Back Home, Better Future: Nuon's Story

After a long journey on the road from Suan Phlu, Thailand, Nuon Thai finally returns to the comfort of his motherland, Cambodia.  

Nuon had always been a hardworking man. As a husband and a father of three, he did everything, literally and figuratively, under the scorching sun to make ends meet. “I have worked as a construction worker, driver and even a farmer to provide for my family,” Nuon recalls. However, despite his best efforts, one debt came after another, and he knew he had to find a better way to support himself and his family. 

Hearing of his struggles, his neighbour told him about the opportunity to work as a construction worker in Thailand. Hoping for a better life, he readily agreed. 

His migration journey, though irregular, was made manageable with the help of his neighbour. The neighbour, put him on the back of a truck to cross the Thai border irregularly. “We were on the back of a truck for four hours, anxious because I had no proper documents.”  

After a gruelling four-hour truck ride, Nuon finally arrived at what he saw as the place of opportunity. 

Soon Nuon was working as a construction worker in Bangkok, doing eight-hour shifts, seven days a week. “We often had opportunities to work overtime, and because I desperately needed the money, I would take them,” Nuon recalls. Despite the demanding hours, Nuon persevered. 

His workplace provided him and his colleagues with free accommodation, including electricity and rent. “Each worker had his own room, but those who had families had bigger rooms.” As grateful as he was for the free accommodation and amenities, the possibility for workers to bring their families with them made him miss his own.  

While in Thailand, there were times when Nuon fell ill due to fatigue or weather-related illnesses, but going to the hospital without insurance or money, was never an option. “I would never go to the hospital even if I felt I had to. It was too expensive.” Although his employer gave him the option of loaning money for hospital fees, Nuon felt it was an unnecessary extra burden.  

After just three months in Thailand, Nuon found himself back in Cambodia, grateful for the opportunities Thailand had given him and for being able to provide for his family, but glad to be home.

Along with 18 other returning Cambodian migrant workers from Thailand, Nuon arrived in the Poi Pet Migrant Resource Center (MRC) on a warm Thursday afternoon, eager to return to their families and open to the opportunities that await them back home. The MRC was established by the International Organization for Migration (IOM) in Poi Pet, Cambodia in 2014 to provide assistance to vulnerable Cambodian returnees. 

Through the Poverty Reduction through Safe Migration, Skills Development and Enhanced Job Placement (PROMISE) programme, led by IOM and supported by the Swiss Development Agency and Cooperation (SDC), returning migrants like Nuon receive return and reintegration assistance such as post-arrival orientation mainly focusing on employment and skills development and recognition referrals and remedy facilitation and   safe migration orientation, and. “I have learnt a lot from the safe migration provided by the MRC of IOM.”  

After receiving the post-return orientation, Nuon was motivated to develop his skills and improve his quality of life in Cambodia. “I am interested in developing my skills in car maintenance and repair through the PROMISE programme of IOM.” 

For returning migrant workers like Nuon, it is essential to be informed about employment opportunities and skills development programmes. These include technical and soft skills training, job referrals, skills certification, and recognition of prior learning, all of which are crucial to successfully contributing to sustainable development.