立命館大学人文科学研究所

Abstract

The expansion of Thai restaurant business globally related to migration and tourism of Thailand and also the demand of eating out in Malaysia. Nayu workers from villages in Thailand migrate to work in Tom Yam restaurants in Malaysia through migrant networks. The level of social contacts among these networks within Thailand and Malaysia and between the two countries is high, bringing non-migrant workers directly into the Malaysian labour market to work in Tom Yam restaurants without the services of any recruitment agencies. These social contacts play an important role in finding jobs for non-migrants who, without them, are not able to obtain employment. These social ties, including Nayu entrepreneurs’ relatives in Thailand, help strengthen the rich social relations and ties among Nayu co-ethnics, Nayu workers and Nayu immigrant entrepreneurs in Malaysia and bring thousands of new migrants into the Malaysian labour market.

Gender relations also influence the patterns of spatial use and recreation among migrant networks. The networks are gendered and exhibit different patterns in order to meet different needs and desires. Male workers create a male space in the public sphere, while women workers create their own space and leisure time in the private sphere similar to when they are in Thailand. The spatial patterns and leisure time of male and female migrants in turn effect their capacity to create useful networks. Men have more opportunities to develop new social contacts with others within Malaysia from their soccer networks in the public sphere, unlike women who inadvertently limit their opportunities to search for new social contacts by watching soap operas in the home. Kathoey workers spend their leisure time with women and with other Kathoey after work. However, Kathoeys’ space is larger than women’s as they are not limited only to the private sphere like women; like men they socialize more in public social activities with their Kathoey peers. The spatial patterns of leisure time after work differ between men, women and Kathoeys and mean different opportunities to extend their respective migrant networks.

This study has demonstrated the significant importance of gender issues and migrant networks in the irregular international migration process for Nayu workers. The migrant network approach has its own limits. This approach frequently is blind to the agency of gender in the creation and use of migrant networks. As this study has clearly shown there are important differences between how and why men and women become involved in the migration process, produce and operate migrant networks, and engage in social life. By incorporating gender into migrant network analysis this study has identified and clarified the similarities and differences in the networks of men, women and has identified some of their differential positive and negative effects in terms of job opportunities, career advancement and geographical mobility among irregular Nayu migrant workers. This study is one of the few contemporary empirical studies of irregular migrants in Southeast Asia working in the informal service sector that deals with how the functions and outcomes of migrant networks contribute to migration processes.

Abstract

This is my preliminary research report based on interviews with 31 Nepalese immigrant workers in Penang, Malaysia. I experienced three short terms of fieldwork in Malaysia in August 2009, February 2010, and March 2011. However, my first fieldwork term was just for preparatory research. All the data presented here were obtained in my second and third fieldwork terms in Penang. Since Malaysia has been enjoying rapid economic growth, many foreign Asian immigrant workers have rushed into the country. My research found that most Nepalese workers in Penang belonged to “Matwali”(alcoholdrinking Mongolian ethnic groups in Nepal).

There are two reasons Matwali men tend to pursue foreign work more than those in other higher castes. First, they are socially and politically “vulnerable people,” ranked only slightly higher than the Untouchables within contemporary Bahun-Chhetri-dominated Nepal. Since the Maoist insurgence occurred in 1996, Nepal has been suffering from economic stagnation. Such economic difficulty pushes the Nepalese to look for foreign immigrant jobs.

Secondly, among Matwali castes, particularly Gurungs and Magars, there has been a strong tradition to become Gurkha soldiers. Hence, Matwali boys can easily develop intimate relationships with “Gurkha veterans”(ex-Gurkha soldiers), and they are significantly influenced by Matwali veteran’s way of life.

All these Nepalese immigrant workers in Penang have suffered from the strain of a large amount of personal debt. At the same time, most of them had acquired loans with high interest rates from the Nepalese man-power agencies when they left Nepal for Malaysia. They complained about the man-power agencies and showed their resentment against the agencies for the confiscation of their original passports in Malaysia. However, they worked very diligently and led an economical life in Penang to save money because of their obligation to repay their debts in Nepal.

As far as I know, “Gurkha soldiers on active duty”(lafre）and“ex-Gurkha soldiers”(bupulafre） have a worldwide connection across the nations of the erstwhile British Empire. I know that many of the bosses who head Nepalese man-power offices are ex-Gurkha soldiers. Hence, in writing the present paper, I am exploring the hypothesis that a Gurkha connection may function to combine the Nepalese need for work with the Malaysian need for foreign immigrant workers. This exploration will be my next research task.

Abstract

The paper examines Pathan/Pashtun community in the Thai-Malay border region. The Pathans who came as a colonial movement of organised and volunteer labor group have now settled mostly in North Malaya and south-north-central Thailand. Presently they are a successful trading community and most of these people have chosen to reside (incidentally or by choice) in border regions that mirror their own homeland's history- which suffered partition as a result of British imperialism. The paper will discuss (i) why the Pathans chose to live and trade in the Thai-Malay border regions and (ii) how is the border conducive to trade

Keywords: Pathan, trade, Thai-Malay border region

Abstract

Female migrant workers from southern border provinces of Thailand who go to work in Malaysia suffer less when compared with female migrants from other regions of Thailand. Due to shared religious, linguistic, and cultural similarities between their home places and Langkawi, the former appear to be more satisfied with their working and living conditions. Despite these, since many of these workers go to Langkawi without a work permit results in their feeling stress over their working environment which negatively affects their psychological well-being. Moreover, while some female migrants try to better their situation by marrying local Malaysians, they end up facing more problems particular because they are often unable to obtain Malaysian citizenship. This has resulted in divorce and in their not receiving any support from their Malaysian ex-husbands either for themselves or for the children. This causes serious and negative consequences for many female migrants working in Malaysia that needs to be addressed at the government level in both countries.

Key words: mental health, Thai female migrant, food shop, southern border provinces of Thailand, Langkawi Island

Abstract

The purpose of this presentation is to share the theoretical framework of our collaborative research entitled “Migration Network as Survival Strategy for Minority in the Global World Trans-border Migration of Minorities in Mainland Southeast Asia.”

Our multi-disciplinary research group aims to determine how globalization affects the life courses of minorities by focusing on the extension of the trans-border migration network of minorities. This three-year project began in June 2012 and is scheduled to conclude in January 2015. The research group includes five researchers: Prof. Masami Fujimaki (Japan), Dr. Nisakorn Klanarong (Thailand), Dr. Suttiporn Bunmak (Thailand), Dr. Mala Rajo Sathian (Malaysia), and Kayoko Ishii (Japan), who is an organizer of the research group.

Few previous studies have focused on how the increase of trans-border migration affects the lives of minority communities. Moreover, existing studies on minorities and trans-border migration tend to focus on women in the service sector or on human trafficking. In this study, the term minority includes people who have been marginalized in the process of nation building. We consider all kinds of minorities such as ethnic and religious minorities.

In this research, we focus on the migration network across the Thai-Malaysia border, which has extended to cities that are further away from the border. Minority migrants within the networks and subsequent phenomenon are also in the scope of our research. Thorough the research, we expect to determine the following.

1) How a minority migrant network expands (formation of a minority migrant network)
2) How a minority migrant network works (Function of a minority migrant network)
3) What is particularly interesting dimension and academic connotation of above network and its function?

In general, researchers in different fields should share information on how globalization affects minority communities.