(X3) + 0.086(X4) + 0.046(X5) - 0.056(X6) + 0.157(X7) + 0.132(X8) + 0.214(X9) - 0.212(X10) - 0.087(X11) + 0.022(X12). Factors affecting public participation in waste management of network partners in epidemic control areas can be written as a predictive equation: Logit(y) = -0.179 + 0.092(PAR1) + 0.177(PAR2) - 0.189(PAR3) + 0.008(PAR4). Potential factors affecting the waste management of network partners in epidemic control areas can be written as follows: Logit(y) = -0.724 + 0.220(POT1) + 0.045(POT2) - 0.234(POT3) + 0.185(POT4). Solid waste management models must be suitable for the context and current situation in the local community. This includes consideration of local participation and the impact on all stakeholders in the area. The key action is to minimize the amount of solid waste before it reaches the disposal stage by focusing on participation from all sectors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective To preliminarily investigate the prevalence of HIV co-infection in patients with malaria in Mae Sot District, Tak Province of Thailand. Methods The study was a retrospective study on blood samples collected from a total of 256 patients with malaria (all species and severity) who attended Mae Tao clinic for migrant workers, Tak Province during 2005–2007 (148 samples) and 2010–2012 (108 samples). Malaria diagnosis was performed based on microscopic examination of patients' blood smears. Chemiluminescent microparticle immunoassay and gel particle passive agglutination were employed for the detection of HIV antigen in patients' plasma. Results Plasmodium falciparum ( P. falciparum ) and Plasmodium vivax ( P. vivax ) are the two predominant malaria species with the ratio of about 1: 1 to 1.5:1. Most of the P. falciparum cases were presented with acute uncomplicated signs and symptoms with highest parasitemia of 1 045 000 asexual parasites/μL bloods. The prevalence of malaria and HIV co-infection during 2005-2007 was 1.35% (2/148 cases, 1 each for P. falciparum and P. vivax co-infection), but was increased to 2.78% (3/108 cases, 2 and 1 for P. falciparum and P. vivax co-infection, respectively) during 2010-2012. Conclusions The increasing trend of prevalence of malaria and HIV co-infection in Mae Sot, Tak province was of a great concern on either pharmacodynamics or pharmacokinetics aspect. The study in a larger numbers of malaria patients in different endemic areas throughout the country with different time periods is underway. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Mae Tao Clinic was established by Dr Cynthia Maung in 1989 in Mae Sot, Thailand, close to the border with Myanmar. The clinic provides primary health care, education, and protection to vulnerable and displaced people living in the Thailand-Myanmar border area. The leading vision of the organization is that all people from Burma (Myanmar) will have access to quality, equitable, and affordable health care, education, and protection in respect of all human rights. On yearly basis, the Mae Tao Clinic consults more than 100 000 outpatients and admits more than 10 000 patients to receive inpatient care. Many of the people served by the clinic cannot access affordable health care elsewhere principally due to lack of legal status, unaffordable costs, and language barriers.

This article focuses on the borderland of Thailand with Myanmar and analyzes how Burmese women migrant workers are both victimized – Agamben’s homo sacer – by the exceptional space of the borderland, but also are able to actively utilize the opportunities afforded by the particular space of the border to juggle their responsibilities and life options. The article focuses on how women migrant workers arrange their healthcare, childcare and children’s education at the borderland of Mae Sot and in the centerland of Bangkok, and analyzes how they use the opportunities available at the border to manage these tasks. At the same time, the borderland leaves women with very weak protection against violence, cut off from their communities of origin, which offer both protection and control. Although borderlands can provide space for alternatives, this exceptional space compounded with a strict gender regime can pose serious restrictions on women’s agency. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To demonstrate the merit of the geographic information system (GIS) in military work to the public, this paper reports the GIS-based derivation of cross-country movement (CCM) maps for 4 major types of military vehicles (M35 truck, M113 carrier, Stingray tank, and Scorpion tank) in Mae Sot District, a renowned strategic location in western Thailand. The constructing process was carried out based on guidelines adopted by the US Army and the Royal Thai Army. Each map was made from the direct product of 5 crucial terrain factors: slope, slope-intercept-frequency, vegetation, soil, and surface roughness, in which 3 categories of trafficability were identified: Go, Slow Go, No Go. The resulting maps indicated that the most trafficable areas for all the listed vehicles were located on the large flat plain in the western part of the district as the middle and eastern parts were predominately high mountains and relatively rough terrain. The average land trafficability for most vehicles (except the M113) significantly decreased from the dry to the wet season due to softer soil conditions. In terms of the performance score, both tank vehicles did comparably well during the dry season followed by the M113, but for the wet season, the Scorpion did best followed by the M113 and the Stingray, respectively. In both cases, the M35 truck was found to perform worst. These results which were obtained are useful as primary information for the future preparation and operation by the Royal Thai Army of the effective CCM activity for the vehicles which were included in this study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Geology, lithostratigraphy, petrography, sedimentary structures and depositional environment of marine Jurassic rocks of the Hua Fai Group (HFG) from the Mae Sot area of Tak Province, western Thailand have been studied in detail. Based mainly on five measured sections in the Mae Sot Basin, the group can be divided into three formations: Khun Huai; Doi Yot; and Pha De, in ascending order. Seventeen sedimentary rock units have been established with a total thickness varying from 200 to 832 m. According to the fossil assemblages, the HFG was deposited during Toarcian-Bajocian. Analysis of lithofacies associations in the sedimentary sequences of the group discerns shoreface, fan-delta, protected lagoon, intertidal, subtidal and inner to outer ramp environments with occasional carbonate platforms and reef flats. Toarcian rocks are represented by transgressive-regressive (T-R) cycles that in the Aalenian gradually changed to highest sea level and water depth. During late Aalenian to early Bajocian, sea level was still changing to a transgressive phase, then after early Bajocian, sea level retreated again. The eustatic curves for the Toarcian-early Bajocian in Thailand correspond to the global situation, but differ significantly in the Late Jurassic-Cretaceous, when T-R phases were out of step with the global pattern and instead probably responded to local tectonic movements. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Discusses the exploitation of Burmese workers in Mae Sot, Thailand. Factors that contribute to the vulnerability of migrant workers; Comparison of International Labor Standards and Thai Labor Standards; Estimated number of workers in Thailand; Factors that encourage Burmese workers to migrate to Thailand; Formation of labor movements; Issues and implications of labor unions.

