Longitudinal Analysis of the Impact of Migration on Household Wealth in Kanchanaburi Province, Thailand

Kathy Ford, University of Michigan
Aree Jampaklay, Mahidol University
Aphichat Chamratrithirong, Mahidol University

The objective of this study is to examine the impact of migration and remittances on household wealth using data from a longitudinal study conducted in the Kanchanaburi province of Thailand. The Kanchanaburi province is of interest due to its varied economy that allows us to examine these relationships over time in five different types of communities. These communities include urban or semi-urban, rice growing, plantation, uplands, and mixed areas. The Kanchanaburi DSS is operated by the Institute for Population and Social Research (IPSR) in the Kanchanaburi province of Thailand. Panel data were collected from households, individuals and communities each year from 2000 to 2004. In each round, about 42,000 individuals were interviewed in about 12,000 households. Both multiple regression and random effects models are used to estimate the impact of migration and remittances on household wealth over a four-year period.