Economic Interactions of Migrants and Their Households of Origin: Are Women More Reliable Supporters?

Abstract

One of the salient features of internal migration in Thailand is the increasing participation of women in population mobility. Drawn by growing economic opportunities in urban areas, more and more women are participating in migration streams. This paper examines, from a gender perspective, the interactions between migrants and their households of origin, in terms of the transfer of money and goods. The analysis of the National Migration Survey data suggests that, as the theory of New Economics of Labour Migration posits, migration might have functioned as a survival strategy of many Thai households. The flows of money and goods into migrant-sending households are large and essential supplements for the livelihood of the households. Presumably conditioned by traditional gender roles in Thai culture, female migrants showed deeper commitment than male migrants in providing economic supports for their households left behind.