Certificate of Completion in Safeguarding Essentials
Experience Exchange Meeting of Thailand
1. Thailand’s Regional Development and Regional
Economic Cooperation
By
Mr.Choen Krainara, Office of the National Economic and Social
Development Board
Mr.Yossatorn Wattanapituksakul, Department of Foreign Trade
for
Session Experience Exchange Meeting of Countries
at
International Seminar on Regional Economic Development Promotion
for Developing Countries
15 September 2012, Beijing, China
2. Contents
1. Regional development in Thailand
1.1 Progress of Regional Development in Thailand
1.2 Challenges of Regional Development in Thailand
1.3 Prospects of Regional Development in Thailand
2. Regional Economic Cooperation of Thailand
2.1 Regional Economic Cooperation of Thailand
2.2 Economic Cooperation with Neighboring countries
2.3. Challenges of Regional Economic Cooperation of Thailand
2.4 Prospects of Regional Economic Cooperation of Thailand
3. 1. Regional development in Thailand
1.1 Progress of Regional Development in Thailand
1.2 Challenges of Regional Development in Thailand
1.3 Prospects of Regional Development in Thailand
4. 1.1. Progress of Regional Development in Thailand
Gross Regional Product Per Capita (1981-2009)
12,000
Unit : US$
10,000
8,000
6,000
4,000
2,000
0
1981
1982
1983
1984
1985
1986
1987
1988
1989
1990
1991
1992
1993
1994
1995
1996
1997
1998
1999
2000
2001
2002
2003
2004
2005
2006
2007
2008
2009
Bangkok and vicinities Central Western Eastern
Southern Northern Northeastern Whole kingdom
Source: Office of the National Economic and Social Development Board
5. 1.2 Challenges of Regional Development in Thailand
• Central region still plays more important role in regional economic
development particularly for industrial development, services and trade
than other regions.
• Southern region has highest agricultural and cross-border trade value.
• All regions are entering aging society and are expanding to urban areas.
• Shortages of labor and face problem on its quality.
• Still limited access to public health care.
• Narcotics problems tend to increase.
• Environmental and natural resources are likely to deteriorate in all regions
particularly on soil erosion and encroachment of potential agricultural
land, as well as increasing of environmental problems e.g. air pollution,
solid waste, drought and recurrent flooding with higher severity in all
regions.
• Coastal zone erosion particularly on central and southern regions
6. 1.3 Prospects of Regional Development in Thailand
• Promote balanced regional and rural development
through border and rural industrialization.
• Accelerate decentralization of development
resources.
• Properly manage natural resources and
environmental degradation towards sustainable
development.
7. 2. Regional Economic Cooperation of Thailand
2.1 Regional Trade Agreements
• Bilateral Agreements
Thailand-Peru, JTEPA, Thailand-Australia,
Thailand-New Zealand, Thailand –India
• Plurilateral Agreements
ASEAN, ASEAN-Korea, ASEAN-China,
ASEAN-Japan, AANZ, APEC
2.2 Economic Cooperation with Neighboring countries
(1) Greater Mekong Sub-region: GMS Economic Corridor
(2) The Ayeyawady - Chao Phraya - Mekong Economic Cooperation Strategy: ACMECS
(3) Indonesia-Malaysia-Thailand Growth Triangle (IMT-GT)
(4) Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC)
2.3 Challenges of Regional Economic Cooperation of Thailand
2.4 Prospects of Regional Economic Cooperation of Thailand
8. 2.1 Regional Trade Agreements (signed)
Bilateral Agreements (5)
Thailand - Peru
Thailand - Japan
Thailand - Australia
Thailand - New Zealand
Thailand – India
Plurilateral Agreements (6)
ASEAN
ASEAN-Korea
ASEAN-China
ASEAN-Japan
AANZ
APEC
9. 2.2 Economic Cooperation with
Neighboring countries
(1) Greater Mekong Sub-region:
GMS Economic Corridors
• The Greater Mekong Subregion (GMS) is a
natural economic area bound together by the
Mekong River, covering 2.6 million square
kilometers and a combined population of
around 326 million.
• 6 countries: China, Myanmar, Thailand,
Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam
• Transport corridor through the Cross-border
Transportation Infrastructure (CBTI).
• Industrial estates on the border,
communication and electricity transmission
cable, natural gas pipelines and tourism
activities along the 9 corridors.
10. 2.2 Economic Cooperation with
Neighboring countries
(2) The Ayeyawady - Chao Phraya - Mekong
Economic Cooperation Strategy: ACMECS
- ACMECS will act as a catalyst to build
upon existing regional cooperation programs
and complement bilateral frameworks with a
view to transform the border areas of the five
countries into zones of economic growth,
social progress and prosperity, and to blend
local, national and regional interests for
common benefits, shared prosperity,
enhanced solidarity, peace, stability and
good neighborliness.
- Trade and Investment Facilitation ,
Agriculture , Industry and Energy ,
Environment , Tourism and Human
Resource Development
11. 2.2 Economic Cooperation with
Neighboring countries
(3) Indonesia-Malaysia-Thailand Growth
Triangle (IMT-GT)
• The IMT-GT subregion is a classic growth
triangle, characterized by many economic
complementarities, geographical proximity, and
close historical, cultural and linguistic ties. With
the total market of 72 million (2006) and land
area covering 602,293.9 square kilometer.
• Substantial improvement in physical
connectivity of the IMT-GT subregions is
expected by 2011, with a number of road,
airport and port projects being completed. Much
closer collaboration between the public and
private sectors, and participation of provincial
and state governments in the process, are
expected to be achieved within the Roadmap
implementation period.
12. 2.2 Economic Cooperation with
Neighboring countries
(4) Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral
Technical and Economic Cooperaion (BIMSTEC)
• The Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral
Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC)
comprising Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Myanmar,
Nepal, Sri Lanka and Thailand established in
1997 is a $810 billion economy, sharing about
22% of world population and 3.64% of surface
area.
• BIMSTEC is expected to promote trade and
investment in both South Asia and Southeast
Asia. The closer cooperation are a key tools to
improve transportation infrastructure and logistic
among members, as well as, to provide trade
facilitation and technical assistance to LDCs in
BIMSTEC.
• 13 sectors of cooperation: Trade and Investment,
Transport and Communication, Energy, Tourism,
Technology, Fisheries, Agriculture, Public Health,
Poverty Alleviation, Counter-Terrorism and
Transnational Crime, Environment and Natural
Disaster Management, Culture, People to People
contact
13. 2.3 Challenges of Regional Economic Cooperation of Thailand
• The signed Free Trade Agreements (FTAs) of Thailand are clustered
in Asia and Oceania. The more cross regional economic cooperation
will diversify economic risk and create opportunities.
• The transformation of the border areas into zones of economic
cooperation requires the equal effective economic policies of
participating states. The imbalance and ineffective economic policies
will rather create competition among the states.
14. 2.4 Prospects of Regional Economic Cooperation of
Thailand
• Expand cross-border trade with neighbouring
countries and intra-regional trade: ASEAN and ASEAN
trading partners, Asian and developing countries
markets.
• Foster cross-border production and infrastructure
linkages with neighbouring countries.
• Promote full utilization of signed free trade
agreements.
• Extend possible development assistances to
neighbouring and developing countries.