TRANSNATIONAL WORKERS: QUALITY OF LIFE AND VALUE CREATION UNDER EXPERIENCE AT THE DESTINATION, A CASE STUDY OF NAKORN SI THAMMARAT.

Abstract

This research aims to 1) investigate the quality of life of the transnational workers 2) inquire the workers of value creation. Mixed methods of quantitative and qualitative were employed. Questionnaires were used to collect data from 360 migrant workers. The data were analyzed using frequency, percentage, mean and standard deviation. Furthermore, qualitative information from in-depth interviews with 24 key purposive informants; migrant workers, employers and government officers were also used to voice their views. The data were analyzed using descriptive analysis.

          The findings revealed as follows:

1. Quality of life of the workers in term of food consumption, clothes, housing, health, income and social relationships were at moderate level. However, when considering individual aspect from high to low, it indicated that the highest mean score was food consumption, the other five aspects indicated the moderate score, and among these, the lowest score was housing respectively.


2. The workers’ experiences of value creation in the host country: In this dimension the data indicated 5 aspects; 1) Cultural compatibility was a common bond under the ethnic diversity. The data not only pointed out the exchanges of culture but also reflected ways of life in which the culture was bonded with language, food, clothes and accessories, beliefs, traditions, religions and playing sports. As "neighbors" or “no-harm residents” 2) Development of knowledge and thinking: Development of knowledge and thinking or "Formation": This aspect revealed that the workers have been developed to form a network of practice, skill training, and attitude to work. Furthermore, to increase the workers’ capacity, incentives were created, such as wages and welfare. In addition, creating acceptance by using knowledge and thinking methods that benefit the work such as work experience, highly–skilled knowledge, and hospitality were also found. Moreover, the workers’ awareness of their roles, responsibility, determination, income, saving and self-reliance could assure their future and be able to live their life sufficiently with extra income. 3) Skills and career promotion: In this aspect, the data suggested that the working skills needed to be improved and updated so that they would be accepted and were able to contact working network, exchange working techniques, skill practice and demonstrating examples from the hand-on practice without being ignored by the group. All these aspects had to be attentively done by the workers therefore the community could “form a community of practice.” 4) Opportunities and goals sharing: Due to the long stay of the migrant workers with local Thai residents, their relationship turned to be positive; perceiving from Thai workers that the migrant workers also came as laborers to earn their living. The migrants also shared benefit to the community because Thailand demanded more skilled laborers so that migrants should be maintained to replace low-skilled Thai laborers. However, in order to hire more workers, Thai government should set a clear policy for migrant workers so that it could be easy to control using the rules and regulations for the mutual agreement in multicultural society to create the shared-value. And 5) Social justice: Social justice reflected the justice that the migrant workers should gain. The workers should be protected if they were infringed in cases of “unrighteousness or unfair matters", the workers’ problems had to be solved promptly. Furthermore, they should be informed to raise understanding about the rights protection by warning them to strictly follow Thai legislation and human right. At the same time, they should be offered some social privileges "without discrimination and oppression."