Thai Migrant Workers Abroad: An Ethnographic Research in South Korea presented at 4th APA Conference in Shanghai

Despite much attention being paid on migration worldwide, Thai migrant workers abroad has rarely been shed light on regardless a high number of them migrating outside of Thailand for better job opportunity yearly. This paper aims to study the livelihood of Thai migrant workers in South Korea through an ethnographic study during August-September in 2015. This qualitative study shows that even though they are being paid much more than they do in Thailand, they have to face many challenges both at workplaces and in their everyday life. Living condition, cold weather, and language barriers are the main challenges in their daily life while wage exploitation, violence at work place, and lengthy and complication in job changing process are main difficulties Thai migrant workers in South Korea face at their workplace. Life abroad is not as beautiful as advertised, yet many people continue to migrate for the hope of having a better life.