This book provides detailed empirical data regarding chambers of commerce, their peak organizations, and trade associations of Thailand that has moved away from a pure form of bureaucratic polity to liberal corporatism.

Most studies of Southeast Asian economic change focus on the phenomenal growth experienced by a few large cities, such as Jakarta, Bangkok, Hong Kong, Kuala Lumpur, and Singapore. Big business has been viewed as the economic engine fueling the region's growth and prosperity. Studies of the rural areas have concerned themselves with the social and environmental impact of metropolitan growth--villages emptied by migration to the big cities, cultures crushed by tourist development, and agribusiness and lush landscapes destroyed by the devastation of natural resources. The literature reveals that few analysts have examined the middle distance between metropolis and countryside. The contributors to this book have addressed the issue by concentrating on the intermediate level of economic, political, and social life--the world of Thailand's provincial cities and market towns. In the past decade the rise of frequently violent competition for business and political leadership in the Thai provinces, and the growing importance of provincial support for national powerholders, has drawn attention to the way in which these town and village centers are being transformed by capitalist development. This volume brings together some of the research inspired by this, drawing on a variety of disciplinary approaches, national backgrounds, and sites of study. Contributors: Daniel Arghiros, Chris Baker, Sombat Chantornvong, Kevin Hewison, Jim LoGerfo, Ruth McVey, Michael J. Montesano, James Ockey, Pasuk Phongpaichit, Maniemai Thongyou, Yoko Ueda.

A study of the changing character of state-society relations in contemporary Thailand, using the telecommunications industry as a case study. It examines the privatization and gradual reforms of the 1980s and 1990s and the political dynamics behind these policies, as well as conflicts and co-operation among the various players and their interests. The book also covers bureaucratic and political corruption and their implications for Thailand's political democratization and economic liberalization. It argues not only that the bureaucracy is no longer the dominant power in Thai politics, but also that the country has moved towards a more pluralistic socio-political system in which a broadly-based liberalization coalition has emerged.

"'Business Groups and the Thailand Economy' examines the role of business groups, specifically state, local and foreign capitals in the economic development of emerging economies and highlights why business groups are essential in helping a country break out of the middle-income trap. Yabushita reviews Thailand's industrial and economic growth strategies through the local and international investors and explains why business groups are one of the key drivers of economic advancement and why they help to avoid the middle-income trap. The author also examines their business power expansion methods, including selection and concentration, political influence, mergers and acquisitions, outward FDI and business alliances. The book concludes with policy recommendations of how the government can engage business groups to accelerate high tech industrialization and create jobs. The middle-income trap issue faced by Thailand would be of interest to many emerging economies especially scholars and policy makers researching on Asian business and management, Asian economies, developmental economics, political economy, policy studies, corporate governance, entrepreneurship, and private company strategic management in emerging countries"--

This qualitative study of the relationships between one primate city, Bangkok, and its hinterland, the Thai nation, breaks new ground in general sociological theory, redirects the study of city-hinterland relationships, and presents an interpretation of Thai political history that departs significantly from conventional analyses. Professor London f

In the last few years, Thailand has emerged as one of the world's most dynamic economies. Yet Thailand is still little known and sparsely written about. This book is the first full-length overview of Thailand's economy and politics. It is based on a wide range of sources in both Thai and English. Its focus is on the second half of the twentieth century, set in a deeper historical context of Siam in the Bangkok era. It plots the transition from rice economy to emerging industrial power, and from absolutist monarchy to one of Asia's most open and lively democracies. The book will be useful for students, interesting for the general reader, and challenging for specialists.

The original edition of this book, published in 1995, was the first full-length study of Thailand's modern economy and politics. This edition is a major revision, incorporating new research, and bringing the account up to the start of the millennium. The focus is on recent decades, set in a deeper historical context of Siam in the Bangkok era.