In ailand people usually refer to the Shan as “Tai Yai” (“Big Tai”). Most Shan migrant workers are from Shan State in Burma, which borders the western ai provinces of Chiang Rai, Mae Hong Son, Chiang Mai and Tak. Not all migrant workers from Shan State are Shan, but they represent the great majority (Amporn, 2008). e Shan are the largest population of migrant workers in Chiang Mai. Due to unbalanced development and uneven power relations in the region, migration has taken place for more than two decades. Starting from 1992, ailand has been documenting border crossings from neighboring countries - Burma, Cambodia and Laos – which are the main sources of transnational migrant workers, with Burma accounting for the biggest migrant population in the Kingdom.