Displaced but Determined
In the border town of Mae Sot, Thailand, four Rohingya families from Buthidaung, northern Rakhine State, have recently arrived after perilous journeys. Each family’s path to safety was different, but all share the same yearning: to rebuild their lives in dignity, and one day, to return home when it is safe.
Family 1: A Family of Nine in One Room
After two months on the move, a husband, wife, and their seven children finally reached Mae Sot. With no contacts to turn to, they were found by a local doctor who helped them secure a single small room, home for all nine of them. When it rains, the room floods, and they share one toilet, one bathroom, and one kitchen with six other families .
Three of the children now attend school and are thriving despite the hardship. Yet their mother struggles daily to feed everyone. Meals often consist of rice and a single egg, with vegetables and fruit rarely affordable luxuries . Her only wish is to see her children grow strong and educated, something she once took for granted before their home was destroyed.
Family 2: A Baby Born on the Road
The second family’s journey was marked by both birth and loss. A young couple fled their village after bombs fell between junta and Arakan Army (AA) positions. The husband had once been a taxi driver, living comfortably with his new wife. Their escape to Thailand took three months, costing USD 4,000. Along the way, their baby was born in Kawkarek, Karen State, delivered by a traditional birth attendant .
When they arrived in Mae Sot, they had nowhere to go. For a night, they slept inside an abandoned car, then under a field behind a madrassa. They were later taken in by Family 1 and now share a small, crowded room. Without documents or a “pink card” (Thai work permit), the father can only find work a few days a week, earning around 230 baht per day. When police checks intensify, he has no income at all .
He dreams simply of being able to work steadily and support his family again.
Family 3: A Farmer Turned Refugee
Once a proud farmer in Buthidaung, growing rice and chili on his own land, the third father now works sporadically in construction. His wife, two children, and younger brother joined him on a two-month escape costing USD 6,000, funded by their savings and his wife’s gold jewelry .
Their village had been caught between military and AA positions, and after the fighting, nothing remained but ashes. Like the others, they knew nothing of Mae Sot—only that it was far from the violence. Today, they live beside Family 2 in a cramped, shared room. He works when he can, earning about 200 baht a day. Though too proud to ask for help, he admits he dreams of stability and safety, and perhaps, one day, of going home .
Family 4: The Village Doctor’s New Life
The fourth family’s story stands out for its tragedy and quiet resilience. In Buthidaung, the husband was a pharmacist and community health worker, running a small clinic from his home. When junta soldiers hid in their village after losing a battle, the AA retaliated by burning it to the ground .
He, his wife, and their three children fled by boat—a sixteen-day journey through storms from Buthidaung to Mawlamyine—before crossing into Thailand at great cost. In Mae Sot, they first stayed in a derelict house before meeting an elderly Burmese woman who had legal documents. Together, they rent a modest but secure space for 3,500 baht a month .
Though educated and determined, the father struggles to find stable work. He has applied to every pharmacy in town, but without proper documentation, his skills go unused. Like the others, he longs to return home—and to resume helping others as he once did.
A Shared Hope
These four families represent only a few among thousands of displaced Rohingya who have risked everything for survival. Despite losing homes, professions, and security, they retain remarkable dignity and hope. The fathers dream of work. The mothers dream of feeding and educating their children. All dream of returning to a peaceful Buthidaung.
Better Burma aims to help these families not just survive, but thrive and build sustainable lives along the Thai border. Our work focuses on securing pink cards- legal work permits that allow them to find stable employment, support their families with dignity, and live without the constant fear of being detained by Thai authorities.
How You Can Help
Your contributions help displaced families secure food, shelter, and basic care as they begin new lives far from home.
