Transnational PRC Chinese in Bangkok

THAILAND STUDIES PROGRAMME SEMINAR

About the Seminar

This presentation addresses the social embeddedness of transnational Chinese from the People’s Republic of China in Bangkok, Thailand. Differing from their predecessors, recent waves of transnational PRC Chinese, in settings around the globe, are legitimized and celebrated by Beijing as dual socially-embedded subjects – situated in-between their host countries and their fatherland.  The implications of such intricate interconnectedness for their host societies have not been fully explored. The intensification of China-ASEAN interactions in a range of dimensions demands attention to the numerous and varied forms of social engagement amongst transnational PRC Chinese, and between them and members of the host society in settings like Bangkok, Thailand. This seminar provides an overview of the “new” Chinese presence in locales including Sampheng-Yaowarat, Talat Noi, Huai Kwang, Lat Kratbang and Suea Pa Plaza. It considers several dominant groups, among these, transnational PRC Chinese student-preneurs, the owners of small and medium-sized enterprises, professionals, investors, and people in more ambiguous roles. The seminar argues for the importance of people-to-people interactions in the context of PRC Chinese transnationalism and for attention to the broader geo-economic and geo-political implications of those interactions.

About the Speaker

Dr Lee Kian Cheng is Assistant Professor in the School of International Affairs, Faculty of Political Science and Public Administration, Chiang Mai University, Thailand. His current research concerns Chinese business practices, transnational entrepreneurship, cultural and citizen diplomacy, and Thai religious networks. He is also a member of the board of the Asian Pastoral Institute Ltd. in Singapore.

Registration

For registration, please click here. Registration closes on 9 September 2019.

Date

Sep 11 2019
Expired!

Time

10:00 am - 11:30 am

Location

ISEAS Seminar Room 2