Small-scale fishing has long been an important tradition in Southeast Asia. Yet, as urban development and pollution increase, the livelihoods of the fishermen may be in jeopardy.
Thailand is one of the world’s largest seafood exporters, but overfishing and human trafficking have caused the fishing industry to become entangled in a net of its own.
For decades, hundreds of thousands of Burmese have sought refuge in Thailand, a country with an economy highly dependent on illegal workers. But once there, they face a life of indentured servitude.
What can't stay in homes is thrown onto streets, and what can't stay on streets is dumped in rivers. With poor waste removal, one of the world's largest cities deals with trash in whatever way it can.
From 600,000 cars in 1980 to 6.8 million today, Bangkok is seeing an increase in traffic—as well as a rise in asthma and other heath hazards.
Pulitzer Center grantee Jesse Hardman talks with Latitudes on WAMU about the dangers Burmese migrants face in the Thai fishing industry.
Up to 3 million Burmese migrants have flooded into Thailand where employers are taking advantage, mistreating them and often paying little more than slave wages.
Desperate to escape political and economic suffering, many Burmese migrate to Thailand only to discover things can get worse. Millions become victims of exploitation and human trafficking.
Thousands of Burmese cross the border into Thailand each year to escape corruption in their home country. They work 12-hour days and make just two dollars a day, but to them, it's worth it.
Labor recruiters or "brokers" help Burmese migrants cross the border into Thailand. Once here, migrants work long hours under harsh conditions to repay the brokers.
Thailand's Pheu Thai party wins a clear majority in Parliament. Supporters, the Red Shirts, express hope that elections will restore democracy, but worry about the future and political infighting.
As Thailand's parliamentary elections approach, courting voters has become a creative visual endeavor. But despite a myriad of choices, only two parties will have a real impact on the elections.
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