THE ECONOMIC CONDITIONS OF THAI WOMEN IN NORWAY

Abstract

This study aims to explore the economic adaptation experiences and access to welfare among Thai women who migrated to Norway through cross-cultural marriage. Adopting a qualitative research approach, the key informants comprised 20 Thai women married to Norwegian men, selected through purposive sampling. Data were collected using in-depth interviews and focus group discussions and analyzed with ATLAS.ti software. The findings reveal that the economic adaptation and welfare access experiences of Thai women who migrated to Norway through cross-cultural marriage can be described in six dimensions: 1) Motivation for migration is multifactorial, serving as a life management strategy that integrates necessity, dreams, and aspirations; 2) Entry into the labor market and adaptation processes are complex and challenging, shaped by responsibilities toward family and pre-existing debts in Thailand; 3) Economic management and future planning represent a transition across economic, social, and psychological domains toward becoming visionary decision-makers of their own futures; 4) Remittances reflect love, responsibility, and comprehensive resource management skills; 5) Experiences in accessing and utilizing state welfare vary according to individual background, adaptation level, and understanding of bureaucratic systems; and
6) Recommendations from Thai women in Norway for those intending to migrate abroad highlight that migration should not be viewed solely through the lens of economic opportunity or personal security, but should also consider human capital, psychological resources, and family and social structures.