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Book Discussion “African Migration to Thailand: Race, Mobility and Integration”
26 April, 2023 @ 5:30 pm - 7:00 pm
On 26 April 2023 at 5.30-7.00 pm, the book “African Migration to Thailand: Race, Mobility and Integration” will be discussed at SEA Junction as part of the Wednesday SEA Mobilities Seminar in collaboration with the Institute for Population and Social Research (IPSR) of Mahidol University In-House Wednesday Seminar and the Mahidol Migration Center.
The book based on exploratory ethnographic research, analyzes the experiences of African migrants in Thailand, a topic so far barely studied. Thailand has always been a regional migration hub, but migration from countries in Africa is most recent and generally overlooked. Sitting at the intersection of race and migration studies, this book focuses on the challenges migrants from Africa face trying to integrate into a society that has had very limited contact with and knowledge about these populations.
Bringing together research from African, Thai, and European scholars, this volume focuses on forced migrants, such as Somali asylum seekers, and labor migrants, largely African men seeking better livelihoods in niche economies such as gem trading, garment wholesale, and football playing and coaching. The book also includes theoretical contributions to the understanding of precarity and human security, the concept of in/visibility to analyze the challenges African migrants face in Thailand as well as the concept of othering to understand discrimination against them. Thai migration policy context and the challenges facing Thai policy-makers, law enforcement representatives, and the migrants themselves is also discussed. While not comparative in nature, this volume directly connects with studies of Africans in other parts of Asia, especially China.
One of the book editors, Supang Chantavanich, and one of the authors, Naruemon Thabchumpon, along with Kasit Piromya and Anthony Ukam Unor will be discussing the book content and provide an update of migration from Africa in Thailand. The discussion will be moderated by Rosalia Sciortino, Associate Professor IPSR and SEA Junction Director.
Book Content
- Africans in Thailand Elżbieta M. Goździak and Supang Chantavanich 2. Africans in Thailand: Mobility, race, and integration Elżbieta M. Goździak 3. ‘Good guys in, bad guys out’: Thailand’s immigration policy and perceptions of African immigrants Supang Chantavanich and Waranya Jitpong 4. Somali asylum seekers in Bangkok: Coping strategies of the (in)visible and (in)secure Fatma Issa 5. Escaping Al-Shabaab and seeking safety in Thailand: Somalis in Bangkok George Kiarie 6. Being Black and trying to survive in a niche economy: Nigerian traders in Bangkok Anthony Unor and Naruemon Thabchumpon 7. African gems traders in Chanthaburi province Premjai Vungsiriphisal 8. Following the ball: Thailand, the new frontier for African footballers Gabriela Romero and Nithis Thammasaengadipha 9. Looking forward Elżbieta M. Goździak and Supang Chantavanich
Speakers and Moderator:
Supang Chantavanich is Professor Emerita in the Faculty of Political Science at Chulalongkorn University. She was the first Chairperson of the Asia-Pacific Migration Research Network (APMRN) and founder of the Center of Excellence of the Asian Research Center for Migration, Chulalongkorn University. Her research covers a wide range of topics, including forced displacement and labor migration.
Naruemon Thabchumpon is an Assistant Professor in Politics at the Faculty of Political Science, Deputy Director for Research Affairs at the Institute of Asian Studies, and Director of the Center of Excellence of the Asian Research Center for Migration, Chulalongkorn University. Her expertise is on comparative politics and democracy, cross-border migration, and human development. Her recent political ecology related research has been on “Living with and against Floods: Socio-Economic Adaptation of Communities in Bangkok and Thailand’s Central Plain” and on the economic and social impacts of Covid-19 focusing on people, planet and inclusive society.
Rosalia Sciortino is associate professor at the Institute for Population and Social Research, Mahidol University, Bangkok and director of SEA Junction (www.seajunction.org). She is emeritus regional director for Southeast Asia with the Rockefeller Foundation and the International Development Research Center, Senior Adviser for AusAid (now DFAT) in Indonesia and former program officer with the Ford Foundation in Indonesia and the Philippines (see further rosaliasciortino.com).
Kasit Piromya was a career diplomat, having served as Thai Ambassador to the Soviet Union-Russia Federation, Indonesia, Germany, Japan and the United States. He served as the Minister of Foreign Affairs from 2008 to 2011 when, among many tasks, he made an effort to strengthen bilateral ties between Thailand and African countries.
Anthony Ukam Unor is currently pursuing a Ph.D. in International Development Studies at the Department of International Development Studies, Faculty of Political Science, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, Thailand. His research interests cover international security and migration studies, including African migrants in Thailand.
Organizers
Wednesday SEA Mobilities
This bi-monthly seminar series was launched by SEA Junction in collaboration with IPSR In-House Seminar and Mahidol Migration Centre (MMC) in February 2022. The last Wednesday of every two months the partners organize seminars or panels discussing vast arrays of current Southeast Asia’s mobility issues by experts, academics, practitioners, NGO workers, migrants, and people from the fields.
SEA Junction
SEA Junction, established under the Thai non-profit organization Foundation for Southeast Asia Studies (ForSEA), aims to foster understanding and appreciation of Southeast Asia in all its socio-cultural dimensions, from arts and lifestyles to economy and development. Conveniently located at Room 408 of the Bangkok Arts and Culture Center or BACC (across MBK, BTS National Stadium), SEA Junction facilitates public access to knowledge resources and exchanges among students, practitioners and Southeast Asia lovers. For more information, see www.seajunction.org, join the Facebook group: http://www.facebook.com/groups/1693058870976440/ and follow us on Twitter and Instagram @seajunction
Institute for Population and Social Research (IPSR), Mahidol University
IPSR was established in 1971 and has become one of Asia’s premier population research and training hubs. The Institute conducts research and provides training in population, sexual and reproductive health and development with a focus on Thailand and on neighbouring countries in Southeast Asia, with the ultimate goal of improving the quality of life for all. For more information, see https://ipsr.mahidol.ac.th.
