Transcript Types, determinants, and social integration of Japanese

Types, determinants, and social
integration of Japanese International
Retirement Migration (IRM) in
Bangkok, Thailand
Kantapong Prabsangon, M.Sc
Asst. Prof. Prathurng Hongsranagon, Ph.D
Assoc. Prof. Choangchote Puntuwet, Ph.D
Rattana Panriansaen, Ph.D
Topic
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Background and Rationale
Research Objectives
Methodology
Results and Discussion
Conclusion
Background and Rationale
• IRM is the migration of retirees to a foreign
country in pursuit of a better quality of
retirement life.
• IRM is classified into 3 types.
▫ Seasonal/Pre-IRM: getting experiences in living
abroad
▫ International second homes: Long stay
▫ Residential IRM: Permanent residence
Background and Rationale
• International retirement migration (IRM) of all
nationalities and long stay tourists are different,
both in terms of purpose and length of stay,
though they both are involved with lifestyle
migration.
Background and Rationale
• In Japan, the proportion of the population aged 65 and
over is projected to rise from 19% in 2005 to 28% in
2025 (Toyota et al, 2006).
• While more people are getting older, fewer elderly live
with their children. In Japan, the percentage of persons
aged 65 and over living with children fell from 77% to
52% between 1970 and 1997 (Toyota et al, 2006).
• National pension schemes make it possible for the
elderly to live independently.
• In 1986, the Japanese government proposed the Silver
Columbia Plan to build towns and villages for Japanese
pensioners in other countries: Exporting elderly.
• In 1992, the Japanese Long Stay Foundation was set up
to facilitate ‘long-stay’ tourism abroad.
Long stay tourism
“Long stay tourism means living relaxingly overseas for a long period of time,
which is not a migration or a permanent residence in a foreign country. All long
stay tourists have to finally come back to their home in Japan. The objective of long
stay tourism is to do activities as a form of relaxation. It focuses on staying put in one
place, as opposed to frequently traveling, in order to seek daily life experiences
overseas. As a result, long stay tourists should own a place to stay or should rent one
for their daily life activities. As a matter of fact, long stay tourists do not stay in hotels
as general tourists. They must also have adequate funding from the Japanese
Government so that they do not depend on any sort of income originating within the
country of their long stay (Longstay Tourism 2002:2)”
Background and Rationale
• Under the current acceleration of the declining
birth-rate and aging society, increasing numbers
of Japanese pensioners are interested in retiring
abroad and actually move to foreign destinations
in pursuit of a better quality of retirement life.
• In 2005 the number of Japanese overseas
tourists above the age of 50 rose above six
million; these upper middle-aged tourists are a
significant potential market in international
tourism (Ono M., 2008).
Background and Rationale
• On the receiving side, many Asian countries see the
coming of foreign pensioners as an opportunity to
restore local economies after the Asian
economic crisis, and have launched programs to
promote it.
• Thai government, aiming to position Thailand as
Southeast Asia’s health tourism capital, has reached
out to work with the private health care sector.
▫ Wellness city at Ayutthaya and Chachengsao
provinces
▫ Long stay at Thailand :Cost of living and medical
services
Long stay in Thailand
Silver Haired program, MY
2539 (1996)
2544-45
LS research
2551
(2008)
(2001-2002)
2535 (1992)
Long stay, JP
Silver Columbia 92
LS Foundation Japan
2545 (2002)
MM2H, MY
Long stay ,TH
TLM
2550 (2007)
2554 (20011)
www.longstayatthailand.com
Cooperative Center for Long Stay Tourism
Long stay Fair 2012 in Japan (17 Nov 2012)
IRM situation in Thailand
• Cause of IRM in Thailand as Japan policy in
terms of Long Stay Tourism Promotion
• Number of Japanese IRM
▫ Chiang Mai : 3,000
▫ Phuket : 500
▫ Bangkok : 10,000 (Fukhori, 2010; Hongsranagon, 2005, 2008)
• Advantage and Disadvantage of IRM for
Thailand
What does the increasing mobility of
pensioners mean to Thailand?
