Critical factors affecting Chinese construction expatriates’ living and working conditions in Thailand: a Delphi study

Abstract

Expatriation management is a key concern in international construction projects, where the living and working conditions of expatriates can have a significant impact on project success. This study investigates the critical factors affecting Chinese construction expatriates’ living and working conditions in Thailand. Through a three-round Delphi technique involving twelve experts and in-depth semi-structured interviews with eight construction experts with extensive overseas experience to validate, six critical factors were identified for each living and working condition. Language and Covid-19-related (during the investigating period) factors were the most dominant factors affecting the living conditions, while technical standards, technology, and competition were critical factors for working conditions. The study categorizes the critical factors into five groups and provides suggestions for improvement. This research is the first to investigate the specific factors affecting Chinese construction expatriates in Thailand and offers insights and management directions for the expatriation process, particularly for the growing number of Chinese construction companies expanding internationally. The findings also serve as a valuable reference for future research on this topic.