Expansion of rubber plantations in Northeast Thailand: Income and living status of full-time hired labor

บทคัดย่อ

Rubber plantations in Northeastern Thailand have greatly expanded in recent years, but their impacts on full-time hired labor working in these plantations have not been investigated. This study assessed the impacts of rubber plantations on income and living status of this full-time hired labor. The study was conducted in a village in Khon Kaen Province using a semi-structured interview. Thirteen full-time hired labor households were interviewed, of which seven were non-veteran rubber workers and six were veteran rubber workers in the South and in Loei Province. The results showed that working in rubber plantations in the region benefitted both the non-veteran and the veteran labor, but differently. The benefits to non-veteran labor were both increased income and better living status.

 Their annual income increased from US$1,591 to US$4,475 due to a great increase in wage income. Their spending was higher on all items, particularly on living and children’s education. Being local residents, most of them did not view that working in rubber productions affected their normal life and their relationships with family and community. On the contrary, the benefit to veteran labor was not money but a better quality of life—even though their average annual income decreased from US$4,268 to US$3,852 due to a reduced wage income. Their spending was comparable to the former period. However, they could go back home on free days which enabled them to grow rice and attend social events at their home village. They felt that their family life and relationship with the home community were much better than when they worked in the South. With these benefits, further expansion of rubber plantations in the region would provide attractive employment to local labor, and should persuade more migrant labor to return home, particularly the laid-off labor from the relocated industries.