Rural Non-Farm Employment in Thailand

Journal of Rural Development, Vol. 27, No. 2, p. 193, 2008

20 Pages Posted: 29 May 2011

Date Written: April 5, 2008

Abstract

During the last three decades, Rural Thailand has undergone massive employment diversification in favour of non-farm employment (RNFE). There was a temporary halt to this process in 1997 and 1998 because of the economic crisis of 1997. However, as the economy overcame the same, share of RNFE in total rural employment has again started increasing. Regional variation in the incidence of rural non-farm employment is very much evident. Gender bias in RNFE is non-existent. From the eighties, in respect of both male as well as female RNFE, the sectors of manufacturing, commerce and services have emerged as the dynamic sectors of employment creation. At the macro level, agricultural growth and decline in average size of land holding have emerged as the two most important determinants of the growth of RNFE in Thailand. To promote the growth of RNFE, the Thai government should formulate activity-specific and region specific policies; reduce regional disparity in the concentration of RNFE; extend the same policy with respect to credit, extension, marketing, subsidy etc. as applied to the farm sector to the non-farm sector and replace its top-down’ approach to rural non-farm sector development by a bottom-up approach.

Keywords: Non-Farm, Rural, Employment, Thailand

JEL Classification: J21

Suggested Citation

Panda, Bhagirathi, Rural Non-Farm Employment in Thailand (April 5, 2008). Journal of Rural Development, Vol. 27, No. 2, p. 193, 2008, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=1854948

Bhagirathi Panda (Contact Author)

North Eastern Hill University ( email )

Umshing-Mawkynroh
Shillong
Meghalaya, 793022
India
91-364-2723184 (Phone)

HOME PAGE: http://www.nehu.ac.in

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