Environmental Impact of Industrialization in Thailand

Abstract

Environmental impact of industrialization is the theme of countless papers and speeches delivered at numerous fora all over the world. This article cites, however, some specific cases of what actually happened in Thailand as an example of Third World countries where the problems are partially imported. As some causes are exogenous in nature, the problems cannot be solved entirely without international co-operation. Japanese involvements are highlighted in the hope of clearing up any misunderstanding through frank academic discussion so that a better image of Japan could be presented to the Thai public, thereby creating a friendly atmosphere conducive to future co operation. Efforts are also made to point out the ineffectiveness of the present Thai Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) mechanisms to deal with the rising pressures of vested interests. A multi-million dollar dam construction project partially funded by the Japanese is used to illustrate the points.