• IRM is not simply a move of non-laborers who
do not work but also a move of service and care
seekers who need people to work for them,
especially in the fields of domestic work, medical
treatment, and care for the elderly.
• However, there are concerns that the migration
of pensioners may siphons off medical resources
in the receiving community and may has
negative impacts on health equity particularly
for lower class and rural populations.
Background and Rational
• IRM issue should be perceived from an
interdisciplinary perspective of tourism,
migration study, and social gerontology.
Research objectives
• This research had three objectives: to learn
about
▫ (1) type (s) of Japanese IRM
▫ (2) determinant (s) for their IRM
▫ (3) social integration of Japanese IRM in
Bangkok.
Methodology
• The research was conducted in mid November
2012 with informed consent by in-depth
interview with 10 participants who were retired
Japanese both males and females through
bilingual translator.
• Through qualitative content analysis, themes,
category, codes (manual) were identified.
In-depth interview
Results and Discussion
Socio-demographic data
Results and Discussion
• According to Toyota, Boecker, and Guild (2006)
regarding the pull factors for IRM among retired
Japanese in Southeast Asia, the results indicated
that financial security and property
purchase were predominant interests of the
participants who mostly identified themselves as
long stay tourists, while medical care seemed not
to be relevant.
Results and Discussion
• M5: “I live in Bangkok because with my limited
pension, I will be able to live without a
financial trouble”.
• M6: “I live in Bangkok because of financial
security: a balance between an income and
expenditure”.
• M8: “I bought a condominium and put it for
rent, 40,000 bath per month. With the amount
of money I have now , I could not afford to
live in Japan”.
Results and Discussion
• Out of 10 participants, most of them could not
speak Thai and most of them never had social
activities with local Thais on a daily life basis.
▫ M2: “In Bangkok, although I can speak some Thai,
mostly I speak Japanese with my Japanese friends
and speak English with others”.
▫ M6: “I usually use only English for my work and
daily life”.
▫ F1: “I do not speak Thai because I do not use it for
my daily life”.
A Japanese shopping center in Bangkok
Results and Discussion
• Of special interest among Japanese IRM was the
issue of “transnational habitation” – separate
living between elder Japanese spouse who can
afford (husband being overseas and wife
remains in Japan) who still maintain their legal
marital status.
Conclusion
• There are 3 types of Japanese IRM in Bangkok
▫ Pre-IRM, Long stay and residential IRM
• Determinates of Japanese IRM
▫ Transnational financial security
▫ Property market investment
• Social integration
▫ No evidence
Recommendations
• Two recommendations were made,
▫ one is proposed joint social activity in a form of
“invited technical consultant” by Japanese IRM
for interested Thai industries,
▫ another is the provision of “legal advisor” for
Japanese IRM.
• Social integration should always be emphasized.
Refereances
• Hongsranagon P, Koyama N, Suwatthigul P, and Veeravongs S. Japanese
International Retirees Mobility/Migration (IRM) in Phuket, Thailand: A
Case Study (in press).
• Longstay Tourism. Available from: http://www.longstay.or.jp, access on 29
July 2002
• O’Reilly 2000. The British on the Costa del Sol. Transnational identities
and local communities. London: New York.
• Ono M. Long-Stay Tourism and International Retirement Migration:
Japanese Retirees in Malaysia. In Yamashita et al., eds. Transnational
Migration in East Asia. Senri Ethnological Reports 2008 (77): 151-162.
• Toyota M, Boecker A, and Guild E. Pensioners on the move: social security
and trans-border retirement migration in Asia and Europe. ASEF-Alliance
Workshop, 5-7 January 2006, Singapore.
• Toyota. 2007. Japanese pensioners on the move: ageing, social security
and commodification of care. Presentation, Oxford Institute of Ageing.
Thank you
for
your attention