Transnational Entrepreneurs: Economic Livelihood Diversification

Abstract

AbstractThis article examines transnational entrepreneurs’ decision-making and the selection process of economic livelihood diversification strategies in the special economic zone, Mukdahan, Thailand. The study utilizes qualitative research methods, namely, documentation, field study data collection, interviews, and both participative and non-participative observations. Significant participants include four officials and numbers of staff from the government and private sector, such as officials from the Provincial Administrative Organization, the Chamber of Commerce, and the Provincial Industry Council; staff from the business world, such as the hospitality industry; and fourteen transnational immigrant entrepreneurs working in the commerce, production, and/or service sectors. The results show that Vietnamese, Chinese, Chinese–Thai, and Laotian transnational immigrant entrepreneurs have applied different economic livelihood strategies, predominantly by exploiting opportunities in Mukdahan, offered by the Greater Mekong Subregion’s (GMS) economic policies. Nevertheless, as immigrants, access to political and social privileges and citizenship rights are limited. In these circumstances, transnational entrepreneurs struggle to secure their livelihoods in order to negotiate politically and be socially accepted. This study found that immigrant entrepreneurs apply four strategies to overcome the aforementioned limitations: (1) having different types of businesses, (2) building up business advantages, (3) offering various sales channels, and (4) establishing diverse social networks.