A Thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science, School of Environment, Resources and Development

Thesis (M.Sc.) - Asian Institute of Technology,2002

The movement of people across international boundaries has been an enduring component of recent human history. Whatever the reasons are of particular significance for migrations, it entails a number of distinct, through complex, consequences for countries both of origin and destination, as well as the people involved in this process: the migrant, the family and peer groups. Each year thousands of Karen women migrate to Thailand. An estimates number of illegal migrants reach up to 800,000 in year 2000 and each year many of these women were enter into Thailand as factory workers, domestic workers, entertainers and sex workers. Some of them return home with limited support and understanding of their experiences and needs. Thus this study encourages for providing insight study into the Karen single women migration experiences, perspectives and effect of migration on single Karen women, the impact of migration to their status of gender role upon returning to the place of on origin. Attention has been drawn to the fact that once they returned to their place of origin, Karen single women returnees faced different situations. Some of the returnees went back to their traditional farm work, while some of them attempted to migrate again rather than look for work in the place of origin. Young Karen single women returnees often engage in the local small business or became domestic helper within their household. Most of the returnees generally stated that they had much self-confidence upon decisionmaking and more socially independence for dealing with the peer groups from parental control. Moreover, Karen single women's migration experiences show that the decisionmaking role of young women returnees is transformed to independent decision maker within household. Accordingly, their lifestyle and the physical appearance have been change among peer groups after returning to place of origin. However, returnees want to explore more opportunities for their life in order to become better life. Their decision and migration experiences make them in tum of delay marriage. As a result, they do not concern for their marriage life and support to their parents as the main factor for the returnees. As a result, parents become economically depended on migrant daughters' remittances and the daughters' position tum into key income earner within the household. Urgent policy implications for crucial needs of young single Karen women returnees should be focused on their repatriation and rehabilitations in their place of origin.