Abstract

This article investigates the social integration of elderly migrants who have moved to the urban area of Khon Kaen Province, which is a rapid growth city in Thailand. The study employed a qualitative approach, specifically the narrative approach. In-depth interviewing and non-participatory observation were applied as research instruments to collect data from sixteen elderly migrants living in the urban area of Khon Kaen Province. The period of the data collection was from January to August 2017, and data analysis was conducted based on the narrative analysis method. The findings indicate that social integration of elders affects their quality of life at their place of destination, as elderly migrants moved locations in order to live closer to family members. This ensured that they were not left alone in the origin area and still conducted family and community activities. In addition, social integration offered an opportunity for elderly migrants to express their identity at the new place to which they had moved.