走在成功的路上：當代泰國年輕雲南人的遷移與勞動經驗

Abstract

雲南人有悠久的遷移貿易歷史。在現代國家尚未形成之前，雲南人經由馬幫遷徙，向今日緬甸、泰國等地進行商貿，途經串連起高地部落和低地聚落人貨流動，在其中展現出敏銳的商業操作技巧，快速地適應貿易路途中不同的地方政治和社會結構，靈敏且彈性地尋找自身的社會位置，也尋找從事經濟活動的市場利基。雲南人勇於承擔風險、期待向外闖蕩建立事業的性格，也成為群體內部不斷被訴說的文化邏輯。至1980年代末，隨著泰國觀光市場發展，來自臺灣的資金和客源開啟了普吉島的華語旅遊市場，在此背景之下，雲南人進入普吉島，特別聚集於以華語旅遊市場為主的產業之中，並建立起了以雲南人身分為基底，面向中國觀光客市場的華語旅遊產業版圖。本研究以在普吉島工作來自緬甸或泰國的年輕雲南裔人群為研究對象，想要討論的問題是：這些在普吉島工作的人是誰？他們如何進入到普吉島旅遊產業之中？對於年輕世代的雲南人來說，當他們面對到當代普吉島旅遊產業的不確定性與暫時性時，他們又如何理解自身的勞動和生命處境？本研究試圖指出，雲南人在普吉島的華語旅遊產業中，扮演的是其群體遷移貿易歷史中的「中間人」角色：在政治經濟結構與社會關係的縫隙之中，尋找個體及群體追求更好生命機會的利基。首先，我說明雲南人的「中間人」樣態在當代泰國社會和旅遊產業中所扮演的意義與樣貌；再者，我討論普吉島華語旅遊產業鏈的運作，以及「雲南人身分」在勞動情境裡的族群意義；最後我以旅遊產業中的勞動體制和年輕雲南人從業者的故事，討論當代年輕雲南人如何理解旅遊產業和個人生命位置的暫時性。

My thesis focuses on the descendants of Yunnanese migration from Thailand and Myanmar working in the tourism industry in Phuket, Thailand. The Yunnanese, famous for their entrepreneurship character, has long history of trade migration via mule caravan in the highland of Southeast Asia. In the region with multiple political entities and social structures, the Yunnanese are flexible in finding their own social position and the market niches for their economy activities. The ability of risk-taking, looking forward to exploring the world and establishing one’s own career have become the cultural logics of the Yunnanese. In the end of 1980s, with the rising Chinese-speaking tourism market contributed to Taiwanese tourists in Phuket island, the Yunnanese entered to the island and established the Chinese-speaking tourism industry monopoly which is now aimed at the tourists from China. My research questions are: Who are those “Yunnanese” working in the tourism industry in Phuket? How do they recruit into the industry? How do the Yunnanese youths understand their life situation when facing the uncertainty and temporality of the tourism industry? First, I discuss the appearance and the meaning of “middleman” role of the Yunnanese in contemporary Thai society and the tourism industry. Second, I analyze the operation of the Chinese-speaking tourism industry in Phuket island. I argue that the identification of “Yunnanese” has ethnic significance in the particular labor circumstances. Lastly, I focus on the labor regime of the industry. Basing on the stories of the Yunnanese youths, I discuss that the Yunnanese youths have their own comprehension of their labor situation. I argue that the ethos of Yunnanese and the characteristic of Chinese-speaking tourism industry in Phuket island generate “hope” which makes Yunnanese youth understand their life situation and keeps them moving forward to achieve their “success” constantly.