The Study of Context and Patterns on Alcohol Drinking of Myanmar Migrant Workers in Chiang Rai Province

Abstract

This study aimed to investigate environmental causal factors, drinking behavior patterns, drinking impacts on Myanmar migrant workers in Chiang Rai Province find out solution and protective measure.
To achieve the objectives of the study, qualitative and quantitative approaches were employed to gathering data. These include questionnaire survey with 385 Myanmar migrant workers drinking liquor, structured interview with representatives of employer and firm, focus group with representatives of employer and firm as well as related government officials, and case studies for thoroughly examining drinking influences, and Myanmar migrant workers who have drinking patterns. Statistical Package was used to analyze quantitative data and Data Clustering in compare tables are used to analyze and explain data according to the objectives. The findings were showed as follows.

Environmental causal factors and drinking patterns of Myanmar migrant workers in Chiang Rai Province revealed that the majority of workers started drinking since the age of 16-20 years in the party, feast, and traditional events. Average cost of drinking was 896.94 baht per month, and rice whisky was the most preferable. Most of behavior pattern was hazardous drinking (63.64%), followed by low risk drinking (20.78%), harmful use (10.13%), and alcohol dependence (5.45%) respectively. Social and cultural context affecting the alcohol drinking behavior of Myanmar migrant workers was at the highest level (=4.52), stress context (=4.15), drinking occasion context (=4.08), and the high level on the environmental context as well as job categories (=3.95) respectively.

The most impact of drinking to oneself and health was increasing detrimental physical and psychological and psychological health (86.8%), followed by alcohol dependence (70.9%), and causing of diseases (55.8%). The impacts on work were being blamed by employers (82.9%), absented from work (70.9%), and increased poor efficiency of work (60.3%).  In addition, the impacts on family and society were mostly increase family expenditures (77.1%), quarrel (73.8%), and cause of emotional instability to family members (73.2%).

Guidelines and measures to prevent and resolve drinking problems among Myanmar migrant workers in Chiang Rai Province required cooperation from all sectors, especially employers of the organizations should strictly enforce the rules and regulations into practice. Cooperation with government agencies to educate and raise awareness on solving as well as preventing problems in order to achieve the goal of reducing the Myanmar migrant workers’ drinking behavior which would affect to Thai society.