Unwrapping Migration Decisions: The Case of Non-retiree, Non-expatriate Japanese Migrants in Thailand

Wajjwalku, Pornphan

Unwrapping Migration Decisions: The Case of Non-retiree, Non-expatriate Japanese Migrants in Thailand

James Alexander Gordon on 15th January 2026

Author Information

Pornphan Wajjwalku, Waseda University, Japan

Abstract

As of 2023, Thailand is home to over 72,000 Japanese people (Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan, 2024), among whom are working-age Japanese individuals, whose migrating decisions are voluntary, and whose presence and stories are overshadowed by dispatched expatriates or retirees. Addressing this gap, this research explores cases of relatively young Japanese people who voluntarily chose to migrate to and currently work in Thailand, with a particularly focus on the mechanisms underlying their migration and migrating decision. Aiming to explore the complexity and dynamics within the commonly simplified, taken-for-granted reasonings for migration to Thailand, this research pays attention to the forms of capital these migrants hold, while analyzing their transferability and mobilizability. Drawing from the narratives of 11 Japanese migrants in Bangkok, this research finds that while their migration trajectories might be perceived as downward, with some of their living conditions seeming disadvantageous, the realities as narrated by migrants highlight that they have positive experiences living in Thailand, which lead them to construct certain understandings towards lifestyles in Thailand, and thus influence their migrating decisions. Nevertheless, their experiences and understandings are mediated by the forms of capital they hold, such as their “surface-level” ties, limited Thai language skills, and being “Japanese”, which are transferred and mobilized with them through their migration. By unfolding another layer underlying and influencing migrants’ experiences, this research argues for understanding the “ease” of living in Thailand as emerging from the intersection between who migrants are and what the conditions present in Thailand.