New Chinese migrants enterpruner in Thailand: the case study of Jong-Thai Jianming Eiw Ea (Group) Co., Ltd.

Abstract

The study of the overseas Chinese in Thailand has been broadly conducted by many scholars. However, such have mainly focused on the overseas Chinese who came from the southeastern part of China, as they were the major part of the Chinese migrants to the Southeast Asian region from the ancient to modern times, and today they still play a great role in this region. Major themes in these studies include the identification of the Chinese migrants (who they were or where they had come from), various Chinese associations, big families of Chinese entrepreneurs and etc. On the contrary, the study of the new Chinese migrants as entrepreneurs from other parts of China, i.e. other than the southeast, has still been limited. This group of Chinese entrepreneurs has no links with the earlier Chinese migrants, so how could they successfully conduct their business in Thailand and what are their connections with the earlier associations? Their presence in Thailand (and indeed in Southeast Asia as a whole) has become a new area for us to study. This thesis focuses on one successful case – that of Jong-Thai Jianming Eiw Ea (Group) Co., Ltd., whose founders are not from the southeastern part of China. The purpose is to examine their business mode, their connection, if any, with the early Chinese associations, and the underlying reasons from their decision to come to operate in Thailand.