Chapter 3 - Consumer Emancipation and Economic Development: The Case of Thailand

Abstract

Publisher Summary This chapter highlights that in 1982, Professors Gerald D Sentell and Hans B Thorelli wrote a book entitled Consumer Emancipation and Economic Development: The Case of Thailand. The book reported on ground-breaking research on consumers in Thailand and was aimed at providing base-line information on the socio-economic environment and relevant issues and problems facing consumers within the Kingdom at that time. The chapter is aimed at updating the summary of the original book. The demographic profile of Thailand has changed considerably over the last 30 years. The population has continued to grow at a healthy rate annually and exceeded 63 million in 2003, with an unknown number of people, probably several millions, unregistered either because of being illegal migrant workers or stateless hill tribes people. In the 1970s, the Kingdom was approximately on par with other mainland Southeast Asian nations economically, nations that have now been left far behind as Thais have embraced democracy and market forces with great enthusiasm. The gap between Thailand and the developed countries of the OECD still certainly exists but it has narrowed considerably in the meantime. Changes in many ways only partially and selectively affect people as there are still far too many who are vulnerable to such ills as human trafficking, exploitation, and total poverty. Nevertheless, there are generations of young people now able to aspire toward opportunities that were never available to their forebears.