Cross-border migration and poverty: evidence from the Kanchanaburi demographic surveillance system (KDSS), Thailand

Abstract

This study examines immigration, ethnicity, and poverty status in Thailand, with particular reference to the situation in the Kanchanaburi Demographic Surveillance System (KDSS). Kanchanaburi borders Myanmar, about 120 km weat of Bangkok. By comparing the economic prospects of households headed by the foreign-born, native-born minorities, and Thai nationals, we consider the relative effects of crossborder migration and ethnicity on household poverty. Of particular interest is the ways in which these effects are conditioned by residential context, specifically the ethnic makeup of the neighborhood or village. The results show significant adverse effects of immigrant status and non-Thai ethnicity on household poverty. Immigrant households (headed by the foreign-born) are particularly underprivileged, compared to the non-Thai/native-born and the Thais. Effects are heightened for households that arrived recently and for households located in minority villages.