In Western Thailand, Miocene shales from Wang Kaew, in the Mae Sot basin, have yielded a diverse insect assemblage comprising 115 articulated specimens. In this preliminary review, 15 subcomplete specimens are studied and referred to at least eight forms belonging to five orders (Coleoptera, Diptera, Hymenoptera, Orthoptera, and Hemiptera). Coleoptera are represented by very nicely preserved specimens of weevils (Curculionidae). Diptera are known by three different taxa referred to Bibionidae, Sciaridae and Brachycera. Hymenoptera are known by representatives of Vespidae and Formicidae. Orthoptera are represented by a single specimen of uncertain affinities and Hemiptera by one Gerrinae. This insect assemblage is the most complete ever reported in Southeast Asia during the Cenozoic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Urinary cadmium (UCd) is a good indicator of long-term exposure to cadmium. UCd concentrations resulting from juvenile cadmium exposure in 3 sub-districts of Tak Province, Thailand, were investigated. The target population was divided by gender and into 2 age subgroups: 9-12 and 13-15 years. A total of 748 urine samples were collected and analyzed by spectrophotometer. All samples had UCd of more than 1.0 μg/g creatinine (Cr). Total UCd means among the 3 sub-districts were 1.31, 1.01, and 0.87 μg/g Cr; the Thai population mean is 0.5 μg/g. The difference among the three sub-districts was statistically significant (p < 0.05). Total means for UCd were 1.13 μg/g Cr for boys, 1.00 for girls, 1.01 μg/g Cr for those 9-12 years old, and 1.18 for those 13-15. UCd concentrations were not significantly different between genders and age groups. Likely dietary sources of cadmium exposure for the subject population were surveyed.

Prompt and accurate diagnosis of malaria is the key to prevent disease morbidity and mortality. This study was carried out to evaluate diagnostic performance of 3 commercial rapid detection tests (RDTs), i.e., Malaria Antigen Pf/Pan™, Malaria Ag-Pf™, and Malaria Ag-Pv™ tests, in comparison with the microscopic and PCR methods. A total of 460 blood samples microscopically positive for Plasmodium falciparum (211 samples), P. vivax (218), mixed with P. falciparum and P. vivax (30), or P. ovale (1), and 124 samples of healthy subjects or patients with other fever-related infections, were collected. The sensitivities of Malaria Ag-Pf™ and Malaria Antigen Pf/Pan™ compared with the microscopic method for P. falciparum or P. vivax detection were 97.6% and 99.0%, or 98.6% and 99.0%, respectively. The specificities of Malaria Ag-Pf™, Malaria Ag-Pv™, and Malaria Antigen Pf/Pan™ were 93.3%, 98.8%, and 94.4%, respectively. The sensitivities of Malaria Ag-Pf™, Malaria Antigen Pf/Pan™, and microscopic method, when PCR was used as a reference method for P. falciparum or P. vivax detection were 91.8%, 100%, and 96.7%, or 91.9%, 92.6%, and 97.3%, respectively. The specificities of Malaria Ag-Pf™, Malaria Ag-Pv™, Malaria Antigen Pf/Pan™, and microscopic method were 66.2%, 92.7%, 73.9%, and 78.2%, respectively. Results indicated that the diagnostic performances of all the commercial RDTs are satisfactory for application to malaria diagnosis.

Objective: To measure bone mineral density in cadmium-exposed persons aged 40 years and older that lived in the 12 contaminated villages in northwestern Thailand., Material and Method: Five hundred seventy three persons with urinary cadmium levels > or = 5 microg/g creatinine during the 2004-2006 surveys were screened in 2007 for urinary excretion of cadmium, bone formation and resorption markers, and renalfunction markers. Calcaneus bone density was measured in each person by a dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry bone scanner., Results: The mean age of the study persons was 57 years old. The geometric mean level of urinary cadmium for women was significantly higher than that for men. Women had a lower mean of calcaneus bone density than men. The rate of osteoporosis in women (21.5%) was significantly higher than that for men (14.7%). Calcaneus bone density was negatively correlated with urinary excretion of calcium (in both genders) and crosslinked N-telopeptide of type I collagen (in women), after adjusting for other co-variables. Increasing urinary cadmium levels appeared to correlate with reduced bone density in women, but not in men. In both genders, urinary excretion of beta2-microglobulin and N-acetyl-beta-D-glucosaminidase was higher in persons with osteoporosis than those without., Conclusion: Bone mineral loss is correlated with urinary cadmium levels and renal dysfunction in this female population.

