Intergenerational Occupational Mobility in Rural Thailand 1997-2017

Abstract: Inequality has been growing in Thailand, but the consequence of inequality, intergenerational social mobility has not been studied. This research aims to provide contemporary study of intergenerational occupational mobility in Thailand during 1997-2017, and provide the first time three generations mobility by employing Townsend Thai panel data. This research employs EGP class schema for classification, and cross tabulates the results in standard mobility table and outflow mobility table, to calculate the total upward/downward mobility rates. Additionally, to solve the constraint of changing occupational structure overtime, I calculate the odd ratios to measure relative chances of individuals in attaining a certain class. The results are 29.5% of individuals experience upward absolute mobility than their parents. Individuals from higher backgrounds have higher chances to reach the higher backgrounds. The petite bourgeoise class is the second highest class enjoys upward mobility to the top, besides the owner class. Surprisingly, women have higher mobility rate than men, and women move to higher class than men, while men rather stay in lower classes.