Thailand's Export Research Articles

ASEAN-FTA Impact on Rubber and Crude Palm Oil Export: An Empirical Evidence from IMT Countries

This study applies the gravity model to explore whether the establishment and the agreement of the ASEAN Free Trade Area (AFTA) have an impact on the export increase of rubber and crude palm oil commodity trade for the case ASEAN member countries namely, Indonesia-Malaysia-Thailand (IMT). The study uses time-series data, first for Indonesia using the period of 1996-2017 with trading partners as much as 21 countries for crude palm oil (CPO) commodity and 22 countries for rubber commodity. Secondly, the CPO export model for Malaysia using data during 1997-2017 with 23 trading partners countries. Thirdly, export rubber model for Thailand using a period of 1999-2017 with 16 trading partners countries. The estimate the Indonesian and Thailand export model for rubber commodity, and second, the same model also is estimated export CPO for the Indonesian and Malaysian. Generally, we found that the regression results it appears ASEAN member countries have not been fully benefited from the enactment of the AFTA, especially on the export of Indonesia's main commodities such as rubber and crude palm oil which destined for trading partners countries. As for the export of Thailand rubber and Malaysian crude palm oil, both countries are still relatively slightly better because the AFTA agreement has fully benefited. During the study period, the results of this study indicated that these three countries trade both commodities more intensely to the non-ASEAN countries

DAMPAK KEBIJAKAN TRANSHIPMENT OLEH INDONESIA PADA INDSUTRI PRODUK OLAHAN IKAN THAILAND

The problem of transhipment is a matter of transitional transport or modified transportation issues. This transit place can receive supplies and can deliver goods. The main purpose of the transshipment problem is to minimize the cost of the distribution of goods delivered from the place of origin to the destination even though through the transit point. The problem in this research is with the policy of transhipment issued by Indonesian government causing negative impact to fishery industry, especially processed fishery product in Thailand country The eradication of fish theft in Indonesian waters had a direct impact on Thailand's fishery exports which affected the country's gross domestic product (GDP). Thailand National Economic and Social Development Board (NESDB) data reveal that the contribution of the fishery sector to Thailand's GDP has decreased drastically. The average contribution of the fishery sector to Thailand's GDP has been recorded at 1.6 percent, while in the third quarter of 2015 it contributed minus 3.1 percent. While the Ministry of Marine Affairs and Fisheries (KKP) noted in 2013 to second quarter 2014, Thai fishery industry has decreased.

How brand attitude, brand quality, and brand value affect Thai canned tuna consumer brand loyalty

As one of the world's most valuable fish, Tuna can either be found in inexpensive tins on grocery store shelves or on high-end auction blocks destined for Japanese sashimi and sushi restaurants. Moreover, Thailand is reported to be the world's largest exporter of prepared or preserved tuna, which in 2019 contributed an estimated $2.5 billion to Thailand's exports. However, brand research is very limited for canned tuna, especially when it comes to product packaging cues, and how packaging affects a consumer's decision-making process. Therefore, this study set out to investigate which factors play the greatest role in a Thai consumer's brand loyalty (BL) for tuna fish canned products. Research teams using systematic random sampling were dispatched to five supermarkets within the Bangkok metropolitan area and collected 400 questionnaires answering items related to brand attitudes (BA), brand quality (BQ), and brand value (BV) as they related to canned tuna brand loyalty (BL). Thereafter, data analysis of the four constructs and 13 observed variables was conducted with use of LISREL 9.1, which included a confirmatory factor analysis (CFA), a goodness-of-fit (GOF) analysis along with the study's structural equation modeling (SEM). Results determined that there was a positive effect (73% R2) between all the causal factors on Thai canned tuna BL. Furthermore, the factors affecting BL ranked from the greatest to the lowest were BA, BQ, and BV with total effect (TE) values of 0.85, 0.33, and 0.19, respectively. Key takeaways from the study's research seem to indicate that canned tuna is viewed by most consumers as a ‘commodity’, with product availability and convenience being of the utmost importance in product brand selection. Global fishing stocks sustainability, labor costs/practices, and dolphin free catches within the tuna industry were also determined to be important aspects within the international consumer community. Also, due to the demand for high-quality and safe tuna products, adding value has become increasingly important in satisfying consumer demands and represents an opportunity for marketplace expansion.