Objective: To study the associations between urinary cadmium and renal dysfunction, hypertension, diabetes, and urinary stones in an adult population living in cadmium-contaminated areas in Mae Sot District, Tak Province, Thailand., Material and Method: Seven hundred ninety five cadmium-exposed adults were screened for urinary cadmium, renal dysfunction, hypertension, diabetes, and urinary stones in 2005. Six selected markers of renal function in the present study were urinary excretion of beta2-microglobulin (beta2-MG), N-acetyl-beta-D-glucosaminidase (NAG), total protein and calcium, serum creatinine, and glomerular filtration rate (GFR)., Results: The mean age of the study persons was 50-years-old. The overall prevalence rates of hypertension, diabetes, and urinary stones were 33.3%, 6.2%, and 8.9% respectively. The prevalence of increased proteinuria was greatest in those with urinary cadmium levels > or = 15 microg/g creatinine. Urinary excretion of beta2-MG, NAG, and total protein significantly increased with increasing urinary cadmium levels, after adjusting for other co-variables by multiple linear regression analysis. However, urinary cadmium was not significantly associated with urinary calcium, serum creatinine, and GFR. The prevalence rates of hypertension, diabetes, and urinary stones did not significantly increase with increasing urinary cadmium levels. Hypertension, diabetes, and urinary stones were also significant predictors of impaired renal function., Conclusion: In this population, increasing levels of urinary cadmium are associated with increasing urinary excretion of beta2-MG, NAG, and total protein. Risk for hypertension, diabetes, and urinary stones remains uncertain in relation to cadmium exposure.

Background: In 2004, 7,697 cadmium-exposed persons aged 15 years and older in Mae Sot District, Tak Province, Thailand, were screened for urinary cadmium levels and 554 cases (7.2%) had > or = 5 microg/g creatinine., Objective: The present study reported the prevalence of renal dysfunction among those with high urinary cadmium (> or = 5 microg/g creatinine)., Material and Method: The study persons were interviewed and examined for detection of renal dysfunction. Venous blood and second morning urine were obtained from each subject for microscopic analysis and biochemistry measurements., Results: Of the 527 examined persons, 14.2% had urinary beta2-microglobulin excretion between 300 and 999 microg/g creatinine, and 19.9% contained > or = 1,000 microg/g creatinine. About 21.1% had serum creatinine concentrations between 1.1 and 1.4 mg/dl and 4.2% contained > or = 1.5 mg/dl. Low glomerular filtration rate (GFR < 60 ml/min/1.73 m2 body surface area) was present in 16.9% of the study persons. Of the persons surveyed, 75.3% had the fractional excretion of phosphate > 5% and 24.7% contained the fractional excretion of potassium > 10%. The overall prevalence rates of hypertension and urinary stones in the study population were 31.3% and 8.9%, respectively. Excretion of urinary beta2-microglobulin significantly increased with increasing urinary cadmium levels. Both increased serum creatinine and decreased GFR appeared to be associated with increasing urinary cadmium although the difference was not statistically significant. There were no significant associations between urinary cadmium levels and excretion of urinary protein, urinary calcium, hypertension, and urinary stones., Conclusion: Excessive exposure to cadmium might produce renal dysfunction among the present study population. Increased urinary excretion of beta2-microglobulin is a good indicator of renal tubular dysfunction among persons with excessive cadmium exposure.

Background: In Mae Sot District, Tak Province, Thailand, the paddy fields receiving irrigation from the two creeks and crops grown in the areas were found to contain markedly elevated cadmium levels during the surveys in 2001-2004., Objective: The present report carried out a survey in 2004 to determine urinary cadmium, a good index of excessive cadmium exposure and body burden, among the exposed residents aged 15 years and older in these contaminated areas., Material and Method: Morning urine samples were collected from the subjects and then kept frozen until cadmium analysis. Urinary cadmium was determined using the atomic absorption spectrometry and urinary creatinine was determined using a method of reaction with picric acid at alkaline pH and colorimetry., Results: Of the 7,697 persons surveyed, only 45.6% had urinary cadmium levels < 2 microg/g creatinine. About 4.9% were between 5 and 10 microg/g creatinine and 2.3% had cadmium concentrations > 10. The urinary cadmium level was greater among women than men and increased with increasing age. Smokers were more likely to have high urinary cadmium than non-smokers. Persons who mainly consumed rice grown locally in the contaminated areas had higher urinary cadmium than those who did not., Conclusion: Persons who had high urinary cadmium levels and might have cadmium-induced toxic effects should be screened for early detection of chronic cadmium toxicity. Smoking cessation programs should be one component of preventive action beneficial for the study population. The production of rice and other crops for human consumption should be prohibited to prevent further accumulation of cadmium in the body of the exposed population.

To understand the potential for facultative sugar feeding by Aedes aegypti, an important vector of dengue viruses, we evaluated seasonal and villagewide variation in sugar feeding during high- and low-dengue transmission seasons (rainy and dry seasons, respectively) in the Mae Sot region of Thailand. These seasons in Thailand are represented by different periods of flowering plant phenology. Although overall sugar feeding among female and male mosquitoes was low (ranging from 0.60 to 7.53 microg fructose per mosquito), sugar feeding among females was significantly greater during the dry, low-dengue transmission season. This variation could reflect specific preferences for flowering plants that were abundant in and around village homes during the dry season, such as Bougainvillea, Hibiscus, and Euphorbia.

