Japanese expats leave Southeast Asia, replaced by local hires

Japanese expats leave Southeast Asia, replaced by local hires Japanese expats leave Southeast Asia, replaced by local hires

TOKYO — The number of Japanese expats living in Southeast Asia is falling, as companies increasingly rely on local managers to tailor goods to local markets and dual-income couples resist overseas transfers.

The number of Japanese residents in Thailand has fallen by 14.7% to 70,421 in the three years to October 2024, according to official statistics. The number of Japanese expats in Indonesia, the Philippines, Vietnam and Malaysia has fallen for at least four years in a row. The statistics provide insights into trends affecting corporate expats since Japanese people living in other Asian countries are typically working rather than studying.