AN ANALYSIS OF SOCIO-ECONOMIC CONDITIONS OFVIETNAMESE MIGRANT WORKERS IN BANGKOK, THAILAND

Abstract

Since the 1980s, Thailand’s rapid industrialization and urbanization have made it one of the main destinations for migrant workers from Southeast Asian countries. Within the region, the patterns of migrant workers who come from neighboring countries such as Myanmar, Cambodia, and Laos have been comprehensively studied, whereas little is known about the recently increasing phenomenon of Vietnamese migrants working in Thailand. This thesis investigates the push and pull factors determining the migration of Vietnamese workers to Bangkok Thailand. It also examines their employment, working and living conditions. To explore how Vietnamese migrant workers made decisions to migrate and why they decide to choose to move to Bangkok, and how social networks play an important role in facilitating them, field research was carried out over a period of two and a half months. Surveys and in-depth interviews were conducted with 50 Vietnamese migrant workers from different occupations and locations in Bangkok, with supporting secondary data from online newspapers and social media (Facebook). Preliminary results indicate that migration networks established by former and current Vietnamese migrants working in Thailand play a decisive role in facilitating labor movements over the years. Moreover, economic reasons were found to be the most important factor in motivating the Vietnamese migrant workers to come to Bangkok. Vietnamese migrants in Bangkok work as employees or self-employed migrants. For the employees, they work mainly at tailor shops (garment work), restaurants, food stalls (waiters/waitress), and markets (shop helpers), or as domestic workers. Meanwhile, the self-employed migrants are street vendors. Because their legal status in the country is often questionable, many migrants face a situation of precarious employment. Given Thailand’s current socio-political troubles and its crackdown on all illegal workers, the illegal status of Vietnamese migrants means their working and living conditions are even more uncertain.