On this page, you will find:
To find organisations working for LGBTQI+ rights, visit our Thailand LGBTQI+ Resources page.
For Thailand country of information (COI) experts, reports, commentaries, and relevant documents visit our Thailand COI page.
Refugee protection
Click here to see the numbers and origins of refugees hosted by Thailand.
Thailand is not a party to the 1951 Refugee Convention and has no legal framework for the granting of asylum.
As Thailand currently has no legal framework for refugees, the UNHCR is responsible for legally recognising refugees. This process is called Refugee Status Determination (RSD). To claim asylum a person needs to register with the UNHCR in Thailand.
Legal aid organisations
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Address: 1111/151 Ban Klang Muang, Ladphrao Rd, Chankasem, Chatuchak, Bangkok 10900
Tel: +66 2 513 5228
Email: thailand@asylumaccess.org
Asylum Access Thailand (AAT), established in 2007, provides legal counsel and representation to refugees seeking asylum in refugee status determination proceedings conducted by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) in Bangkok. Member of APRRN.
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Address: Office E, 6th fl., Phayathai Plaza, Phaya Thai Rd., Bangkok 10400
Tel: (+66) 02 116 0405 or (+66) 02 116 0405
Email: info@capthailand.org
Office hours: Monday – Friday, 9am-5pm (appointment only)
The Center for Asylum Protection (CAP) is a legal aid provider for urban refugees and asylum seekers in Thailand. They provide independent advice and representation for people making asylum applications to UNHCR Thailand. Their services are free of charge and open to asylum seekers and refugees in Thailand of all nationalities. Their work focuses on providing advice and representation, as well as protection services.
CAP provides the following services:
- Advice and representation for refugees and asylum seekers at every stage of the Refugee Status Determination process, dependent on capacity and individual circumstances;
- Protection support to asylum seekers and refugees, including support for those experiencing arrest, domestic violence, sexual and gender-based violence, and other protection concerns;
- Information for newly arrived asylum seekers in Bangkok, including advice on living in Thailand and the Refugee Status Determination process.
CAP only meets with clients by appointment and does not operate a walk-in service. Please contact the office by phone or email to register as a client.
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Tel: +66 92 698 8292
Email: refugeerightslitigation@gmail.com
The RRLP is a group of pioneering Thai lawyers who seek to provide refugees in Thailand with practical legal advice and representation. They do this by advising and defending refugees facing prosecution or deportation, and by documenting best practices in refugee litigation strategies. The organization is developing the first-ever Thai-language litigation manual for Thai lawyers on the issue of refugees and asylum seekers.
Organisations providing other support to refugees
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Address: Pattara Siripat Tower Phatthanakan soi 54 10250, Suan Luang, Bangkok
Tel: +66 642765733
Email: bucc.nvr32019@gmail.com
The Bangkok Urban Community Club (BUCC) was created in May 2019 by refugees whose going to toastmasters. They were supported by Asylum Access Thailand, Jesuit Refugee Services, and a volunteer English teacher from America. Over the period of a few months, the club arranged a number of activities, including English, dance and music classes, sports and a talent show program The BUCC is a non-profit club led by volunteer refugee and asylum seekers Anyone who is interested in working with others to bring change to their own life, or the life of others is welcome to participate or co lead.
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Address: CBCT Building, Soi Naksuwan, Chong Nonsi, Yannawa, Bangkok, Thailand, 10120
Tel: +66 2681-3900 ext. 1601 (Casualties and Refugees Welfare Department)
Email: coerrbangkok@coerr.org
Formerly known as the Catholic Commission for Human Development, Caritas Thailand was founded in 1972 to carry out the Church’s holistic human development work. Caritas Thailand is the body responsible for the social action of the Thai Catholic Church under the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Thailand (CBCT).
Caritas Thailand’s mission is to love and serve the poor by promoting the dignity of the human person, strengthening the family institution and local community, recognising and supporting the common vocation to ministry towards the family of humankind, and living according to universal and cultural values that protect human life and the environment.
Some of its major activities include:
- Empowerment of communities, especially vulnerable groups, through training in community-based disaster management, disaster risk reduction, improvement of livelihood, community leadership, recruitment of volunteers, etc.
- Response to emergencies
- Care of people who are physically and mentally challenged
- Care of ethnic minority groups, migrants, prisoners and refugees
- Promotion of care for the environment, e.g. sustainable agriculture
- Raising awareness of issues relating to anti-human trafficking and promotion of a child-safe society
- Promotion of human rights
- Health initiatives including care for people living with HIV/AIDS, mobile medical clinics, training, etc.
The Caritas Thailand Secretariat in Bangkok serves as the hub for the 10 diocesan Caritas organisations spread throughout the country. Nationally, the agency employs over 120 staff (approximately 50 at national level and 70 at diocesan level) and has around 500 volunteers.
As a member of the Caritas Confederation, Caritas Thailand often collaborates and receives support from other Caritas agencies.
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Address: 43 Rachwithi Soi 12, Victory Monument, Phayathai, Bangkok, 10400
Tel: +66 26 40 95 912, +66 84 42 74 136
Email: louie.bacomo@jrs.net, communications@jrsap.org, adv.com@jrs.or.th
The JRS in Thailand runs the Urban Refugee Program (URP), providing services such as casework, psychosocial social, financial and material support, legal assistance, and community support to asylum seekers in the urban areas. The majority of the asylum seekers after registering with UNHCR are referred to JRS-URP for financial, legal, and other assistance. The legal service is one of the components of the over-all Urban Refugee Program which offer legal advice and counselling throughout the asylum process to asylum seekers in Bangkok, Immigration Detention Center, and elsewhere when the need arises.
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Email: admin@karennisdc.org
Karenni Social Development Center is a small community-based organisation located on the Thai-Myanmar border. We run successful training programs for Karenni youth in Human Rights, Democracy, Law, Environment, Community Management, IT, and English.
Its goal is to improve the lives of Karenni refugees who have suffered human rights abuses by enabling young refugees to become advocates in non-violent social change, and equipping them with the tools they need to help build a peaceful, democratic society, based on the rule of law.
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Tel: +66 844268671
Email: info@thebranchfoundation.org
The Branch Foundation addresses ethnic minorities, refugees and indigenous populations as agents of change for sustainable livelihoods. Providing education, engaging local capacities and ensuring access to sustainable energy, the Branch Foundation works to promote sustainable, self-reliant community development among marginalised communities.
Thailand LGBTQI+ Resources
Find organisations working for refugee LGBTQI+ rights in Thailand.
Thailand COI
Find Thailand Country of Origin information (COI) experts, reports, commentaries, and relevant documents.
We are always looking to expand the resources on our platform. If you know about relevant resources, or you are aware of organisations and/or individuals to include in our directories, please get in touch.
Last updated May 2023