Mobile Technology in the Lives of Thai Immigrants in Germany Mobile Technology in the Lives of Thai Immigrants in Germany Sirima Thongsawang ► Sirima Thongsawang. (2016). Mobile technology in the lives of Thai immigrants in Germany. ASEAS – Austrian Journal of South-East Asian Studies, 9(2), 295-300. This paper examines the role of mobile technology in the lives of Thai immigrants in Berlin. By using qualitative research methods, this research investigates how new digital and social media applications have affected the organization of Thai immigrants on both individual and institutional levels, with a particular focus on the Royal Thai Embassy in Berlin. Mobile technologies today are widely used in the diaspora, by both individuals and social institutions, to maintain relationships with the homeland and to promote national affairs. Both individual Thai immigrants and official staff of the embassy rely significantly on Internet sites, particularly on social networking sites such as Facebook, to gain infor- mation on Thailand and to expand their networks. This paper explores changes in com- munication and their implications for Thais and their respective institutions in Germany. Keywords: Berlin; Mobile Technology; Royal Thai Embassy; Social Networking Sites; Thai Migration  INTRODUCTION AND BACKGROUND Across continents, the emergence of new communication channels has changed the central means to acquire information. Private individuals and social organi- zations increasingly use mobile technologies as tools to search information and convey their message. The nature of information is also subject to change. Infor- mation acquisition has been moved from physical materials to digital media not least due to the fast pace of online connections (Harper, 2011, pp. 55-56). Among the variety of immigrant groups in Germany, Thai people make up a large number of foreign citizens. The immigration statistics of Germany collect- ed in 2014, reveal that 58,827 Thais reside in Germany (Statistisches Bundesamt, 2015). This number includes the first and second generation of Thais in Germany who still hold Thai citizenship. Thai immigrants have established networks and created group activities to stay connected with other members of the commu- nity throughout Germany. Before the development of widespread social media use, a large number of Thai immigrants in Berlin were only passive receivers of letters and flyers and lacked opportunities to respond. Today, these ‘audiences’ no longer take a passive role, but a more interactive and productive role (e.g., Chen, 2011, p. 757; Livingstone, 2004, p. 5). Individuals can now instantly give feedback or comment on a given data via social media platforms. New media and mobile technologies have created new ways of communica- tion that serve people in different circumstances, locations, times, and purposes. Forschungswerkstatt  Research Workshop w w w .s ea s. at d oi 1 0. 14 76 4/ 10 .A SE A S- 20 16 .2 -8 296 Sirima Thongsawang  ASEAS 9(2) Moreover, media ideologies point at people’s capacity to interpret communicative possibilities and define the material limitations of particular channels (Gershon, 2010; Thompson, 2009). The online platforms most favored by Thai people in Ger- many include Skype, Facebook Messenger, LINE, WhatsApp, and different provid- ers’ operating systems such as Blackberry Message Service (BBM) and Apple’s iMes- sage. Offering instant message services, these mobile social media platforms facilitate communication and information exchange and distribution among users equipped with portable computers and mobile phones. This paper examines the role of mobile technologies in the daily lives of Thai im- migrants and in the organization and work of related institutions such as the Royal Thai Embassy in Berlin. The main objectives of this study are to demonstrate the interplay between popular uses of mobile technologies and Thai immigration to Ger- many, and to explore the changes triggered by the application of new media in rep- resentative organizations and institutions. The author argues that social media have become the key channel for connecting and networking among Thai immigrants in Germany. In order to accommodate emerging online practices, the Royal Thai Em- bassy is now facilitating online inquiries through its website. Information dissemina- tion has also shifted from the use of text letters or posters to email or chat messages. As the study shows, previous offline Public Relations (PR) strategies blocked the flow of communication between Thai individuals, respective organizations, and the general public because a number of Thai immigrants were unable to fully access tra- ditional media such as newspapers and magazines. This resulted in some Thai im- migrants disengaging from the circles of the government and their activities. Instead, they relied on family and peer networks in order to gather information relating to homeland affairs. Many did not participate in national events as information did not reach them in a timely manner. Only a few had established their social networks to share information, yet their offline connection remained limited. Unlike earlier tradi- tional practices, PR via the Internet solved many accessibility problems (Thompson, 2009). Thus, new media eventually became the solution for the Royal Thai Embassy in Berlin to reach Thai immigrants living in and outside Berlin and engage them in their activities. Using interviews and participant observation, this paper scrutinizes current changes in the communication and organization among Thai immigrants in Berlin. Secondary data is drawn mainly from governmental statistics and documents. Inter- views with the Royal Thai Embassy staff and Thai people with migration background living in Berlin were carried out in the period from June to September, 2015. RESEARCH INSIGHTS The study showed that mobile technologies are widely employed at both individual and organizational levels. Both formal and informal