OUTSIDE THE OLD ENCLAVE: A NEW CHINESE IMMIGRANT NEIGHBORHOOD IN BANGKOK

Abstract

Bangkok's Chinatown has a history of over 233 years, since 1782. Though its geographical spread has stopped, it is still a community filled with vibrant economic and cultural activities. As Chinatown’s expansion slows, a new Chinese immigrant neighborhood emerges in a different location. Here you can easily find evidence of Chinese presence. For the Chinese newcomers who decide to stay longer in Bangkok, this new neighborhood is an ideal living area. This research was conducted in order to gain a better understanding of new Chinese immigrants and their neighborhood in Bangkok. Two main international migration theories were adopted for the conceptual framework: “Push-pull” factors theory analyzes the reasons for coming to the neighborhood, and 4-stage model of immigrant settlement theory evaluates the formation, function and maintaining of the new immigrant neighborhood. Qualitative methods of interview (semi-structured and in-depth), non-participate observation, community mapping and document reviewing revealed that most new Chinese immigrants in Bangkok today come for better development. The new neighborhood mainly functions as a residential and business zone; the most important way to maintain their new neighborhood is business nexus. Findings show that the newcomers are very different to the old Chinese immigrants. This research also provides some recommendations for relevant policy makers both in Thailand and China in order to help new immigrants integrate better into the host country. It proves that some classical international immigrant theories are not suitable for analyzing the current international immigration trends because of the ever-changing characteristics of international immigrants and the global environment.