Abstract

The research objective is to study the behavior of money transferred back to the country and to study factors related to the remittance of Myanmar workers in Surat Thani Province. The samples in this study consisted of 400 Myanmar workers in Surat Thani Province. The tool used in collecting data was a questionnaire, and the data analysis employed descriptive statistics such as frequency, percentage, mean, standard deviation, and inferential statistics, including Chi-Square Test and Regression Analysis. The research explored the expense behavior of Myanmar workers in several aspects. For the consumption side, the average cost of the food and beverage category was 2,561.45 baht/month, which was the highest expense. The expense in the housing category was 1451.63 baht/month, and that in the vehicle and transportation service category was 824.31 baht/month. The data on workers’ behavior related to debt revealed personal debt for consumption as the highest average. Their motivation to return to the country was identified at a moderate level overall, accounting for 3.08 /5 on average. The migrant workers’ behavior related to money transfers to the home country mainly involved remittances to parents in support of their living expenses. The average amount of the remittance was 3,722.22 baht per month, with a frequency of 16 – 20 times per year. Money transfer was only made when needed, and service points were local stores providing the service without much document involved, with no complicated procedures. The transferring process was short while the fee was low. The service was convenient for both parties. For transfer, servicing stores were prevalent in the local region, and a slip confirming the transfer was immediately issued. For recipients in Myanmar, the amount was directly transferred into the account in no time. Recipients did not have to wait for a middleman or relatives to deliver the money in person when returning to Myanmar.

Keywords

Remittance behavior, migrant workers, Myanmar