communication ranging from official announcements from the Royal Thai Embassy to everyday chatting occur on social media platforms and rapidly replace more traditional media. Previously, many Thai immigrants were not able to access information provided by the embassy because relevant news resources were limited to those well-connected groups liv- ing in the city centers. As the Royal Thai Embassy in Berlin reported, while it was 297Mobile Technology in the Lives of Thai Immigrants in Germany its obligation to take care of its people, prior to using digital media, difficulties in information distribution platforms prevailed. The embassy facilitated Thai people’s immigration, offered various services, and promoted Thai people’s relations to the host country in every dimension. PR was considered the key tool to achieve these ob- ligations; however, traditional media such as official leaflet announcements, posters, or the circulation of letters did not efficiently support the organization’s tasks. The emergence of new digital media allowed a broader dissemination of information. It also affected the relations between the embassy and Thai immigrants in Germany on the whole, from communication and activities that were more interpersonal and official, to those more community-oriented and participative. The embassy now at- tempts to reach out to Thais overseas and learn more about them in order to promote their social welfare in the host country and keep them informed about developments in Thailand. New media worked well to serve these missions, staff reported. As mo- bile technologies transformed migrants’ daily routes of communication, it also af- fected their homeland family attachments and the establishment of social networks at home and abroad. The embassy played a central role in upholding these ties. Mobile phones today are used for various purposes, particularly for long-distance communication. Thai immigrants in Germany retain ties with their families in Thai- land by connecting to the Internet via their mobile phones at no extra cost. Thus, they can stay in touch with family and homeland affairs much more often compared to previous times. Thais nowadays are far more active in using the Internet via their mobile devices (Fairfield, 2015), implying that there are more opportunities for them to automatically receive news from their social networks. In addition, portable devic- es such as smartphones or tablets make it possible for migrants to join family activi- ties as if they were together. Placing tablets on the table at dinner time surrounded by family members and relatives in the country of origin is part of Thai immigrants’ regular practices. Indeed, eating or having dinner together with the family is per- ceived as a very social pleasantry; Thais like to eat together, share food, and hold conversations while dining (“Understanding Thai Food”, 2011). Thus, it can be argued that new media have changed some of the living patterns of Thai immigrants, from being physically separated from their homeland to being virtually connected via mul- timedia. Social media platforms allow users to enjoy talking with each other not only by sending and receiving text and voice messages, but also by exchanging pictures, video clips, and music. These multiple functions of smartphones are reported to en- able ways of communication that appear more realistic and natural: I’ve been here for 11 years. In the beginning, I contacted my family using a pre- paid phone card. The cost was expensive so I couldn’t call that often. Now, we have the Internet; it saves a lot, yet the Internet quality in the past was not good – slow, unclear, lots of other devices needed to connect in order to make a call. Now, it is much better. The Internet quality is improved, fast, clear, and inexpensive plus we can use smartphones now. Video call is easily made from a mobile phone. It makes conversations from overseas more natural comparing to the abroad communication 10 years ago. (Vorapol, 33 years old, Thai mig- rant, 12 July 2015, Berlin) 298 Sirima Thongsawang  ASEAS 9(2) Furthermore, mobile phones serve as information hubs; Thai migrants watch news, read articles, and listen to radio or music online. Reportedly, Thai institutions had to replace their traditional means of communication and information dissemi- nation by digital resources: I would say numerous Thai immigrants in Berlin I work with do not seem to prefer highly informative sources. They like entertainment or merely summary of texts. We have to adjust information in the form of pictures and few senten- ces of short summary to communicate with Thais here. (Suree, 37 years old, embassy staff, 3 September 2015, Berlin) A staff member of the Royal Thai Embassy reported that short messages, pictures, and group chat would better fit Thai immigrants’ lifestyle and preferences since some of them had a limited ability to read and write in both Thai and German. Moreover, the increased demand for social media, and the exchange of music, news, and videos online among Thai people is likely to continue in the future, along with the arrival of the fourth generation (4G) of wireless broadband services (Suchit, 2016). Mobile technologies foster transnational social networks and, as such, encour- age migration. Facebook groups like Thai Students in Berlin and Brandenburg (TS Ber-Brand) and Thai Asa München offer space for potential migrants to post their questions on topics such as visa procedures, documents required for a student visa, courses available in German universities or German language schools, fees, etc. Thai immigrants who already reside in Germany can also advertise their businesses to potential migrants such as job vacancies or vacant rooms. Social networking sites are not only a space for seeking job opportunities, housing, and socializing, but also an online forum for people to set up their transnational network in order to share their feelings and experiences in the host land. For instance, the