Social Development in Thailand: Past, Present and Future Roles of the Public Sector

Abstract

The public sector has played a dominant role in Thailand's social development, using the eight national development plans as guiding principles for setting priorities and resource allocation. Each of the development plans has conceptually evolved over time: from expansion of basic facilities, integrating social policy in national development, mobilizing people participation in social development, and then, human and social development of the people. The public sector also accordingly shifted its role from being the leading actor in the provision of social services for the people, to minimize its role and become the facilitator of human and social development of the people. It is important to note that NGOs and CBOs have also played a pivotal role in the development process. Though the country faced the challenge of the 1997 economic crisis, and saw rapid change as a result of globalization, the situation helped re-enforce and justify the current concept of encouraging people participation in development. The country has thus undertaken major reform programmes, in order to comply with the Constitution of B.E.2540 (1997), guaranteeing rights to health, education, social protection, and a social safety net. I. Introduction Thailand has used national development plans as the framework for setting priorities and for resource allocation since the inception of its first Five-year National Development Plan over 40 years ago. While each plan reflects the priority pertaining to circumstances during a particular period, their concept and approach have evolved over a period of time. The conventional development approach usually compartmentalizes each aspect of development into managerial levels, ignoring its interdependent nature. For example, social development contains almost the same function and is based on the same principle for any government. But the recent Eighth National Development Plan adopts a strategy that places people at the centre rather than as a means to development itself. This concept requires a shifting role of the public in the overall process of national development. II. Overview of National Development Plans: A Framework of Public Sector Role Expansion of Facilities for Social Services: The First and Second Economic Development Plans (1961-71) During the 1960s, over 80 per cent of the population resided in rural areas. Agriculture dominated people's way of life, an existence of reliance and interdependence. Major export products consisted of rice, rubber, and timber. However, there was political instability in the Southeast Asian region, arising from polarized politics, communism vs. capitalism, etc. The government viewed this as a threat to national security. Meanwhile, the Thai people still suffered from a lack of basic necessities. Thus national security and economic stability were emphasized as development priorities. National Development Plans during this period had the single objective to stimulate economic growth. Therefore, the plans focussed on constructing basic infrastructure such as roads, ports, multipurpose dams, and electricity generation plants. It should be noted that the construction of road networks facilitated not only the transport of agricultural products to nearby markets, but also connected strategic remote areas throughout the country and generated a sense of belonging to the Kingdom of Thailand. Plans were project-oriented, using external loans. Though it was not explicitly spelled out as social policy, the plans identified basic social services - namely, community facilities and social welfare, public health, and education, to be provided during the period. For example, in the field of public welfare, the objective was to render assistance to those who could not fully help themselves, such as orphans, homeless children, juvenile delinquents, and other underprivileged or socially maladjusted youngsters. In addition, the plans set objectives for public health programmes to expand and improve facilities for medical care of the sick, and to promote the general health of the population by systematic control of communicable diseases, improvement of environmental sanitation, and provision of better maternity and child welfare services. …