Acculturation of Indonesia migrants in Thailand

Abstract

This research focused on Indonesian migrants in Thailand. It aims to explore the dominantacculturation strategy as well as specific strategies of different groups. It also looked at the impact of network andtransnationalism on their adaptation in the host country. The choice of this topic was triggered by the rapid increaseof Indonesian migrants to Thailand in the last two decades due to greater regional integration, expansion oftransport connectivity, and internationalization of education. Half of this recent migration flow is in fact composedof students, and this raises interesting questions on whether their stay is a temporary or a more permanentmigration. The fact that many Indonesian migrants are Muslims, as Islam is the main religion of Indonesia whileThailand is a -Buddhist majority country, also makes it worth exploring their acculturation to a different culture andwhether the Indonesian perceive any socio-cultural barriers to their adaptation to the Thai society. As the first studyon a recent Indonesian migrant community in Thailand, this study aims to provide a general overview by collectingprimary data. The theoretical cornerstone of the research is John W Berry's (1997) concept of fourfoldacculturation, adjusted and combined with other relevant theories. The research included both quantitative andqualitative data collection methods. The quantitative data were derived from an online survey of 268 respondents,while the qualitative data came from literature review, in-depth interviews, focus group discussion, and directobservation. Findings indicate that, Indonesian migrants apply an integration strategy, and a separation strategy.Some differences were identified among specific groups of migrants. Indonesian housewives were more inclined toward separation when not engaged in entrepreneurial activities, and women in mixed marriages with a Thai national were more assimilated in Thai society. As the length of stay of Indonesian migrants in Thailand is generally less than five years (because of the large presence of students) so, most Indonesian migrants remain well-connected with their networks in Indonesia and are engaged in transnational activities. This fact is also due to the good technological and social media connectivity and a tight-knit Indonesian community in the neighborhoods around the Indonesian Embassy. This research fills a void in knowledge about Southeast Asian migrants in Thailand and in spite of some limitations, it does provide interesting insights for further research and for reflection on the current national, bilateral, and regional migration management systems.