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Summary
Thailand experiences significant internal migration, with many individuals relocating from rural regions to urban areas. This movement is mainly motivated by the search for better economic opportunities and higher living standards. Urban centers such as Bangkok and greater Bangkok area, provide a wider range of job opportunities in sectors like manufacturing and services, unlike the primarily agricultural work found in rural areas. These movements often generate remittances, and these patterns are worth understanding as well.
The National Statistical Office of Thailand (NSO) gathers data through the migration module of the Labour Force Survey (LFS) and produces annual analyses on internal migration and remittances patterns. However, there was no trend analysis of internal migration and remittances that would help understand the evolution of the patterns and impacts of this migration over time. Such an analysis could provide valuable insights into the socioeconomic changes occurring within the country and inform programs, research, and policy decisions aimed at addressing the challenges and opportunities associated with internal migration and its indirect impact through remittances on areas of development, such as health or education.
To address this gap, IOM and NSO collaborated to conduct a joint trend analysis of migration-related data for the annual period 2019-2023. NSO shared the Migration Module data 2019-2024 to the Migration Data and Research Unit (MDRU) at IOM. Recognizing that trend analyses require specific approaches and statistical methods, IOM and NSO also invested in capacity building for NSO junior staff.
The objectives of this collaboration were:
- To harness the value of LFS-collected migration data
- To generate information on internal migration dynamics and remittances over time based on international recommendations
- To build the capacity of NSO junior staff
- To formulate recommendations to improve the methodology, including sampling strategy
- To produce a report in English and Thai
A joint action plan was developed early in the collaboration, setting the steps required to achieve the objectives, including timelines and milestones. A data sharing agreement was also signed between IOM and NSO.
The IOM-NSO collaboration involved regular online and in-person meetings. The data analysis was conducted jointly with replication of annual analysis and trend analysis by the MDRU team at IOM and regular review from NSO colleagues.
The MDRU team also trained NSO junior staff on trend analyses, introducing packages using the software R and enhancing visualization skills. Regular discussions between IOM and NSO colleagues helped identify the specific needs of the NSO junior staff, with training sessions tailored to address participants' knowledge gap. After each session, feedback was collected and subsequent content was adjusted in collaboration with the NSO counterparts. Besides, a core feature of the training was the replication of trend analyses conducted by the IOM team. Participants were required to replicate the analysis, compare their results with IOM team's results, and receive feedback, ensuring that staff could independently handle complex data analysis tasks and understand the methods used. At the end of the training, participants were certified. An evaluation was conducted at the beginning and end of the training and results confirmed the increase in knowledge.
The practice allowed both NSO and IOM to also identify strengths and limitations or gaps in the Migration Module of the LFS. Discussions were held to address these issues, where possible, and at least two meetings were organized to present respective sampling strategies and share good practices. Recommendations formulated through these discussions and the joint report will guide the decision-making moving forward. For instance, the current sampling strategy does not representatively capture migrant workers in the country. Indeed, the ongoing discussions and exchange of information generated through this practice have moved beyond the mere description of trends.
The government of Japan, the government of US and the European Commission were the main donors of this initiative. The donors have also shown interest in the sustainability dimension of this practice, and the evidence of progress in knowledge levels, technical skills, and data quality has set a precedent for future initiatives.
Organizations
Main Implementing Organization(s)
Partner/Donor Organizations
Benefit and Impact
The understanding of the evolution of internal migration and remittances in Thailand was also improved through the analysis of the data. Both NSO and IOM researchers, as well as the readers of the report, enhanced their knowledge on these topics. The increased knowledge will inform programs, policies and research aimed at supporting migrants and communities.
Evidence-based policy decisions and targeted programs will improve support for the internal migrants and the family members who remained behind. This impact will be felt in the medium to long run, and will be evaluated through the number of references to the report.
The understanding of the methodology and examination of the questionnaire allowed IOM and NSO to also discuss the limitations and gaps and formulate recommendations for better data on internal migration and remittances in the LFS. The revision of the methodology and the questionnaire will allow for structural improvements in the quality of the data. This impact will be measured through the further data analyses and spillover also to improved understanding of internal migration and remittances in Thailand.