Although the prevalence of lymphatic filariasis in the Thai population is low, migration of Myanmar labor into Thailand may increase the incidence of bancroftian filariasis. Epidemiology of filariasis in Myanmars has not been precisely determined. By using microscopic examination, we found that the microfilarial rate in 654 Myanmar migrants working in Mae Sot, Tak province, was 4.4 per cent. The highest microfilarial rate was found in males aged 21-30 years (6.8%). History of mosquito bites was significantly correlated with microfilaremia. The majority of Myanmar migrants (55.5%) have been staying in Thailand 1-6 years; most (82.0%) have never been back to Myanmar. Seventy-nine per cent of infected Myanmars were from Moulmein (Maulamyine) city. Since these migrants carry the parasite with high infected rate and the mosquito vector Culex quinquefasciatus is also prevalent in Thailand, Thai people are at high risk of acquiring this disease if good control and prevention strategies are not implemented.

Right from the arrival of the displaced Karen people in Thailand, Médecins sans Frontières (MSF) identified malaria as the top priority problem. A program of patient care based on the coupled laboratory/dispensary was set up in April 1984. Immediately a system of surveillance of morbidity and mortality from malaria was set up. This study consisted of analysing data gathered over a period of five years. During this time, the displaced population increased from 9,000 to 20,000. Analysis of the trends shows a hyperendemic situation with an annual incidence rate of 1,067 per thousand in 1984. This figure was 600 per thousand in 1988. 1,500 blood smears were checked each month and the positive predictive value of clinical suspicion was 45% on average. Plasmodium falciparum represented 80% of infections. The malaria case fatality ratio over the course of the last two years of surveillance was 0.3%. Five years observation show that the fight against malaria in this region can be based on the development of curative services and laboratories.

Mae Tao basin, Thailand has been reported as a remote cadmium (Cd) - contaminated area from 2002 to 2016 and a declaration on the contaminant source has not been accomplished. Howbeit, the determination of contaminant sources transmitted by overland flow is generally limited by various kinds of factors, data insufficiency in particular. In this study, the integrated spatial technology between remote sensing, digital mapping, GIS, and RUSLE were used to conduct the approach in deciding the source of contamination in the basin. According to the results, the significant anthropogenic activity which can release the highest cadmium's level was determined as the cornfield in the upstream. With the potential cadmium flux from erosion ranged from 279.86 to 703.73 t/ha/year and 0.77 correlation factor to the cadmium contamination level in the creeks, the soil surface and corn collected from the upstream were investigated using FAAS and Micro XRF for validation. The cadmium transported by upstream soil surface may not affect the Cd contamination in the downstream so that the contamination's source be from other anthropogenic activities. As a result, this integrated method demonstrates a capability in applying this set of applications to monitoring, investigating and managing contaminant sources in a remote area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This research note presents the findings of a project aimed at understanding the life and livelihood experiences of displaced Myanmar women in Thailand. Since the 2021 Myanmar military coup, thousands of people, including women of diverse socio-economic backgrounds, have fled Myanmar to neighbouring Thailand, where they are living as undocumented refugees with restricted livelihood opportunities. The results show that, in displacement, the lived experiences of these women vary according to their status and backgrounds. What is common, however, is that the displacement experiences of these women begin from a position of loss. Thereafter, their trajectories differ in terms of the way they seek to overcome the challenges of displacement and the associated traumatic experiences. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Since 2002, a joint research team from the International Water Management Institute and the Department of Agriculture, Thai Government, has reported that there are cadmium (Cd)-contaminated paddy fields in northern Thailand. We evaluated the current situation of the Cd-polluted paddy fields in this report. Home-consumed rice grains were collected from all 23 households in the village of Pha Te, Mae Sot District of Tak Province, Thailand. The Cd concentration in unhusked rice (Oryza sativa L.) grains ranged from 0.04 to 1.75 mg Cd kg−1, and the rice of more than half of the households contained Cd levels higher than the critical level of 0.4 mg Cd kg−1 polished rice, which is CODEX standard. Among the paddy fields, we selected one plot (1.2 ha) and analyzed Cd concentrations of the soil, and rice and soybean (Glycine max L.) grains. In this area, a rotation cropping system of wet-season rice and dry-season soybean is common practice. The soil Cd concentration ranged from 0.31 to 13.9 mg Cd kg−1 (total Cd) and 0.030 to 13.3 mg Cd kg−1 [extracted with 0.1 M hydrochloric acid (HCl)], the Cd concentration in the rice grains ranged from 0.12 to 1.27 mg Cd kg−1, and that in the soybean grains ranged from 0.07 to 0.80 mg Cd kg−1. The soil extractable Cd concentration was well reflected in the soybean grain Cd levels (r2 = 0.581), but not in the rice grain levels (r2 = 0.015), suggesting that rice grain Cd levels are influenced not only by the soil Cd concentration, but by other factors as well, such as soil water regime and soil pH. However, a significant difference in the grain-Cd concentration was found; that is, lower Cd in the cultivar “Khao’ Khaeng” and higher in the “Khao Dawk Mali 105”, which suggests a possibility of selecting a rice cultivar having low-grain Cd. