Factors affecting the labor migration to work in Thailand of people in the rural areas of Phonthong District, Champasak Province

This research aims to study 2 objectives: factors that influence labor migration to Thailand and the effects of labor migration on the household economies of people living in rural areas in Phonthong District, Champasak Province...

Abstract

This research aims to study 2 objectives: factors that influence labor migration to Thailand and the effects of labor migration on the household economies of people living in rural areas in Phonthong District, Champasak Province. The primary data for this study was obtained from household interviews conducted in five villages where a greater number of workers migrate to work in the Kingdom of Thailand, like Khanat village, Sackmaung village, Samanh village, Xongxay village, and Phaling village, are 336 households. The Logit Model was used to determine the factors influencing labor migration to Thailand. Regarding the examination of the effects of labor migration to Thailand on people' household economies; considering income, expenses, and household property through the use of a multiple-regression model that was also evaluated using the Ordinary Least Squares (OLS) method.
The research findings show that the gender of the household head, the amount of labor in the home, having access to routes, and household debt are factors that positively affect the increasing number of people migrating to Thailand to find jobs. At the same time, the factors that have a negative effect on the decreasing number of migrations of workers to work in Thailand are: agricultural production area, production efficiency, access to irrigation systems, and the ability to find jobs locally, which reflect the external pressure that causes the migration of labor outside the country. According to an analysis of the effects of labor migration to Thailand on household economies, households with household members employed there have higher incomes, expenses, and household property than households without household members employed there, by 23.78%, 20.77%, and 21.26%, respectively. The average amount of money earned from working and bringing home to the family each year is 18,040.90 baht per person, which can significantly improve the quality of life in the household.