Beyond Education: The Livelihood Strategies of Chinese Accompanying Mothers in Thailand
Article Sidebar
Main Article Content
บทคัดย่อ
In the context of globalization, an increasing number of Chinese families choose to send their children to Thailand for international education, forming a unique social group known as “accompanying mothers”. This research specifically investigates how these mothers achieve economic survival through informal activities while navigating legal ambiguity and social barriers. A mixed-methods approach was employed, combining an online questionnaire survey (151 respondents) and semi-structured interviews (13 participants). The study aims to answer the following questions: What informal economic strategies do Chinese accompanying mothers adopt? What legal and social risks do they encounter? How can these challenges be addressed? The study found that accompanying mothers maintain economic independence and realize their self-worth through informal economic activities such as real estate investment, purchasing on behalf of others, private tour guiding, catering businesses, and translation services. However, these activities largely exist in a legal gray area, facing visa restrictions and tax compliance issues, and are mainly confined to the Chinese community, which may lead to social isolation from the local population. This research recommends that the Thai government adjust its policies concerning foreign accompanying families and provide legal pathways for entrepreneurial or investment. At the same time, it is suggested that accompanying families develop a thorough understanding of local laws and regulations and plan sustainable long-term economic models to avoid legal risks and promote social integration. Future research could explore the impact of policy on the economic activities of accompanying mothers, as well as how their legal economic participation can be encouraged through policy optimization and targeted support.
Article Details
เอกสารอ้างอิง
Altbach, P. G., & Knight, J. (2007). The internationalization of higher education: Motivations and realities. Journal of studies in international education, 11(3-4), 290-305.
Berry, J. W. (2008). Globalisation and acculturation. International journal of intercultural relations, 32(4), 328-336.
Bulmer, J. (2020). What motivates international students for higher education: Insight from an international college in Thailand.
Rethinking Education Across Borders: Emerging Issues and Critical Insights on Globally Mobile Students, 103-112.
Burbules, N. C., & Torres, C. A. (2013). Globalization and education: An introduction. In Globalization and education (pp. 1-26). Routledge.
Chansiri, D. (2008). The Chinese migr s of Thailand in the Twentieth Century. Amherst, New York: Cambria Press.
Chemsripong, S. (2019). The determinants of international student movement into Thailand: Push and pull factors. Theoretical Economics Letters, 9(8), 2785-2799.
Cheng, B., Fan, A., & Liu, M. (2017). Chinese high school students’ plans in studying overseas: Who and why. Frontiers of Education in China, 12, 367-393.
Connelly, R., Roberts, K., & Zheng, Z. (2012). The role of children in the migration decisions of rural Chinese women. Journal of contemporary China, 21(73), 93-111.
Crafts, N. (2000). Globalization and growth in the twentieth century. International Monetary Fund.
Henze, J., & Zhu, J. (2012). Current research on Chinese students studying abroad. Research in Comparative and International Education, 7(1), 90-104.
Ho, D. Y. F. (1986). Chinese pattern of socialization: A critical review. In M. H. Bond (ed.), The psychology of the Chinese people (pp. 1-37). Hong Kong: Oxford University Press.
Huang, S., & Yeoh, B. S. (2005). Transnational families and their children's education: China's ‘study mothers’ in Singapore. Global networks, 5(4), 379-400.
Jiangyu, L., Sisi, G., & Siriphon, A. (2023). ‘Reproduction mobility’and motherhood construction: Chinese education migrants in Chiang Mai. Global Networks, 23(2), 494-507.
Jinasot, N., & Numtong, K. (2024). The Study of Mutelu Tourism to Respond to the Chinese Market in Chiang Mai Province. Journal of Ecohumanism, 3(8), 9782-9796.
Knight, J. (2004). Crossborder Education: The Complexities of Globalization, Internationalization and Trade. Internationalisation and Quality in South African Universities.
