This photo taken on August 20 shows members of the Vietnamese Hmong community living in Thailand, many of whom are asylum seekers, singing during Sunday service at a Christian church in Bangkok. //AFP
In a church on the edge of Thai capital Bangkok, dozens of Vietnamese refugees sing at a joyful service, sharing a moment of respite from their lives in fear of arrest or deportation.
Not a signatory to the UN Refugee Convention, Thailand does not distinguish between refugees and other migrants, and thousands of people live in the country under the radar.
Later this month, a new system will come into force, which authorities say will allow them to discern between people for whom it would be too dangerous to return home, and others living in Thailand illegally.
Refugees and rights activists are wary, however, saying the system could be used unfairly, and even help expedite…