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Background: Antimicrobial stewardship (AMS) is a coherent set of actions to optimize antimicrobial use, improve patient outcomes, and reduce antimicrobial resistance (AMR). Thailand's national strategic plan has included AMS since 2017. Due to an increased risk of infection and AMR, solid organ transplant (SOT) recipients can benefit from antimicrobial stewardship programs (ASPs). However, the AMS in SOT has not been well defined. Balancing ASPs with the need for early and frequent antimicrobial treatment in this population is challenging. This review assesses the barriers and potential strategies of AMS in SOT in the setting of Thailand. Methods: We used PubMed to identify published articles on AMS in organ transplantation in Thailand from January 2013 to January 2022. We also searched local literature and local data from Google Scholar and Google. Finally, we described the AMS experience at Ramathibodi hospital as a proxy for transplant centers in Thailand. Results: There was no specific article on AMS in SOT in Thailand. At our hospital, ASPs have been part of the hospital's routine patient care, including the practice in the transplant unit. Modifiable challenges to AMS in SOT include prescriber opposition, diagnosis uncertainty, and lack of high quality. Both systems and individualized approaches should be implemented to overcome these barriers. The potential interventions include shortening antibiotic time‐out, updating clinical guidelines, continuing education, handshake ASP, adopting new technology, and further research. Conclusions: There are limited data on AMS in organ transplantation in Thailand. Strategic priorities should focus on modifiable barriers tailored to organ transplantation. Quality improvement should be ensured by process and outcome measures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Previous U.S. population modeling studies have reported that urinary cadmium (Cd) excretion patterns differ with age, sex, and dietary exposure; associations between Cd exposures and health outcomes also have differed by age and sex. Therefore, it is important to test models used to estimate Cd exposures across an expanded Cd-exposure range. Objectives: We estimated relative Cd exposures from both diet and smoking in low- and high-exposure scenarios to provide data for improving risk assessment calculations. Methods: We used a Cd toxicokinetic-based model to estimate Cd exposures based on urinary Cd levels measured for 399 persons in a low-exposure area (Bangkok) and 6,747 persons in a high-exposure area (Mae Sot) in Thailand. Results: In Bangkok, we estimated dietary Cd exposures of 50-56 μg/day for males and 21-27 μg/day for females 20-59 years of age who never smoked. In Mae Sot, we estimated dietary Cd exposures of 188-224 μg/day for males and 99-113 μg/day for females 20-59 years of age who never smoked. In Bangkok, we estimated Cd exposures from smoking to be 5.5-20.4 μg/day for male smokers 20-59 years of age. In Mae Sot, we estimated Cd exposures from smoking to be 9.8-26 μg/day for male heavy smokers and 26 μg/day for female heavy smokers. Conclusion: This study provides estimates of Cd exposures from diet and smoking in low- and high-exposure scenarios. Our findings suggest a relatively small safety margin between the estab­lished tolerable Cd reference exposure of 62 μg/day and exposure levels previously associated with evidence of kidney and bone effects in Mae Sot residents, where dietary Cd exposures among women were only 1.6-2.1 times the reference value. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Improvings utilization of antenatal care is one of strategies for achieving Millennium Development Goal of decreasing the maternal mortality. Thai Government health facilities provided same Maternal and Childcare services for migrants as Thai citizens. However, migrants' utilization of ANC services was still challenged by many factors. There was limited information about Myanmar migrants ANC services utilization in Thailand Myanmar border among all five border districts in Tak province, where thousands of Myanmar migrants are living and working. Method and Materials: Myanmar migrant women who had been living in the five border districts of Tak province, Thailand and delivered in one of the health facilities in five districts in September 2017 to March 2018 were interviewed face to face with a structured questionnaire during 12 weeks after delivery. Result: In this study, 73.2% of migrant women received adequate AN care (at least four ANC visits), but only 29.9% received early and adequate AN care (the first antenatal visit was in first 12 weeks of pregnancy and at least four ANC visits). The study found that women who lived in other districts (AOR = 5.13, 95% CI = 3.32-7.94), had higher likelihood to get antenatal care than those who lived in Mae Sot district. The women with sufficient health literacy (AOR = 7.46, CI = 4.49-12.42) were also found to have more likelihood to get adequate and early antenatal care. Discussion: Antenatal care utilization was associated with health literacy level, location of stay, duration of stay, household income, planned pregnancy or not, watched television and having health insurance. The results suggest that, as the vulnerable population at the border area, the migrant women should be targeted for bespoke health education messages on maternal health, especially the importance and necessity of antenatal care visits, especially in Mae Sot District. Promoting health insurance for the migrants would be another effective way to encourage migrant women having adequate and timely antenatal care utilization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This concurrent qualitative study was carried out with the main objective to determine wildlife beliefs, taboos, usages, health perceptions, and practices among ten ethnic groups in four communities in Tak and Mae Hong Son provinces of Thailand from November 2020 to January 2021. We also gathered comprehensive information on study respondents' knowledge related to potential risk behaviors that could lead to zoonotic disease transmission and infection. Furthermore, we intended to use the study's findings to develop communication strategies and health literacy improvement interventions for mitigating risky behaviors, with a focus on ethnic groups and particular individuals who live in close proximity to forests and wildlife, to prevent future pandemics. Sixty-five respondents were purposively selected based on their extensive knowledge, active participation in local cultural contexts, beliefs, and exposure to wildlife contact or consuming game animals. Twenty (30.8%) participated in in-depth interviews (IDIs), while 45 (69.2%) participated in eight focused group discussions (FGDs). The results revealed that the characteristics of wildlife contact are similar and distinct based on their beliefs and taboos among various ethnic groups and study locations, which are influenced by cultural backgrounds and traditions. Although some ethnic groups do not have explicit restrictions on the consumption of wildlife, others adhere to specific beliefs and taboos that forbid the consumption or killing of specific wild animals. These beliefs frequently correspond with conservation initiatives, thereby facilitating the preservation of threatened species. The study also revealed a lack of appropriate health knowledge, perceptions, and practices regarding wildlife contact and consumption. As a result, it is recommended that public health officials and local governments develop and execute communication and education