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Exploring machine translation use by precarious migrant workers in Thailand

ORCiD logo with link | Dublin City University
ORCiD logo with link | Mahidol University
ORCiD logo with link | Thammasat University
ORCiD logo with link | Dublin City University
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Available under the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) 4.0 license.

For any use beyond this license, please contact the publisher at [email protected].

Open Access publication of this article was funded through a Transformative Agreement with Dublin City University.

Published online: 13 November 2026
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https://doi.org/10.1075/dt.25030.cas
Abstract
The growing use of machine translation (MT) among migrants highlights a crucial area for investigation. This article explores findings from focus groups with precarious migrant workers in Thailand to assess their use of MT and evaluate the impact of this technology on their employment opportunities, income, and job security. The study highlights the level of MT literacy within this migrant community, how they perceive MT’s effectiveness and limitations, and how these experiences are shaped by the unique challenges they face. In the absence of systematic institutional training, migrants acquired fundamental MT literacy through communal and self-directed learning but remained largely unaware of privacy concerns. A mismatch exists between participants’ stated perception of MT usefulness and their actual employment of the tool to navigate daily life.
Article outline
  • 1.Introduction
  • 2.Translation technology and migrant population
    • 2.1MT for daily navigation and language learning
    • 2.2MT in high-stakes and professional contexts
  • 3.Methodology for data collection
    • 3.1Participants
    • 3.2Focus groups
    • 3.3Data analysis framework
  • 4.Findings and discussion
    • 4.1Demographics
    • 4.2Use of MT
      • 4.2.1MT as a quick solution for work demands
      • 4.2.2MT for everyday activities
    • 4.3User perceptions and expectations
      • 4.3.1Ease of use
      • 4.3.2MT quality
      • 4.3.3Modality
      • 4.3.4Features
    • 4.4Impact of MT
    • 4.5MT literacy
      • 4.5.1Training
      • 4.5.2Privacy
  • 5.Conclusions and avenues for future work
  • Notes
  • References
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