Transcript Slide 1

The 4th International Conference on Population Geographies
12 July 2007, Hong Kong
International marriage migration
from rural Thailand to Germany
Satoshi NAKAGAWA, Kobe University, Japan
[email protected]
Sekson YONGVANIT, Khon Kaen University, Thailand
[email protected]
Background
Thailand under the “migration transition”
“Migration Transition”
In terms of international migration, a migrantssending country becomes migrants receiving
country in accordance with economic development
Thailand post “demographic transition”
“Demographic Transition”
from high fertility and mortality to low fertility and
mortality by economic development / spread of
family planning
Northeastern
Background
Rural development of Northeastern Region
regional economic disparity is still very large, i.e.
gross provincial (76 provinces) product per capita
in 2004, national average=100, maximum Rayong
(703), minimum Non Bua Lamphu (16) .
What kind of possibilities for development?
invite factories
invite tourists
go for work in Bangkok and surrounding provinces
go for work abroad
go for marriage abroad
Research Project: three years from 2006
“Migration and rural developments in the
Northeastern Thailand and Laos”
International labor migration from the NE Thailand
to abroad (Sukanya)
International labor migration from rural Laos to
Thailand (***, Nakagawa)
International marriage migration from the NE
Thailand to Germany (Sekson, Nakagawa)
Survey on families left behind in the NE Thailand
Survey on Thai women married in Germany
Questionnaire Survey, In-depth interview
Today’s Presentation
Introduction of preliminary results of the
questionnaire survey on the married Thai women
in Germany
Cross-border migration for marriage is a form of
international migration, which has lately drawn
considerable attention. The cases between
males from “rich” countries and females from
“poor” countries are particularly often observed
and thereby international marriage migration is
regarded not only as cross-border love romances
but also as global economic issues.
Thailand is one of the most important sending
countries of brides to wealthier countries.
According to the previous reports, the
Northeastern region known as the poorest
region in Thailand is often pointed out as a major
origin of the international brides and Germany
followed by Great Britain and Japan is the most
popular destination among them.
Previous studies,
Piper, Nicola and Roces, Mina eds, “Wife or
Worker? -Asian women and migration”, Rowman
& Littlefiled Publishers, 2003.
Questionnaire survey outline
Respondents:
married Thai women (+ men) living in Germany.
found mainly at Thai temples, Thai grocery shops
Place of interview: Berlin and South Germany
Language: Thai
Interviewer: two Thai and one Japanese males
Duration: 9 February – 5 March, still on going
Sample: 77
Samples
Thai: Average age 40 , ranging 22 to 66 years old
Partner: Average age 50, ranging 25 to 73 years old
Samples
Male
Female
No data
Thai (%)
12
88
0
Partner (%)
90
8
2
German Statistics: Thais in Germany
Population(2005), 51108; male 7245, female 43863
(2001), 41520; male 6338, female 35182
Average age 35.5 (2006)
Average duration of stay in Germany 9.5 years (2006)
Religion
Religion
Christian
Buddhist
Muslim
Other
No religion
No data
Thai (%)
0
100
0
0
0
0
Partner (%)
50
18
0
13
11
8
Education
Education
Primary School
Secondary School
College
University
higher
other
Thai (%)
46
22
23
4
1
4
Partner (%)
2
16
28
12
17
25
Were you married before the present
Thai/German partner?
Married before
Thai (%)
Partner (%)
Yes
46
48
No
No data
54
0
47
5
How many years have you been in Germany?
How long (year)
Number (%)
1-5
6-10
11-15
16-20
21-25
26-30
31-35
14
19
25
31
8
1
2
Average 13 years
Newest 1 year
Longest 33 years
How many years have you been married
with the present partner?
How many years ?
Number (%)
1-5
6-10
11-15
16-20
21-25
26-30
31-35
26
28
16
21
8
0
1
Average 10 years
Newest 1 year
Longest 31 years
How often do you visit Thailand ?
some times a year
once a year
17
every two years
every three years
other
23
12
9
39
How long do you stay for your visit to Thailand?
weeks
3
4
5
8
9
%
9
48
8
5
1
weeks
10
12
16
24
No data
%
1
8
2
1
16
What kind of problems do you have for your stay
in Germany?
No Problem
60 %
Problem
No Job No Money
Language
40 %
Very expensive
Second class people
Difference Culture
Which country is more difficult to live?
Germany
21 %
Thailand
41 %
No difference
I do not know
No data
28 %
1 %
9 %
How do you evaluate your stay in Germany
Satisfied
84 %
Not Satisfied
7%
No data
9%
Do you intend to return to Thailand in the future?
If yes, why do you think so?
Yes ----------------------No ----------------------I do not know, now ----
62 %
18 %
20 %
Yes, because
Want to stay with relative
Thailand is my homeland
My partner wants to live in Thailand
Do not like German way of live
Too cold in Germany
No, because
Very happy in Germany
No relative in Thailand
In Germany has better social status
No social insurance in Thailand
Reasons for your international marriage migration,
multiple answers
Reasons international marriage migration
%
had economic problems in Thailand
33 %
just wanted to go abroad
31 %
wanted to try my luck
22 %
disappointed by the partner in Thailand
20 %
recommended or informed by friends or
relatives successful in abroad
did not like the work in Thailand
16 %
11 %
How much do you send annually to your family
in EURO ?
Send money to your family
%
Send money regularly
65
Send money, but not regularly
Do not send money
16
19
All the money send per year 244,450 EURO
Average 6,267 EURO / Year / person
How does your family in Thailand evaluate your stay
in Germany?
evaluate your stay in Germany
satisfied
not satisfied
Do not know
%
86
7
7
Conclusions
Victim or Agent?
positive evaluation, rather agent than victim
Wife or Worker?
large amount of remittance, rather worker than wife
Temporal or Permanent stay?
strong intention for return
Remarks
strong cultural confidence, try to keep their way of
living
sampling bias and way of interviews
For the next steps
connect these results with the survey being
conducted on the family left behind in the NE
Thailand,
how their remittance is utilized
how their family and neighbors evaluate them
at a Thai Food/Grocery Shop in Berlin
at a Thai Food/Grocery Shop in Berlin
at a Thai Food/Grocery Shop in Berlin
at a Thai Temple in Berlin
at a Thai Temple in Berlin
at a Thai Temple in Berlin