initiatives. These campaigns should aim to increase health literacy and promote safe handling, preparation, and cooking practices to reduce the risk of zoonotic disease transmission and infection effectively. Moreover, it is necessary to design and implement wildlife conservation education and outreach activities. The programs should promote environmental stewardship while considering the cultural contexts, beliefs, and practices of various ethnic groups. The activities should involve diverse stakeholders, including local leaders, religious influencers, community members, schoolteachers, students, health professionals, village health volunteers, and civil society organizations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In March 2011, the Myanmar Government transitioned to a nominally civilian parliamentary government, resulting in dramatic increases in international investments and tenuous peace in some regions. In March 2015, Community Partners International, the Women's Refugee Commission, and four community-based organisations (CBOs) assessed community-based sexual and reproductive health (SRH) services in eastern Myanmar amidst the changing political contexts in Myanmar and Thailand. The team conducted 12 focus group discussions among women of reproductive age (18–49 years) with children under five and interviewed 12 health workers in Kayin State, Myanmar. In Mae Sot and Chiang Mai, Thailand, the team interviewed 20 representatives of CBOs serving the border regions. Findings are presented through the socioecological lens to explore gender-based violence (GBV) specifically, to examine continued and emerging issues in the context of the political transition. Cited GBV includes ongoing sexual violence/rape by the military and in the community, trafficking, intimate partner violence, and early marriage. Despite the political transition, women continue to be at risk for military sexual violence, are caught in the burgeoning economic push–pull drivers, and experience ongoing restrictive gender norms, with limited access to SRH services. There is much fluidity, along with many connections and interactions among the contributing variables at all levels of the socioecological model; based on a multisectoral response, continued support for innovative, community-based SRH services that include medical and psychosocial care are imperative for ethnic minority women to gain more agency to freely exercise their SR rights. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article delves into the experiences of Myanmar schoolteachers who have fled to Mae Sot, Thailand, as refugees after participating in the civil disobedience movement (CDM) against the military junta's February 2021 coup. The CDM is unique for its large scale and prolonged duration, as well as for its leadership by civil servants, with teachers and educators from the Ministry of Education constituting the majority of protesters. The study analyses the impact of the challenges faced by these teachers, including job loss and legal repercussions, on their understanding of civil disobedience and their commitment to resistance. Through in‐depth interviews with 10 CDM schoolteacher refugees in March 2022, the author provides a firsthand account of the experiences and motivations of these individuals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Thailand has seen a large increase in migrant workers from Myanmar since the 1990s. A constant flow of migrants arrive to seek refuge from dire circumstances in their homeland and/or to seek better work opportunities. They have adapted to changing state policy regarding their migrant status and work permits as well as to more immediate means of control. Previous works on this subject have tended either toward macro-level policy and economics, or more journalistic accounts of individual migrant experiences. Little attention has been paid to differences in the migrant processes and networks formed across the border and within the country. In this paper two locales, one on the border (Mae Sot) and one in the interior (Samut Songkhram), are compared based on interviews conducted with migrant workers on their mode of arrival, living and working conditions, migrant status and control, and how they form networks and relations within and across the border. By comparing the two locales, rather than emphasize how the state and geopolitical space define mobility we argue that transnational migrant workers formulate and define their space through adaptive networks in articulation with geopolitical factors as well as local socioeconomic and historical-cultural dynamics. The dynamics among macro policies, micro-level agency of migrants, and meso-level networks define each locale. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents a case study of Burmese migrant workers in Mae Sot, Thailand who are employed in garment and textile manufacturing. Some of the issues explored include both micro and macro analyses of the economic and social impact of the group, their transnational experiences as part of globalization, and their relationship with their families in Burma as well as their new social relationships in Thailand.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Cadmium contamination in rice grains with a maximum concentration 19 times the national food standard at sites downstream of zinc mines in Thailand has been reported since 2005. These cultivated rice grains are consumed by local residents and have increased the risk of renal dysfunction in residents. Decreasing negative health effects by reducing cadmium accumulation in rice should be considered. Since the soil characteristics affecting the toxicity and accumulation of cadmium in rice cultivated in cadmium-contaminated soils have never been reported, this study was conducted to investigate the soil characteristics affecting the plant availability and mobility of cadmium in paddy soils and the impacts of these soil characteristics on rice seed germination and accumulation in rice. METHODS: The study area is the Mae Tao Subdistrict, Mae Sot District, Tak Province, located downstream of abandoned zinc mines in northwestern Thailand. A total of 36 paddy fields that were reported to produce rice grain with cadmium contents exceeding the national standard for cadmium in rice (0.4 milligrams per kilogram) were randomly selected for composite soil sample collection. The physicochemical characteristics of the soils, including soil texture, redox potential, cation exchange capacity, potential of hydrogen, organic matter, total cadmium concentration, and chemical speciation and concentration of plant-available cadmium, were analyzed. The toxicity of cadmium to rice and the cadmium accumulation ability in rice were assessed through the germination of Khao Dok Mali 105, a popular rice variety for cultivation