Deutsch-Thai/Thai- Deutsch Dolmetscher/Übersetzer (German-Thai/Thai-German Translator) network on Facebook currently hosts 812 members aiming to help migrants and potential new- comers to establish their networks by also learning German. It is an interactive on- line forum in which many Thai immigrants in Berlin and prospective immigrants to Germany take part. The use of the Internet was also found to promote Thai integration. A number of websites administrated by the Thai government, for instance, www.thaiembassy. de, m.mfa.go.th, www.thaibizgermany.com/de, and dtan.thaiembassy.de, provide in- formation on aspects of everyday life, career, language, education, and laws in Ger- many. Apart from these government run websites, a number of private Thai institu- tions take part in facilitating the process of integration, for example Thai Articulate Their Rights Abroad (THARA), Puer Thai e.V. Berlin, Ban Ying e.V., and THK Translation. These privately run websites aim to provide migrants with useful information with regard to life in Germany. Today, potential migrants can also learn from the experi- ences of other immigrants through private blogs such as Thai Freundschaft Gruppe Erlangen (Thai Friendship Group Erlangen) or Educatepark. The information made available on these websites prepares migrants to adjust and comply with laws in the host country, unlike in the past when they lacked both understanding and sources of information regarding regulations and decent practices of living in Germany: 299Mobile Technology in the Lives of Thai Immigrants in Germany Recently, after we uploaded guidelines concerning registration, consular ser- vices, and laws in daily life of Germany on our Facebook page and website, I noticed that many Thai immigrants were more confident and brought correct and complete documents when contacting us. . . . It is much faster to proceed documents for them in the embassy now. (Maneeya, 36 years old, embassy staff, 4 June 2015, Berlin) Our clients do not have to physically come at the embassy to inquire. They can drop questions in our emailbox or Facebook inbox and we simply reply them in a short time manner – generally within 24 hours. For example, a Thai traveler in Germany lost his passport, I could advise him what to do on Facebook, and things were solved without requiring his presence in the embassy. (Prapapen, 35 years old, embassy staff, 4 June 2015, Berlin) Mobile technologies had a strong impact on the working relationships between the Royal Thai Embassy staff and its clients. It replaced the old working styles of the organization by a phenomenon known as “time shifting”. Now staff could even set up their own online network groups in order to convey information via LINE chat or other instant message applications. Additionally, mobile technologies reduced the communication hierarchy. Previously, when staff needed to consult their supervisors, they had to follow the formal procedure by making an appointment with the secre- tary first. Staff had to check and wait for their supervisors’ vacant slot and ensure they were in town. In contrast, today staff had set up LINE group chats where all staff members participate. Junior staff can post their questions directly to their supervi- sors in the group chat. Online communication has shown to have influenced offline hierarchies in ways that allow junior staff to communicate and work together closer and faster without going through order scales. CONCLUSION Thai immigrants to Germany increasingly build their transnational social networks through the use of new social media platforms. These ever expanding communica- tion networks stimulate migration and prepare potential migrants for integration while facilitating life overseas. As in the case of the Royal Thai Embassy in Berlin, mobile technology clearly affected organizational culture: The communication hi- erarchy is reported to have diminished, allowing them to adopt flat organizational structures. PR via Internet channels has strengthened the organization’s capacity to promote the country’s diplomatic affairs. The relationship between the embassy and Thai immigrants has also changed, allowing for online social networking. Due to the short-term nature of this research, this case reveals only a limited number of aspects related to the larger project of studying the interplay between new digital and mo- bile technologies and Thai migration to Germany. As such, it does not meet require- ment of a deeper historical, political, and social contextualization of the transnation- al paths of Thai migrants. Yet, these initial findings may be indicative in exploring broader questions such as modern reinterpretations of enduring social hierarchies or the medial representation of Thai politics. In conclusion, I assert that new technolo- 300 Sirima Thongsawang  ASEAS 9(2) gies, most prominently social media, have affected Thais’ lifestyles and apparently improved much of their family and institutional relations in Germany and at home.  REFERENCES Chen, G. M. (2011). Tweet this: A U&G perspective on how active Twitter use gratifies a need to connect to others. Retrieved from https://www.researchgate.net/publication/216724030_Tweet_this_A_UG_ perspective_on_how_active_Twitter_use_gratifies_a_need_to_connect_to_others Fairfield, J. (2015). A complete guide to Internet and social media usage in Thailand. Retrieved from http:// tech.thaivisa.com/complete-insight-internet-social-media-usage-thailand/3147/ Gershon, I. (2010). Media ideologies: An introduction. 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Retrieved from http:// www.aswetravel.com/understanding-thai-food-culture/ ABOUT THE AUTHOR Sirima Thongsawang is lecturer at the Kasem Bundit University in Thailand. She earned her PhD from Humboldt University of Berlin, Germany, in 2015. Besides Southeast Asian Studies, her research interests more specifically concern the topics of migration, globalization, and in- equality. ► Contact: sirima.tho@kbu.ac.th