Migration and Development in Thailand

Abstract

rT IME in which to stave off widespread poverty in Thailand is running out. The government's antinatalist policy, formulated in 1970, sought to lower the annual growth rate of the population from about 3.2 percent in I970 to 2.4 percent in I980. The Third Economic and Social Development Plan (1972-1976) aimed at an annual growth rate of 2.5 percent in 1976 through voluntary family planring. The population of Thailand in 1970 was officially reckoned at 34.4 million, though Thai authorities considered this a gross underestimate. Even if voluntary family planning is practiced religiously, the benefits will not be realized before standards of living deteriorate. National development on a grand scale therefore appears to be the only stopgap. Development has been pursued with some urgency in recent years, but at a scale less than grand. It may be too late to implement plans that will avert countrywide dislocations, but the attempt will be made. This effort must be realistic; the plans for development must be based on an objective assessment of the condition of the Thai people. A telling characteristic of the condition of a population is its readiness to migrate. My aim is to provide a fair evaluation of recent internal migration in Thailand so that realistic development policies may be formulated by the government.