Approaches to Lao Minors Working in Thailand

Recent studies have observed in Thailand a growing number of working Lao minors. By law, these may be regarded as victims of human trafficking. This paper observes, however, that some older teenagers who are still under 18 may be seeking and finding legitimate working positions. The phenomenon of minors migrating may thus be addressed from different points of view, including a rights-based approach that takes into account the views of children themselves. The author discusses three different perspectives identified in approaches to children and teenagers in development practice. In doing so, he teases out the underlying ideas of childhood and relates them to recent empirical observations on Lao minors working in Thailand.