This study tried to compare the differences of capital utilization and happiness of labour migrant households in the Northeast, Thailand by some characteristics. The research used the quantitative methodology. Samples of the research were random from the households engaging in international migrants within a year at Chaiyaphum Provincethe Provinces in the region with the highest international migrant of 334 households. The research instrument, the interview schedule, was reliable at 0.913 levels. The data were collected during July, 2017 and analyzed based on descriptive statistics and one-way ANOVA for hypothesis testing. The result indicated that the extended family had a significance capital utilization level and happiness level more than single family and skipped family at level 0.05. The household with both male head households and lalours had significance capital utilization level and happiness level more than others and also found that the household with both female head households and lalours had the lowest of capital utilization level and happiness level. The households with the remittance more than 940 US$ had a significance capital utilization level and happiness level more than others at level 0.05. The results also indicated that the households with high investment from the remittance had a significance capital utilization level and happiness level more than others at level 0.01.

This research focused on happiness perspectives of the migrant labour households in the Northeast, Thailand. The study relied on the qualitative methodology. The in-depth interview was conducted with key informants: village headman, senior persons, local officers and twelve heads of the international migrant households who had variation of migration patterns, selected by snowball techniques in one village within the O-lo District, Chaiyaphum Province. Data collection was done during April to May, 2017. The results were descriptive content analysis technique. The results indicated that most of the migrant labour households were farmers, grew rice and sugarcane and produced handicraft. Male labourers were the main group of the international migrants. The migrant labour households had only one labourer working abroad, with 2-month to10-year period of migration. The migration method that the labourers used in many destinations were through companies, brokers, the Department of Employment, or themselves. The migrant labour households defined happiness as good relationship within households, financial security, ability to manage debt and tension, household members being in good health, good relationship with others households, and safe and convenient life. The method of finding jobs abroad was related to working security of migrant labourers and happiness of the migrant labour households.