Migrant workers and migrant communities are located in hard to reach places. They are often spread out in remote locations, and may live in small or large groups, in the workplace or outside. Domestic workers and garment factory workers are some of our primary target groups. Radio is an effective way of reaching migrants in these diverse situations.

As migrant policy and the political situation regularly change, it is important to provide updated information to migrants. Migrants are highly mobile; they regularly change locations in search of better working conditions, and new migrants are coming into Thailand all the time. This means that the audience is regularly changing too, and many come uninformed.

The lack of information in migrants’ languages in Thailand leaves migrants at a distinct disadvantage in accessing information on rights, laws and policies which affect them.

Migrants in Chiang Mai and Mae Sot areas rely on MAP for vital information that they cannot get anywhere else. MAP Radios broadcast daily on FM 99 and FM 102.5, and on the internet, for migrants to access information in their language while they work. News programs are linked to the news agencies VOA and RFA in Burma. Keeping up on political changes including conflict in ethnic areas is important to many migrants. We are also now linked to a BBC Myanmar program about migration.

MMM provides capacity building for local community radios and participate in community radio networks to promote community radio and ethnic media in both Thailand and Burma.

Capacity building allows for the diversity of local partners who broadcast on MAP Radio, ranging from local CBOs to legal aid foundations and child rights groups.

MAP has been a lead member of a network of independent media groups working in Shan language, which main objective is to develop a more central language for use in Shan media, to share and disseminate information on safe migration and other core topics via media.