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Thai Marriage Migrants in Germany and Their Employment Dilemma After the Residence Act of 2005

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Thai Marriage Migrants in Germany and Their Employment Dilemma After the Residence Act of 2005 Thai Marriage Migrants in Germany and Their Employment Dilemma after the Residence Act of 2005 Dissertation zur Erlangung des akademischen Grades doctor philosophiae (Dr.phil.) im Fach Südostasien-Studien eingereicht am 13. Oktober 2017 an der Kultur-, Sozial- und Bildungswissenschaftlichen Fakultät der Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin von Woramon Sinsuwan, M.A. Präsidentin der Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin Prof. Dr.-Ing. Dr. Sabine Kunst Dekanin der Kultur-, Sozial- und Bildungswissenschaftlichen Fakultät Prof. Dr. Julia von Blumenthal Gutachter: 1. Prof. Dr. Boike Rehbein 2. Prof. Dr. Vincent Houben Tag der Verteidigung: 29. Januar 2018 i Acknowledgements I wish to express my heartfelt thanks and deepest appreciation to Prof. Dr. Boike Rehbein for his invaluable support and guidance in every step of this dissertation. It has been a great privilege studying and working under his supervision during these past years. He has not only inspired my interest and strengthened my understanding of Sociology, but also has impressed me with his tireless dedication to the betterment and the success of his students. I am also thankful to many professors and friends at Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, who have made my Ph.D. study a wonderful experience, such as Prof. Dr. Vincent Houben, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Nil Mutluer, Dr. Benjamin Baumann, Mr. Martin Schalbruch, Dr. Sirima Thongsawang, Mr. Kai-Uwe Kolar and Ms. Supitcha Punya, to name but a few. I wish to extend my profound respect and gratitude to H.E. Dr. Dhiravat Bhumichitr, Ambassador of Thailand to Berlin, my kindest boss and mentor, for his continued support and interest in my dissertation. I am grateful to my colleagues at the Royal Thai Embassy in Berlin, many of whom have wholeheartedly lent a hand without hesitation. I sincerely thank Mr. Ross E. Petzing, who kindly proofread my draft and Dr. Dorothea Stedtnitz, who kindly helped with the English-German translation. This dissertation would not have been possible without the selfless sacrifice and friendly assistance of Thai migrants, to whom I am wholeheartedly indebted. Having known them and learnt about their lives over the course of this research has been, and will continue to be, my greatest learning experience. These women and men have truly taught me to be a new and better person. My perspectives on Thai migrants have changed in a positive light, and I look forward to working closely with them as a diplomat who is determined to work even harder for their benefit and well-being at home and abroad. I am thankful to many persons whom I regard as my mentors, including Dr. Pataya Ruenkaew, Mrs. Aunchun Hirling, Mrs. Suchada Beyer, Mrs. Prapairat R.Mix and Mrs. Payungsri Kulavong, to name just a few. Last but not least, I wish to thank my husband, Siwanus, and our daughter, Celyn, who have always been my motivation and strength. I thank my parents, Prawit and Panida, for their unconditional love and endless trust in me. Without them, I would not have come this far. ii Abstract Thais started to migrate to Germany around the 1960s, and it is statistically evident that the feminisation of Thai migration through marriage to Germans has continued to the present day (Federal Statistics Office of Germany, 2016). Women account for almost 87 percent of all Thais in Germany. Marriages of Thai women to German or foreign husbands account for 94 percent of marriages in Germany involving Thai nationals, compared to only six percent of Thai men married to German or foreign wives. In 2005, the total number of Thais in Germany was 58,784; however, only 43 percent of Thais were registered as “labour” under the German employment system. This paper investigates the employment dilemma of Thai marriage migrants after implementation of the new Residence Act of 2005. First, it sheds light on the underlying problems that hinder Thai marriage migrants’ potential as full-time labourers and provides better understanding of why highly-educated Thai marriage migrants cannot fully integrate into the German labour market. Second, it examines the Thai diaspora and explores the present-day trans-nationalism of Thai marriage migrants in Germany. Finally, it applies Pierre Bourdieu’s theoretical concept of capital, habitus and social space to better understand Thai marriage migrants’ career choices in the German milieu. Qualitative interviews with 38 informants and a quantitative questionnaire filled out by 125 additional respondents were conducted between 2016 and 2017, providing one of the most comprehensive researches on Thai marriage migrants in Germany to date. Keywords marriage