2025/10/06 by Tri-Anh Duc Nguyen, Trung Thành Nguyễn · 1 voice
Social Sciences · #Southeast Asian Sociopolitical Studies #Migration and Labor Dynamics #Asian Geopolitics and Ethnography
paper · pdf · doi:10.1080/00220388.2025.2563847
openalex publication_date 2025/10/06 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/31
While return migration’s positive economic effects are well-documented, its impact on crime and conflict remains understudied. We examine return migrant effects on crime and conflict in rural Thailand using panel data from 110 subdistricts across three north-eastern provinces (2010–2022). Employing three-stage least squares with weighted-distance unemployment rates as an instrumental variable, we find significant effects on conflict, specifically business fraud, but no evidence for property crime effects or neighbour conflicts. Business fraud effects increase consistently and persist up to nine months upon return. Our findings suggest that while return migrants contribute to local economies through acquired social, financial, and human capital, positive effects can be severely offset by business fraud without proper reintegration policies.