The Asian Research Center for Migration (ARCM), based in the Institute of Asian Studies in Chulalongkorn University, is an internationally recognised center of excellence in social science research. Initially founded in 1987 as the Indochinese Refugee Information Center, the Center was established with the mission of conducting research on the flows of refugees from Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam and other Southeast Asian countries seeking asylum in Thailand. After the Indochinese refugee crisis had abated in Thailand and the refugee camps were closed under the Comprehensive Plan of Action, the Center began to conduct research on new refugee situations that had begun to emerge in Southeast Asia. In recognition of this newly broadened research focus, the Center was reconstituted as the Asian Research Center for Migration in 1995. Since then, we have significantly expanded our thematic areas and now include projects on all forms of international migration in Southeast Asia, with a particular emphasis on Thailand as a sending, receiving and transit country.  

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    ARCM was recognized as a Chulalongkorn University Center of Excellence in 2007. Our core team is drawn from the University's academic community, including both Thai and non-Thai experts with experience and technical back-up in various relevant fields, including sociology and anthropology, political science, economics, human geography and law.