The Thai economy grew dramatically in the past few decades, particularly between 1985
and 1995. During that period Thailand ceased to be solely a labor-exporting society and
became one that both sends workers abroad and receives foreign labor. At present the
number of foreign professionals working in the kingdom exceeds 200,000. The stock of
workers from neighboring countries was nearly 1 million before the 1997 economic crisis.
On the contrary, Thai laborers started moving overseas in the early 1970s to work in the
Gulf region. The direction of labor flow gradually shifted to East Asia, as Japan and the
NIEs began having labor shortages in the 1980s. In light of the Thai experience, the link
between international labor migration and regional economic changes becomes an intriguing
topic for research. This article investigates the migration systems that exist
between Thailand and the destination countries in East Asia. It focuses on the migrant
flows to Taiwan before and after the legalization of labor importation in the early 1990s,
identifying the labor market segments into which Thai workers have been recruited. The
main concern is the consequences of the labor movements on individual workers, in
particular their earnings and their working and living conditions in Taiwan. The analysis
also addresses key policy implications for both Thailand and Taiwan, which are closely
linked not only by labor movement but also by trade and direct investment.