Another spillover effect, the quality of the analysis and successful collaboration between IOM and NSO, can enable additional donor support to continue improving the quality of data on migration and capacity of NSO staff involved in data and research. The intention of both IOM and NSO is to continue working together on other migration-related datasets and consolidate the collaboration between the two entities.
The insights generated from this practice feed into the first chapter of the Thailand Migration Report 2024 that will be released in the coming months. A series of recommendations, including those on internal migration and data collection through the LFS are presented in this chapter. The target audience of the report includes government officials, among others. These insights will also be compiled in the IOM-NSO joint report, which will include more insights on the trends. These will guide further research on the impact of internal migration.
At IOM, the training as well as LFS data analysis have provided insights into capacity development needs and areas requiring technical support or guidance. We hope the collaboration with NSO will continue to expand after the project concludes. The findings will also guide IOM's research, particularly in addressing data gaps, such as those related to children who remain behind due to internal mobility of the parents.
Key Lessons
The main challenges during the implementation phase was related to the data analysis. For instance, the teams had to ensure the accuracy and consistency of data collected every year between 2019 and 2023. A few inconsistencies in data formats and gaps in data coverage were discussed. To overcome this challenge, regular meetings and feedback loops took place between NSO and IOM teams. A validation process was establish to ensure that any discrepancies were quickly identified and addressed.
A second challenge was related to the heterogeneity of the participants’ profiles in the training. The training program was design in collaboration with NSO and tailored to the needs of the participants. It was designed to be intensive and hands-on, with practical sessions that reinforced theoretical knowledge. Regular communication between IOM and NSO was established, and regular meetings and feedback loops were essential for addressing challenges related to training content. Since participants were at different levels, tailored instruction and individual feedback were very important. The training, delivered in Thai by a Thai national, helped build trust and foster interaction. Future iterations of the training could benefit from a longer duration and more in-person meetings. It is also considered to space out the trainings over a longer period of time in the future, instead of conducting intensive short term training sessions, to allow participants more time to assimilate knowledge and apply new skills incrementally.
A third challenge was related to the introduction of new concepts to NSO colleagues, such as the lifetime migrants. The concept is recommended in international guidelines to understand the movements from the birth location of individuals. Several discussions took place to describe the concept, its relevance and adapt its definition or scope to the Thai context.
One of the good practices was the regular review and feedback mechanisms that IOM and NSO established from the beginning. Progress was monitored and feedback was incorporated. IOM will demonstrate the impact and effectiveness of the collaboration to attract more funding for further initiatives.
The collaboration revealed gaps in the existing methodology, prompting several suggested improvements to enhance data collection. These include updating the Migration Module to capture a broader range of migrant experiences, implementing stratified sampling techniques for better representation of all migrant populations, and establishing a protocol for regular reviews of data collection methodologies to adapt to evolving migration trends.
Recommendations(if the practice is to be replicated)
- Establish clear and specific goals: articulating what the collaboration aims to achieve in clear and specific terms as well as the timeline. For instance, an agreement between IOM and NSO was signed.
- Establish clear communication channels: identifying focal points in each entity and setting up transparent communication channels to facilitate smooth coordination and timely resolution of issues or challenges. Regular meetings, in person or online, with email updates are options to consider.
- Outline roles and responsibilities: specifying clearly the roles and responsibilities of the two partner including detailing who will lead and who will support.
- Develop a joint action plan: create a detailed action plan early in the collaboration to outline the steps needed to achieve the objectives (timelines, milestones and resource mobilization).
Innovation
Besides, the training involved replication. IOM would run the analysis and require trainees to replicate, and these results were compared. This hand-on practice ensured that staff could apply their new skills directly to real-world data analysis with LFS data.
The impacts of the practice are sustainable for at least two reasons: first, the NSO junior staff benefits from an increased knowledge that will serve structurally the NSO activities. Second, the improved methodology to collect and analyse data will structurally generate better quality data from the LFS Migration Module.
The practice is scalable as it provides a model that can be adapted and applied in different contexts or countries. The methodology and training approaches used can be replicated and tailored to other migration data analysis projects, making it an effective model for similar initiatives globally.
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*References to Kosovo shall be understood to be in the context of United Nations Security Council resolution 1244 (1999).