Whether as a part of their routine or as a measure of last resort, every day hundreds of people cross the border between Myanmar (Burma) and Thailand at the infamous crossing Myawaddy-Mae Sot. Surprisingly, regular undocumented border crossings happen in eyesight of the Thai-Myanmar Friendship Bridge, even during daytime. For less than 1€ one could cross the river that divides, as so often in border towns, the supposedly wealthy and safe side from the troubled one.

The reasons for migrating are manifold. Whether due to ongoing armed quarrels between the different ethnic groups within Myanmar, persecution for political reasons, lacking opportunities for education and employment, or in order to have access to healthcare services unavailable otherwise, many people cross the border in search for happiness in an admittedly broad sense. While some of the migrants only move temporarily (e.g. for healthcare) or even on a recurrent basis (e.g. only working at the Thai side), others escape permanently and possibly end up in one of the nine camps along the Thai-Myanmar joining more than 120.000 people living there.

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