and consumption in the study area. FINDINGS: Total cadmium concentrations of 0.20 to 89.87 milligrams/kilogram were found in the soils, with 64 percent of all samples containing values greater than the national background value in agricultural soils. Up to 74.2 percent and 99.5 percent of total cadmium was found in the forms of mobile- and plant-available cadmium, respectively. Plant-available cadmium caused significant reductions in the number of seeds germinated and root length. Cadmium toxicity to rice was positively affected by the concentrations of exchangeable, plant-available and total cadmium. The concentrations of plant-available, exchangeable, carbonate-bound, and total cadmium strongly affected the accumulation of cadmium in germinated roots. Cluster analysis showed that plantavailable cadmium was the main factor responsible for high cadmium accumulation in rice. CONCLUSION: Based on the overall analyses of soil characteristics affecting the mobility and plant availability of cadmium in soils and its toxicity and accumulation in germinated rice, the immobilization of plant-available cadmium in soils by adding organic matter-rich amendments to soils is recommended. In addition, oxidizing soil conditions should be maintained during rice cultivation to reduce the phytoavailability of Cd in soils. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study describes sex trafficking and associations with violence and health among female migrants in the sex industry in Mae Sot, Thailand. The mixed-methods study included a qualitative interview phase (n = 10), followed by a cross-sectional survey phase (n = 128). Entry via trafficking (force, fraud, or coercion [FFC], or as minors) was prevalent (76.6%), primarily FFC (73.4%). FFC was associated with inconsistent condom use, inability to refuse clients, poor health, and anxiety. Past-year violence was normative including client sexual violence (66.4%), client coercion for condom nonuse (> 95%), and police extortion (56%). Working conditions enabled violence irrespective of mode of entry. Profound unmet needs exist for safety and access to justice irrespective of trafficking history. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to determine the prevalence of Alcohol Use Disorders (AUDs) among Myanmar male migrant workers (> 15 years) living in Mae Sot, Thailand, and their patterns of drinking. Design/methodology/approach: A cross-sectional survey was administered to 512 participants to measure AUDs and drinking patterns. ANOVA and χ2 analyses were performed to assess demographic differences between abstainers, harmful and hazardous drinkers (HHDs) (those showing signs of AUDs) and non-harmful drinkers. Findings: Results showed that 12.3 percent of male Myanmar migrants were HHDs, a rate only slightly higher than in Thai men (9.1 percent), but much higher than in men still living in Myanmar (2.7 percent) (WHO, 2014). Also, 19 percent of alcohol-consuming Myanmar male migrant workers reported patterns of heavy episodic drinking, which is markedly higher than in alcohol-consuming Thai (4.7 percent) and Myanmar men (1.5 percent) (WHO, 2014). Originality/value: Given the health risks associated with AUDs and heavy episodic drinking, the findings of this study suggest a need for appropriate alcohol-related health education and intervention for Myanmar male migrant workers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper focuses on the recent emergence of regional production networks and border industrial zones, the labor migrations they are generating, and their consequences for 'surplus populations' in the Greater Mekong Subregion (mainland Southeast Asia). In this region the textile and garment industry is employing increasing numbers of workers in border areas on flexible and highly precarious work 'contracts'. To understand these emergent labor formations we focus on three scales of analysis through a case study from the Thailand-Burma border. We focus on initiatives led by the Asia Development Bank, accompanying subregional political groupings which aim to facilitate capital flows and trade by reducing transaction time and cost, and a case study of labor recruitment and employment practices in one border town. In examining these three scales, we question the value of characterizing such trans-national, state-led, authoritarian, and racialized labor formations as neoliberal. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article draws on the grassroots experiences and research of MAP Foundation to examine the gendered impacts of the economic downturn on migrants from Burma/Myanmar1 who are working in Thailand. The article looks through a gender lens at the wages, working conditions, family relations and safety and security issues. It finds that migrant women have experienced decreases in wages, lay-offs, increased restrictions on reproductive rights and increased risks of harassment and extortion as a result of the economic downturn. It also finds that the usually resilient Burmese migrant communities are being stretched beyond their limits, and need urgent protection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recent scholarship on primitive accumulation and deagrarianisation in the global South has addressed a decline in formal employment prospects, leaving most ex-peasants (and their heirs) struggling to earn a livelihood in the informal economy. Taking this phenomenon as a point of departure, and drawing on the case of migrant waste collectors in Mae Sot, Thailand, this article examines the multiple ways that waste collectors are embedded in informal relations of production and exchange. This variable relational embeddedness has implications, it is argued, for the forms of struggle available to those engaged in informal labour. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Some residents of the Mae Sot district in Thailand have suffered long-term exposure to elevated dietary levels of cadmium. To test the hypothesis that chronic dietary cadmium exposure can cause imbalance in calcium dynamics and accelerate bone resorption, a group of these residents (156 men and 256 women aged ≥ 50) were selected on the basis of previous records of elevated urinary cadmium and tested for urinary and blood cadmium, bone formation and resorption markers, and the renal tubular dysfunction markers. Both genders had high levels of blood and urinary cadmium and high urinary levels of the markers for renal dysfunction and bone resorption in a dose–response relationship to urinary cadmium. The excretion of bone resorption markers was positively correlated to the ratio of excreted calcium and urinary cadmium. The results of a multivariate regression analysis indicated that bone resorption was accelerated by impaired calcium reabsorption in renal tubules. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Significant cadmium (Cd) contamination In soil and rice has been discovered in Mae Sot, Tak province, Thailand where the rice-based agricultural systems are established in the vicinity of a zinc mine. The prolonged consumption of Cd contaminated rice has potential risks to public health and health impacts of Cd exposed populations in Mae Sot have been demonstrated. The Thai government has prohibited rice cultivation in the area as an effort to prevent further exposure. Phytoextraction, the use of plants to remove contaminants from soil, is a potential option to manage Cd-contaminated areas. However, successful phytoextraction depends on first identifying effective hyperaccumulator plants appropriate for local climatic conditions. Five sampling sites at Padaeng Zinc mine, Tak province were selected to collect plant and soil samples. Total Cd and Zn concentrations in sediments or soils were approximately 596 and 20,673 mg kg-1 in tailing pond area, 543 and 20,272 mg kg-1 in open pit area, 894 and 31,319 mg kg-1 in stockpile area, 1,458 and 57,012 mg kg-1 in forest area and 64 and 2,733 mg kg-1 in Cd contaminated rice field. Among a total of 36 plant species from 16 families, four species (Chromolaena odoratum, Gynura pseudochina, Impatiens violaeflora and Justicia procumbens) could be considered as Cd hyperaccumulators since their shoot Cd concentrations exceeded 100 mg Cd kg-1 dry mass and they showed a translocation factor > 1. Only Justicia procumbens could be considered as a Zn hyperaccumulator (Zn concentration in its shoot more than 10,000 mg Zn kg-1 dry mass with the translocation factor > 1). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An increased level of cadmium (Cd) in food crops, especially rice is concerning because rice is a staple food for over half of the world's population. In some regions, rice contributes to more than 50% of the total Cd intake. Low environmental exposure to Cd has been linked to an increase in albumin excretion to 30 mg/g creatinine, termed albuminuria, and a progressive reduction in the estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) to below 60 mL/min/1.73 m2, termed reduced eGFR. However, research into albuminuria in high exposure conditions is limited. Here, we applied benchmark dose (BMD) analysis to the relevant data recorded for the residents of a Cd contamination area and a low-exposure control area. We normalized the excretion rates of Cd (ECd) and albumin (Ealb) to creatinine clearance (Ccr) as ECd/Ccr and Ealb/Ccr to correct for differences among subjects in the number of surviving nephrons. For the first time, we defined the excretion levels of Cd associated with clinically relevant adverse kidney health outcomes. Ealb/Ccr varied directly with ECd/Ccr (β = 0.239, p < 0.001), and age (β = 0.203, p < 0.001), while normotension was associated with lower Ealb/Ccr (β = −0.106, p = 0.009). ECd/Ccr values between 16.5 and 35.5 ng/L of the filtrate were associated with a 10% prevalence of albuminuria, while the ECd/Ccr value of 59 ng/L of the filtrate was associated with a 10% prevalence of reduced eGFR. Thus, increased albumin excretion and eGFR reduction appeared to occur at low body burdens, and they should form toxicity endpoints suitable for the calculation of health risk due to the Cd contamination of food chains. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article engages Karl Marx's account of labor's historical subsumption to capital through an analysis of informalization in Thailand's garment sector. In a historicist reading of Marx, the transition from formal to real subsumption, as in the shift from home-based putting-out work to factory-based wage labor, is unidirectional. The late twentieth-century proliferation of forms of labor that are but "formally subsumed" to capital challenges this linear narrative. Informalization in Th ailand's garment sector has entailed a shift from the real subsumption of factory-based wage labor to forms of home-based putting-out work subsumed "merely formally" to capital. Consequently, a nonhistoricist reading of Marx's subsumption analytic remains relevant for understanding tensions within contemporary forms of putting-out work. Attention, as well, to the role of class struggle in mediating capitalist development reveals consistent logics in putting-out's historical decline and its contemporary resurgence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper explores relations of production in contemporary agrarian capitalism through the case of rural-rural migration from Myanmar to Thailand. It focuses on the often-overlooked rural proletariat, in this case, illegalized migrant laborers. It shows how migrants live and work in precarity, and argues that their social position is a result of practices of illegalization deployed by state authorities, local police, and farmers, which control and immobilize migrants socio-economically, spatially and politically. The paper adds to debates on the agrarian question of labor, stressing capital and (il)licit law enforcement as co-constitutive in shaping exploitation in the agro-industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Awareness of danger signs in pregnancy, after delivery and newborn baby among mothers lead to seek immediate health care and consequently reduce maternal and neonatal mortality. Thailand has accepted about 3 million blue-collar migrant workers from neighboring countries mainly from Myanmar. Understanding the level of knowledge of migrant mothers and its associated factors would be helpful for health agencies to implement suitable health promotion programs. Myanmar migrant women who had been living in the five border districts of Tak province, Thailand and delivered in the health facilities in five districts during September 2017 to March 2018 were face to face mother interviewed after 12 weeks after delivery with structured questionnaires. Among 723 migrant women, only 125 respondents (17.29%) could mention 8 or more danger signs and 218 participants (30.15%) knew only less than 4 danger signs out of total 16 danger signs. The level of health knowledge on danger signs were significantly associated with resident district (χ2 = 17.52, P<0.001), mother education (χ2 = 17.06, P=0.002), health insurance status (χ2 = 9.52, P=0.009),household income (χ2 = 26.92, P = <0.001), location of home in factory compounds or in villages (χ2 = 18.94, P=0.001), watching TV regularly (χ2 = 15.25, P<0.001). The migrant mothers in this study showed low health knowledge on danger signs. The organizations working for migrant health in Thai-Myanmar border should focus the provision of pregnancy and newborn healthcare messages to the illiterate mothers with low family income without health insurance in living in agricultural farms and factory. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]