Digital exhibition
Four Stories from Mae Sot
On the Thai–Myanmar border, many displaced people hold practical small-business plans. Yet legal-status barriers, financial exclusion and shrinking humanitarian aid block their ideas from becoming reality.
Read the transcript
I went to Mae Sot, on the Thai-Myanmar border, to research displaced Myanmar people and their small business ideas. Before this trip, I felt lack of money was the main problem. After talking to many people on site, my whole view shifted. It is not just about missing capital. Legal status limits, no access to banks, and shrinking international aid all stack up against them. Even good business plans get stuck before they can start. On this site, you will read four anonymous real-life cases. These people have practical skills and clear plans. Yet they face walls they cannot break down by hard work alone. I hope when you look through this project, you will think beyond simple give-money answers and see the big structural barriers shaping their lives.
- 01Where this isWhat is the situation on this stretch of the Thai–Myanmar border?
- 02Who I metWho were the four people, and what did they already know how to do?
- 03What I didWhat did I do there, and which parts did I do with others?
- 04Where to find helpIf you want to help, who is already doing this work?
- 05What you can doWhat can you do right now?
The four stories
The vendor · Case A
Knows the market, couldn't buy in bulk
An experienced retail vendor with thin cash flow, as unexpected household costs can wipe out working capital overnight.
The garment maker · Case B
Skilled hands, short of capital to scale
A skilled garment-repair worker ready to expand but trapped because she cannot get working capital for fabric.
The learning centre · Case C
A learning centre that can't feed its students
A learning-centre team wanted a small shop to subsidise student meals, but had no seed money to start.
The GED student · Case D
Studying for the future, planning a first trade
A GED-candidate student designed a cross-border resale concept but lacked first-batch purchasing capital.
The numbers
From my field notes: what one box of biscuits earns, and what the support was for.
gross margin = sales revenue - cost of goods
| Cost of one box | 25 THB | 6 packets per box |
|---|---|---|
| Selling price | 5 THB a packet | |
| Revenue if all 6 packets sell | 6 x 5 = 30 THB | |
| Gross margin | 30 - 25 = 5 THB | |
| Gross margin rate | 5 / 30 = about 16.7% | |
One box of biscuits costs 25 THB. Sold packet by packet, its six packets bring in 30 THB — a gross margin of 5 THB a box, about 16.7%. That margin still has to cover rent, fines and transport before any of it is profit.
Source: My field notes from Mae Sot: a 25-THB box of six packets, sold packet by packet.
What each plan put its money into
| The vendor | Bulk fresh-food stock | plus an emergency buffer |
|---|---|---|
| The garment maker | Bulk fabric and accessories | plus a household reserve |
| The learning centre | Shelves, containers, snack stock | |
| The GED student | A first batch of goods | plus cross-border transport |
| Stock | A, B, C, D | |
| Emergency buffer or reserve | A, B | |
| Shop fittings | C | |
| Transport | D | |
All four plans put their money into stock first: fresh food, fabric, snacks, or goods to resell. The vendor and the garment maker also kept a small buffer, because one school fee or family emergency could wipe out their working capital. Only the learning centre needed fittings, and only the GED student needed to pay for transport across the border.
Source: My interview notes for the four stories.
In my own words
Read the transcript
Welcome to the closing walkthrough. I will walk you through what I built, what I learned, and also honestly talk about what I got help. This website contains four anonymous real-problem cases from my field interviews. Each story shows a displaced person's business dream and the real-world blocks they hit. You can also find a business math card, which explains how thin profit margins are for tiny border-side businesses. Doing this fieldwork changed my thinking a lot. I used to believe microloans could fix most livelihood problems. From interviews with vendors, teachers, youth, and NGO workers, I learned that money is only one piece. Without legal permission to run a business and without stable outside support, cash alone cannot make these projects work. I did the interviews, note-taking, and most writing myself, but also help from local interpreters and community contacts in Mae Sot. I also relied on reports and expert interviews to check facts. This project is not my solo achievement. This project documents real-world situations. It cannot solve big policy or funding problems. If you want to learn more, please check on this page. Thank you for viewing.