State Policy, Agglomeration of Capital and the Spatial Inequality in Thailand

Author : Dharndhanate Punndhanamahakarune

Abstract :Spatial inequality in Thailand arises from the Thai government’s policies, specifically the National Economic and Social Development Plan, which have established varying regions and patterns of provincial and economic development. This research conducts a comparative analysis of the development trajectories of three provinces from three regions of Thailand: Bangkok, Rayong, and Nong Bua Lam Phu, applying Immanuel Wallerstein’s Modern World-Systems theory—previously utilized solely to examine global inequality—to investigate the causes and consequences of spatial inequality by Thai governmental policies. Bangkok and Rayong are selected as center and semi periphery for industrial capital, whereas Nong Bua Lam Phu was chosen as a peripheral zone for agricultural development. Bangkok and Rayong, as center and industrial zones, depended on labor, raw materials, and resources from the Northeast for their development, leading to spatial inequality between regions in Thailand.

Keywords :Spatial inequality, government policy, modern world-system, national economic and social development plan.

Conference Name :International Conference on International Public Administration and Politics (ICIPAP -25)

Conference Place Nagoya, Japan

Conference Date 23rd Apr 2025