The Migration of International Academics to Thailand and their Experiences of Thai Higher Education

This study reports on exploratory research to understand the lived experience of international academics in Thailand, what motivates them to migrate to the country and work in Thai higher education, and what encourages them to stay or leave. Transcripts for semi-structured, narrative interviews were analysed using Schartner and Young’s (2016 Schartner and Young’s (2020) model of adjustment and adaptation as a theoretical framework. The participants were twenty-nine international academics working in Thai universities across different regions. Findings align with motivations of other groups of migrants to Thailand in terms of lifestyle, lower cost of living, having a social network in Thailand or having a Thai partner. Most international academics reported a sense of freedom, good relationships with students, low levels of integration with local staff, and a lack of involvement in management and administration. Their major difficulties were language barriers and visa complications. The findings of this study provide indications of how to develop new internationalization policies and practices to inform planning for quality mobility for inbound international academics. It also serves the wider aim of making Thailand’s migration policies more consistent with its goals of being an educational hub in the region.