'Child labour' the state of play : a case study of Changwat Khon Kaen: Thailand

Abstract

The purpose of this thesis is to examine the concept of 'child labour' in Thailand. Stereotypes of exploited children working in sweatshops and as child prostitutes have hidden the complexities of children's lives. The thesis investigates Thai 'child labour' by examining the lives of both working and non-working children. This thesis is based on quantitative and qualitative data collected in 1996 from four research sites in Changwat Khan Kaen, Thailand: a community in Khon Kaen, a slum connected to that community, and two villages on 18 kilometres and the other 80 kilometres from the city. Thai society has adjusted to major economic developments, technological advances, fertility declines, and new attitudes towards education. Consequently, definitions of a 'child', 'work' and 'child labour' have altered. As a result children's main form of work has become education. Children have not only been influenced by these changes by they have been active in shaping their own lives. They have not been passive 'victims' but often determine where, when and for how long they work. This work, however, differs among children, depending on their age, sex, location, and their socioeconomic status. As families gain wealth children leave the labour force to study. The reasons why children work in the labour force are multifaceted, yet the thesis shows that to reduce the number of children in the workforce poverty has to be reduced.