Southeast Asia is often celebrated as a region on the rise: expanding middle classes, booming digital economies, and deepening regional integration. In 2024, the region's 11 economies reached a combined GDP of nearly US$4 trillion (133.9 trillion baht), with growth projected to climb further in 2025. Foreign investment surged even as global flows contracted, and unemployment across much of the region remains comparatively low.
But this picture of prosperity hides a growing crisis, and one that feeds on the increasing vulnerabilities of marginalised communities. While regional wealth has increased, economic inequality, unsafe migration pathways and labour shortages continue to create conditions that organised criminal networks exploit.
