Most transnational migrant workers in Thailand are from Myanmar, a
country with a high tuberculosis prevalence. We investigated the prevalence of
suspected pulmonary tuberculosis (TB) among Myanmar migrants in communities
of Mueang District, Samut Sakhon Province, Thailand. Symptom screening
for those with a productive cough of more than 2 weeks was conducted by
face-to-face home interviews with 4,874 participants aged at least 15 years. Most
subjects (75%) were aged 15-34 years (75%), 52% were male and 60% were married.
Subjects typically lived with fellow nationals in crowded, poorly ventilated
apartments or row houses. Ten subjects had suspected TB, giving a prevalence rate
of 0.2%. Ninety-seven percent were working in Thailand legally but 80% had no
health insurance. None had sought community health services; all preferred selfmedication
and private clinics due to stigma associated with TB, medication costs
and health center waiting times. Providing information about health insurance
and introducing TB prevention and control in this group should be considered.
Further studies are needed to develop a TB control program and communicable
disease surveillance among migrant communities, in Thailand.