MAE SOT, Thailand — Phoe San was one of thousands of Burmese migrants who fled to the Thai border town of Mae Sot after Myanmar’s military junta seized power from a democratically elected government in 2021.
Like most Burmese migrants, he worried about earning a steady income and finding a safe place to live in the neighboring country.
But Phoe San also had a dream to teach music, and his violin classes at a local community center have attracted dozens of students who pay low fees and can borrow instruments for free.
The classes have helped people connect with one another as they build new lives.
“On the first day, I saw many, many students. I felt like I remembered my old life in Yangon,” he said.
“We came here as refugees,” he said. “But we try to contribute what we can do to the Thai community.”