Trend Analysis of Migration Data in Thailand 2019-2023

TREND ANALYSIS OF MIGRATION DATA IN THAILAND 2019-2023 16 RECENT INFLOWS OF INTERNATIONAL MIGRANTS FIGURE 20: REASONS FOR RECENT INTERNATIONAL MIGRATION PER YEAR Drivers of recent international migration were grouped into the same three categories as recent internal migration: employment, family, and other reasons. Over the period, family remained the primary reason for migration for most immigrants. Initially, international migration for family reasons declined by nearly half between 2019 and 2020 but experienced a sharp increase from 2020 to 2021. The initial decline can be attributed to Thailand's travel restrictions and border closures in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. These measures limited international mobility, while health concerns and fears of virus transmission may have further discouraged migration. However, the sharp increase in family- related migration between 2020 and 2021 may have been driven by the availability of COVID-19 vaccines and the improved safety measures, which helped facilitate safe family reunification. Meanwhile, international migration for employment reasons experienced initial growth in 2020 at the onset of the pandemic but then declined, dropping from 40.5 per cent in 2020 to just 5.5 per cent in 2021. This decline highlights some of the impacts of COVID-19, as many people lost their jobs or faced limited employment opportunities during the pandemic. FIGURE 19: RECENT INTERNATIONAL MIGRANTS BY EMPLOYMENT SECTOR PER YEAR Like recent internal migrants, the employment sectors among recent international migrants were grouped into three main sectors: manufacturing, service and trade, and agriculture. Recent international migrants were predominately engaged in manufacturing jobs. The proportion of migrants working in this sector increased between 2019 and 2021 but then declined after 2021. Meanwhile, the proportion of recent international migrants working in service and trade decreased between 2020 and 2021 but gradually began to rise in the subsequent years. The shift reflects the prioritization of the manufacturing sector during the COVID-19 pandemic, as lockdowns and travel restrictions significantly impacted the service and trade sector, particularly the accommodation and food services industry. Employment Changing work, job assignment, seeking work, more income Family Family business, follow family, return home Other Education, look after someone, need help, remedy oneself, residence, unknown reason 0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 Percent Agriculture Manufacturing Service and trade 0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 Percent Employment Family Other