Rural Villagers’ Quality of Life Improvement by Economic Self-Reliance Practices and Trust in the Philosophy of Sufficiency Economy

Piyapong Janmaimool,Chaweewan Denpaiboon

doi:10.3390/soc6030026

Abstract

The concept of economic self-reliance, widely known by Thai people as the philosophy of sufficiency economy, has been widely promoted in rural Thai societies. By practicing this philosophy, it is expected that the citizens’ quality of life and local environments could be sustainably improved. This study aims to explore the contribution of the community practices of the sufficiency economy philosophy to rural villagers’ quality of life improvement, and to investigate potential factors that determine the trust of villagers in the philosophy. With the purpose to propose strategies which could enhance trust and promote villagers’ practices of the philosophy, the study investigated influences of three relevant factors on trust towards the philosophy. Those factors included factors related to cognitive-based trust, factors related to emotional-based trust, and factors related to demographic characteristics. Questionnaire surveys and in-depth interviews with community leaders and local villagers were conducted in the Ban Jamrung community, in Thailand’s Rayong Province. The results of the statistical analysis revealed that the residents who applied the sufficiency economy philosophy in their daily lives experienced a relatively better quality of life. Additionally, it was found that trust in the philosophy could be predicted more by rational factors than by emotional factors. These findings could be utilized to develop strategies to maintain and enhance the trust of the people in the philosophy of sufficiency economy.

Highlights

Thanks largely to the third National Economic and Social Development Plan (1972–1976), the industrial sector in Thailand has expanded rapidly during the past four decades
From a sample of 124 residents who were involved in sufficiency economy practices in Ban a sample of 124 Rayong residents who were involved in sufficiency economy in Ban
This study explored how community practices of the philosophy of sufficiency economy contributed to local sustainability presented as improvements to household financial security, social situations, and environmental conditions from the perception of the residents

Summary

Introduction

Thanks largely to the third National Economic and Social Development Plan (1972–1976), the industrial sector in Thailand has expanded rapidly during the past four decades. An enormous number of Thai workers from the agricultural sector have increasingly moved into the industrial and service sectors. Farmlands and farming skills that were once passed down from generation to generation have been abandoned. Many farmlands have been sold to business investors and utilized for other types of economic activities. 1997 financial crisis, many workers who had migrated to the cities were suddenly left unemployed [1], but they could not return to the agricultural sector due to the lack of farmland. Many existing rural farmers suffered in response to the falling prices of agricultural commodities

Objectives

Results

Conclusion