Lan, X., & Siriphon, A. (2020). Gender Paradox and Women’s Spatiality: A Case Study of “Mothers Accompanying Children in Education” at the Chiang Mai Chinese Christian Church. ASR journal, 7(1), 1-16.
Lee, L., & Park, A. (2010). Parental migration and child development in China. University of Oxford.
Li, J., & Siriphon, A. (2022). Consumption, ongoingness and everyday-life embeddedness: Lifestyle experiences of Chinese transient migrants in Chiang Mai, Thailand. Asian and Pacific Migration Journal, 31(4), 511-535.
Li, M., & Bray, M. (2007). Cross-border flows of students for higher education: Push–pull factors and motivations of mainland Chinese students in Hong Kong and Macau. Higher education, 53, 791-818.
Levitt, P., & Jaworsky, B. N. (2007). Transnational migration studies: Past developments and future trends. Annu. Rev. Sociol., 33(1), 129-156.
Marginson, S. (2016). Higher education and the common good. Melbourne Univ. Publishing.
Peña-López, I. (2015). Rethinking Education Towards a global common good?. n.p.
Phiromyoo, M. (2011). Opportunities and difficulties of long-stay accommodation in Thailand. Department of real estate and construction management Division of Building and Real Estate Economics, Royal Institute of Technology, Stockholm.
Pholphirul, P., & Rukumnuaykit, P. (2009). The real estate cycle and real business cycle: evidence from Thailand. Pacific Rim Property Research Journal, 15(2), 145-165.
Portes, A., Guarnizo, L. E., & Landolt, P. (1999). The study of transnationalism: pitfalls and promise of an emergent research field. Ethnic and racial studies, 22(2), 217-237.
Rodyu, S., & Wetprasit, P. (2018). An analysis of the comparative advantage of Thai tourism with Chinese tourists compared to other ASEAN+ 6 countries. Eur J Bus Manag wwwiisteorg ISSN, 10.
Schiller, N. G., Basch, L., & Blanc‐Szanton, C. (1992). Transnationalism: A new analytic framework for understanding migration. Annals of the New York academy of sciences, 645(1), 1-24.
Scholte, J. A. (2017). Globalization: A critical introduction. London: Bloomsbury Publishing.
Siriphon, A., & Li, J. (2022). New Chinese Diaspora, Parallel Communities and Transnational Experience: A Case Study in Chiang Mai Province, Thailand. In Transnational Chinese Diaspora in Southeast Asia: Case Studies from Thailand, Malaysia, and Singapore (pp. 23-47). Singapore: Springer Nature Singapore.
Siriphon, A., & Li, J. (2023). In pursuit of children’s education abroad: China’s middle-class families and parental flexibility in transient migration to Thailand. Journal of Chinese Overseas, 19(1), 34-56.
Spring, J. (2008). Globalization of education: An introduction. Routledge.
Spring, J. (2008). Research on globalization and education. Review of educational research, 78(2), 330- 363.
Steger, M. B. (2020). Globalization: A very short introduction. Oxford University Press.
Su, G., Pimchangthong, D., & Run, P. (2024). Factors Influencing Chinese Tourists’Purchase Decision on Thai Amulets in Thauland. RMUTT Global Business and Economics Review, 19(2), 167-179.
Waters, J. L. (2006). Geographies of cultural capital: education, international migration and family strategies between Hong Kong and Canada. Transactions of the Institute of British Geographers, 31(2), 179-192.
Waters, M. (2001). Globalization (2nd Edition). 268.
Westphal, L. E. (2002). Technology strategies for economic development in a fast changing global economy. Economics of innovation and new technology, 11(4-5), 275-320.
Xiang, B., & Shen, W. (2009). International student migration and social stratification in China. International Journal of Educational Development, 29(5), 513-522.
Zhu, J., Liu, Z., & Shen, X. (2024). Chinese guardian mothers in Thailand: Cultural constraints, societal obstacles and tactical changes. Asian and Pacific Migration Journal, 33(3), 460-482.
