WAYS OF LIFE IN MELAYA SOCIETY AND CULTURE OF THAI WORKERS

Abstract

               This research topic is “Ways of life in Melayu society and culture of Thai workers”. The purposes of this study were; 1) To study the background of Thai workers in Brunei; 2) To study the ways of life of Thai workers in Melayu society and culture in Brunei; 3) To analyze the adaptation process towards the coexistence under the cultural differences and Melayu society in Brunei. This research was a survey research by collecting data from interviews and observations. The research result found that Thai workers need to go to Brunei for work and income. Economic factors are the main reason for Thai workers to go to work in Brunei. Brunei is one of many choices which Thai workers decide to work in this country; due to a good economy and they can get higher compensation than work in Thailand. Livings in Brunei have a strict rules and regulations. Islam plays a very important role in order to determine social behavior and peace community. The adaptation of workers for coexistence under the cultural differences and Melayu society in Brunei can be divided as follows: The beginning of migrant; workers decide to work overseas by economic and financial motivations: the hope for getting more financial opportunities than working in Thailand. For this beginning time; workers are worry about how to live in foreign country and unable to predict what will happen, these things are cause of anxiety. Afterwards, the adaptation to new society after they live for a while; we can call this time is a honeymoon stage. Thai workers migrate to work in foreign countries because of necessity and economic pressure, after they arrive in destination country; they have no opportunity to recognize the cultural or ways of life in that country due to living in working area that provided by the employer. This kind of interaction may cause excited, negative feelings or hard to live in this new society when they face the rapidly cultural change. But after time passed, workers will change their lifestyle and learn to adapt to new culture step by step, feeling more comfortable with the new environment and enter to the recovery stage.