PERTANIKA JOURNAL OF SOCIAL SCIENCES AND HUMANITIES

 

e-ISSN 2231-8534
ISSN 0128-7702

Home / Regular Issue / JSSH Vol. 31 (1) Mar. 2023 / JSSH-8337-2021

 

Social Interaction of Japanese Elderly in Chiang Mai Thailand

Thitima Promtong and Porntida Visaetsilapanonta

Pertanika Journal of Social Science and Humanities, Volume 31, Issue 1, March 2023

DOI: https://doi.org/10.47836/pjssh.31.1.05

Keywords: Japanese elderly, long-stay, migration, social interaction

Published on: 17 March 2023

This qualitative research aimed to study the social interactions of Japanese elderly staying long-term in Chiang Mai. The key informants were nine Japanese, 60 years of age and up, staying for long-term in Chiang Mai, selected by purposive sampling. The informants holding Non-Immigration Visa, code O-A (long-stay), and staying in Chiang Mai for more than five years provided clear information on the studied issues. Data were collected by conducting in-depth interviews and using triangulation data testing and analyzed by using content analysis and theme analysis for summarizing the research results. The results found that the Japanese elderly regularly interacted with people in the community via daily life and social activities in daily face-to-face conversation. The Thai language was used in communications with community members. The interactions’ scope, frequency, and intensity were in the neighborhood. The key informants spent time building familiarity with people and limited special physical areas with the capacity to create social interactions. Long-term residence in Chiang Mai for more than three years was found to have caused elderly Japanese informants to have interactions with the environment while connecting the micro-system, the mesosystem, the exo-system, and the macro-system, causing elderly Japanese informants to have broad social networks, resulting in good learning and understanding of community cultures, laws, rules, norms and values in addition to enabling behaviors consistent with community culture, creating understanding and respect for cultural differences and ability to live in harmony in Thai society.

  • Alkhazraji, K. M. (1997). Immigrants and cultural adaptation in the American workplace. Routledge.

  • Appadurai, A. (2002). Modernity at large: Cultural dimensions of globalization. University of Minnesota.

  • Bentham, J. (1789). An introduction to the principles of moral and legislations. New England Publisher.

  • Bronfenbrenner, U. (2005). Ecological models of human development (2nd ed.). Elsevier.

  • Chanchalor, A., Itthipuriphat, A., & Chanbanjong, C. (2017). Guidelines for the long-stay lodging business for the elderly Japanese in Chiang Mai. Journal of Integrated Sciences. 14(1), 25-34.

  • Chiang Mai Provincial Office. (2020). A brief information of Chiang Mai. http://chiangmai.go.th/managing/public/D8/8D17Jan2022133138.pdf

  • Delahoutre, P. (2022, January 29). Notre top 10 des paradis de retraite en 2022 [Our top 10 retirement paradises in 2022]. Retraite sans frontieres. http://www.retraitesansfrontieres.fr/newsletter/top-10-des-pays-de-retraite/

  • Department of Economic and Social Affairs. (2019). World population ageing. United Nations. https://www.un.org/en/development/desa/population/publications/pdf/ageing/WorldPopulationAgeing2019-Highlights.pdf

  • Duangkaew, S. (2015). Cultural adaptation of retired Japanese staying long term in Chiang Mai province. Japanese Journal, 3(2), 35-51.

  • Hongsaranakorn, P. (2015). Migration of Japanese retired elderly: A case study of Phuket, Thailand. Journal of Population Studies, 30(2), 42-66.

  • Ingersoll-Dayton, B., Saengtienchai, C., Kespichayawattana, J., & Aungsuroch, Y. (2001). Psychological well-being Asian style: The perspective of Thai elders. Journal of Cross-Cultural Gerontology, 16, 283-302. https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1011984017317

  • Intaratat K., Pankhao, A., Thongprayoon, C., Kachentharaphan, P., Iamnirun, T., Lomchawakan, P., Thongrin, S., Tangsakul, W., & Chunwijitra, W. (2006). Thailand’s potential for long stay tourism. Secretariat of the Senate. http://doi.org/10.12755/SHR.res.2006.4

  • Koshiji, M. (2012). The role of Japanese elderly staying long term towards local communities in Mueang District, Chiang Mai Province [Unpublished master’s thesis]. Chiang Mai University.

  • Lustig, M. W., & Koester, J. (1993). Intercultural communication competence. Sage Publications.

  • Maluhan, M. (1964). Global/Local: Media literacy for the global village. Routledge.

  • Ministry of Tourism and Sports. (2018). A completed report: A project to promote sustainable tourism. https://www.mots.go.th/download/Research/ProjectToPromoteSustainableTourism.pdf

  • Ministry of Tourism and Sports. (2019). Number and income of foreign tourists. https://www.mots.go.th/news/category/585

  • Miyazaki, K. (2008). An aging society and migration to Asia and Oceania. In S. Yamashita, M. Minami, D. Haines, & J. S. Eades (Eds.), Transnational migration in East Asia: Japan in a comparative focus (pp. 139-150). Senri Ethnological Reports.

  • Nishikito, E. (2020). The current situation of aging Japanese retirees and their impacts on medical services in Chiang Mai province, Thailand. JSN Journal, 10(2), 100-118.

  • Sydenham, J. (1960). Netherland India: A study of plural economy. Cambridge University Press.

  • Talcott, P. (1965). The structure of social action. Free Press.

  • Wiemann, J. M., & Backlund, P. (1980). Current theory and research in communicative competence. Review of Education Research, 50(1), 185-199. https://doi.org/10.3102/00346543050001185

  • Williams, A. M., King, R., Warnes, A., & Patterson, G. (2000). Tourism and international retirement migration: New forms of an old relationship in southern Europe. Tourism Geographies, 2(1), 28-49. https://doi.org/10.1080/146166800363439

ISSN 0128-7702

e-ISSN 2231-8534

Article ID

JSSH-8337-2021

Download Full Article PDF

Share this article

Related Articles