Belonging, loss, and reinvention: A mixed-methods study of Indian trailing spouses in Thailand

This study examines the lived experiences of Indian trailing spouses in Thailand using a mixed-methods design that integrates quantitative survey data with qualitative open-ended responses. While Indian mobility to Thailand has expanded through corporate and entrepreneurial pathways, the experiences of accompanying spouses—predominantly women—remain underexplored within South Asian diaspora scholarship, particularly in non-Western host contexts. Drawing on a structured questionnaire complemented with three open-ended questions, administered to Indian trailing spouses residing primarily in Bangkok, the paper investigates three interrelated processes: identity loss, negotiated belonging, and personal reinvention. Quantitative findings indicate low overall identity disruption alongside moderate professional underutilisation, limited early autonomy, and gradual adaptation and resilience over time. Qualitative narratives contextualise these patterns, illustrating how gendered expectations, diasporic networks, and cultural navigation shape everyday life. By combining breadth and depth, this study contributes to debates on gendered migration, transnational family mobility, and identity formation within South Asian diasporas in Southeast Asia.