Title: An exploratory study of Nepalese migrant workers in Thailand: initial conditions and disappointing outcomes

Authors: John Walsh; Dilip Kumar Jha

Addresses: School of Management, Shinawatra University, BBD Building, 197, Viphawadi-Rangsit Road, Bangkok 10400, Thailand. ' School of Management, Shinawatra University, BBD Building, 197, Viphawadi-Rangsit Road, Bangkok 10400, Thailand

Abstract: This paper describes exploratory qualitative research among Nepalese migrant workers in Thailand, based on a series of more than 60 personal interviews. The research followed a qualitative method with a semi-structured agenda aimed at encouraging respondents to explore issues of importance to themselves and their colleagues. The research indicated significant differences between skilled and unskilled workers and that the difference between skilled and unskilled relied almost entirely upon class differences in the caste-intensive sending society. There are some possibilities for business development in Thailand but these are reliant upon negotiating the currently significant differences between documented and undocumented migrants. It is not clear that this can be achieved under current conditions even though the Thai Government is seeking stable supply of semi-skilled workers for the next decade.

Keywords: globalisation; business development; capitalism; documented workers; entrepreneurialism; illegal migration; labour migration; Nepal; Thailand; migrant workers; qualitative research; skilled workers; unskilled workers; class differences; caste system; undocumented workers; semi-skilled workers.

DOI: 10.1504/IJBG.2012.050908

International Journal of Business and Globalisation, 2012 Vol.9 No.4, pp.431 - 441

Published online: 20 Aug 2014 *

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