A Proxy of Social Justice? A Co/Autoethnographic Account of Language Testing and Translation Training for Migrant Workers in Thailand
Issued Date
2026-01-01
Resource Type
eISSN
2791531X
Scopus ID
2-s2.0-105036083344
Journal Title
Advances in Southeast Asian Studies
Volume
19
Issue
1
Start Page
H1
End Page
H19
Rights Holder(s)
SCOPUS
Bibliographic Citation
Advances in Southeast Asian Studies Vol.19 No.1 (2026) , H1-H19
Suggested Citation
Phanthaphoommee N., Sasiwongsaroj K., Techawongstien K. A Proxy of Social Justice? A Co/Autoethnographic Account of Language Testing and Translation Training for Migrant Workers in Thailand. Advances in Southeast Asian Studies Vol.19 No.1 (2026) , H1-H19. H19. doi:10.14764/10.ASEAS-0141 Retrieved from: https://repository.li.mahidol.ac.th/handle/123456789/116365
Title
A Proxy of Social Justice? A Co/Autoethnographic Account of Language Testing and Translation Training for Migrant Workers in Thailand
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Abstract
This article explores the possibilities and limits of advancing social justice through language-related support for migrant workers in Thailand. Using collaborative autoethnography, we reflect on our experiences in two university-led initiatives with Myanmar migrant workers: healthcare translator/interpreter training and Thai language proficiency testing, with ad hoc translation support. We show that language access depends not only on the provision of translation or interpreting, but also on migrants’ everyday constraints and on the institutional and bureaucratic conditions under which support is organized. Our analysis highlights that researchers, positioned as proxies for university commitments to inclusion, must negotiate tensions among ethical responsibility, organizational procedures, and the symbolic value of socially engaged projects. These tensions constrain what language-based interventions can realistically achieve, even when they are intended to promote inclusion and access to knowledge. The article contributes to debates on translation, migration, and social justice in Southeast Asia by demonstrating how institutional mediation shapes the practical reach of advocacy-oriented language support.