migration, transnationalism, Thai diaspora, social space, employment, German labour market iii Abstrakt Seit ungefähr den 1960er Jahren migrieren Thailänder nach Deutschland, und es ist statistisch belegt, dass die Feminisierung der thailändischen Migration bis heute anhält (Bundesamt für Statistik, 2016). Frauen machen 87 Prozent aller in Deutschland lebenden Thailänder und Thailänderinnen aus. 94 Prozent aller Ehen mit thailändischer Beteiligung in Deutschland bestehen zwischen thailändischen Frauen und deutschen oder ausländischen Männern, während in nur 6 Prozent der Fälle thailändische Männer mit deutschen oder ausländischen Frauen verheiratet sind. Im Jahr 2005 waren 58.784 thailändische Staatsangehörige in Deutschland gemeldet, aber nur 43 Prozent davon waren nach dem deutschen Gesetz als „erwerbstätig“ registriert. Die vorliegende Arbeit untersucht das Beschäftigungsdilemma thailändischer Heiratsmigranten seit dem Inkrafttreten des neuen Aufenthaltsgesetzes im Jahr 2005. Zunächst beleuchtet sie die zugrundeliegenden Probleme, wegen derer die thailändische Heiratsmigranten ihr Potential als Vollzeit-Arbeitskräfte nicht ausschöpfen können, und erklärt, warum sich hochqualifizierte thailändische Heiratsmigranten nicht voll in den deutschen Arbeitsmarkt integrieren können. Dann untersucht sie die thailändische Diaspora und den Transnationalismus thailändischer Heiratsmigranten in Deutschland, und schließlich versucht sie, anhand Pierre Bourdieus Theorie von Kapital, Habitus und sozialem Raum die Berufsentscheidungen thailändischer Heiratsmigranten im deutschen Umfeld zu erklären. Qualitative Interviews, welche zwischen 2016 und 2017 durchgeführt worden sind, stellen mit 38 Informanten und einem quantitativen Fragebogen, der von 125 Befragten ausgefüllt wurde, bislang eine der umfangreichsten Forschungen über thailändische Ehemigranten in Deutschland dar. Schlagwörter Heiratsmigration, Transnationalismus, thailändische Diaspora, sozialer Raum, Erwerbstätigkeit, deutscher Arbeitsmarkt iv Illustrations Tables Table 1 Marital Status of Thai Females in Germany (1998-2015) ............................................ 13 Table 2 Marital Status of Thai Males in Germany (1998-2015) ................................................ 14 Table 3 Migration Generation of Thai population by Age group and Gender in 2015 .............. 18 Table 4 Sozialversicherungspflichtig und Geringfügig Beschäfigte nach Staatsangehörigkeiten und Geschlecht Deutschland, West- und Ostdeutschland (Stichtag 30. Juni 2014) ..................... 19 Table 5 Sozialversicherungspflichtig und Geringfügig Beschäfigte nach Staatsangehörigkeiten und Geschlecht Deutschland, West- und Ostdeutschland (Stichtag 30. Juni 2014) ..................... 19 Table 6 Sozialversicherungspflichtig und Geringfügig Beschäfigte nach Staatsangehörigkeiten und Geschlecht Deutschland, West- und Ostdeutschland (Stichtag 30. Juni 2014) .................... 20 Table 7 Geringfügig Beschäfigte nach Staatsangehörigkeiten und Geschlecht Deutschland, West- und Ostdeutschland (Stichtag 30. Juni 2014) ..................................................................... 21 Table 8 List of Informants for Qualitative Method ................................................................... 55 Table 9 Personal Information and Pre-migration Qualifications of 38 Informants (Sex, Age, Marital Status and Parenthood, Educational Attainment and Work experience) .......................... 60 Table 10 Educational Attainment of 125 Questionnaire Respondents ...................................... 61 Table 11 Marriage Migration (Channel, Dating, Purpose and Spouse Age Difference) ........... 62 Table 12 Main Reasons for Employment in Germany .............................................................. 65 Table 13 Employment Status, Language Proficiency, Parenthood and Vocational Training .... 67 Table 14 Useful Factors for Obtaining Employment in Germany ............................................ 69 Table 15 Main Obstacles to Finding or Obtaining Employment in Germany ........................... 69 Table 16 Good Points about Masseuse Work ............................................................................ 73 Table 17 Bad Points about Masseuse Work ............................................................................... 79 Table 18 ‘Dream Jobs’ Informants ............................................................................................ 95 Table 19 ‘Socially Conscious Jobs’ Informants ........................................................................ 96 Table 20 Interest in Working as a Masseuse .............................................................................. 98 Table 21 ‘Stigmatised Jobs’ Informants .................................................................................... 99 Table 22 ‘Desperate Jobs’ Informants ..................................................................................... 101 Table
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