Trade Promotion from Thailand to China As A Result Of a New Train Route

This paper aims to analyze the impact of the China-Laos railway on the export trade from Thailand and China. This will enable Thai export traders to understand the new transportation route formed by the railway and improve the trade volume and competitiveness of Thai products through this route. The author firstly finds out to which provinces Thailand's products are mainly exported to China and their individual export volume through literature review. Then, summarize the main export routes of Thai products to these provinces. These routes are river transportation, land transportation and sea transportation, The China-Laos railway is mainly used to transport goods. a new transport route will emerge after the completion of the China-Laos railway. After that, secondary data method is used to determine the driven factors of route selection. Finally, qualitative analysis is used to analyze the advantages and disadvantages of the new route and other routes base on driven factors. This new route will have some advantages in some factors, this paper points out what trade industry is suitable for this route, these can provide some reference for Thai trade exporters. In the future, this route can be used to increase Thailand's export trade volume and develop some trade on the railway along the line. Keywords: Thai Product, Driving Factors, Route Selection, China-Laos Railway, In-depth Interviews, Secondary Data Method

Impacts of the U.S.–China Trade War on ASEAN: Case of Thailand

With nearly a year of trade dispute between the United States and China, it has become apparent that the global economy will slow down, and this will have a direct impact on world trade. We adopt a vector autoregressive model to examine the impact of the U.S.–China trade war on the Thai economy. The results indicate that Thailand's output and exports to key markets are adversely affected by the escalating trade dispute. The slowdown in the Chinese economy will also put further downward pressure on world commodity prices, which in turn will reduce Thailand's exports.

Simulation for Jewelry Production Process Improvement Using Line Balancing: A Case Study

Abstract Thai jewelry is the world’s leading jewelry which has gained high reputation and recognition from customers worldwide. In the past decade, jewelry have become one of the top ten export product of Thailand with the current export value of around 58,000 million baht per year which is 3.4 percent of all Thailand export products. Due to the high competition in the world market, however, Thai jewelry manufacturers needs to continue to improve their product quality as well as process efficiency in order to gain more market share. Currently, computer-aided tools have become more powerful tool in jewelry production management. They have been used to design production process, plant and workstation layout, production planning, worker’s scheduling, and other decisive decision making in both high management and shop floor levels. This research demonstrates a case study of plant simulation application for jewelry production process improvement. The objective is to reduce bottlenecks and increase productivity in wax pattern and casting processes using line balancing. Various scenarios have been proposed in order to support different level of desired output rate due to the increase of demand. The results of line balancing and simulation models reduce bottlenecks. Hence, productivity is increased. The desired throughput rates are achieved with the minimum number of workers and machine in the system.

Estimation of air pollution from ribbed smoked sheet rubber in Thailand exports to Japan as a pre-product of tires

Ribbed Smoked Sheet (RSS) is one of the leading primary rubber products and is used as a raw material for tire production. An emission inventory (EI) analysis was conducted for the production and transportation of RSS in Thailand following the Life Cycle Inventory (LCI) methodology in order to highlight improvements needed to render the processes more environmentally friendly. The air emission inventory focussed on CO2, NOx, SOx, particulate matters (PM) and particle-bound polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) using available databases, reports and previously published papers. Data was also obtained from a small-scale RSS factory, known as a cooperative, in Songkhla province, Thailand. Upstream para-rubber industries start from RSS in Thailand. Instead, downstream industries operate under tire production in Japan. There are high exported of RSS from Thailand to tire production in Japan. The material flow during the production and export of the amount of RSS produced and transported and the distances travelled were investigated. The results suggest that the tire production in Japan contributes more than 80% of the CO2 and 90% of the SOx emissions arising during the period from latex tapping to tire production. Conversely, 60% of PM and more than 90% of the PAHs were released from the drying process involving the wood-fuel burning without any pollution control devices. These results indicate that the environmental load due to hazardous air pollutants such as PAHs and smoke particles is serious in Thailand and has to be reduced to achieve environmentally sustainable tire production.

The Rise and Fall of Thailand's Export-Oriented Industries

In the past three decades, with the exception of the Asian financial crisis in 1997–98, the Thai economy was propelled by the rapid growth of manufactured exports. There were 18 years of a double-digit export growth, averaging 20.5 percent per year. In 2009, Thailand's exports collapsed after the 2008–09 global financial crisis, but rebounded sharply in the following year. Thailand's exports growth significantly slowed down in 2011 and 2012. From 2013 to 2016, Thailand's exports experienced negative growth. The global recession and China's slowdown contributed to the dismal export performance. There was also a supply factor responsible for the negative growth, however. The dwindling level of foreign direct investment (FDI), caused by Thailand's political turmoil and pessimistic business sentiment, has diminished export capability and competitiveness. The fall of Thailand's export-oriented industries can be attributed to the country's inability to attract FDI inflows. Some industries that are able to secure continuous flows of FDI remain competitive, whereas others that cannot will progressively retreat from the world market.

Non-Formal Vocational Education for Pineapple Farmers: Promoting ‘Relevance’ of Education to Rural Economy

Canned-pineapple is one of the most important exports of Thailand. Unfortunately, the more pineapples the farmers cultivate, the more they are likely to fall into debt and become poorer. Therefore, in 2011, the Phetchaburi College of Agriculture and Technology in collaboration with Kuiburi Fruit Canning Company Limited initiated a non-formal vocational education program tailored to the pineapple farmers who were normally in the age between 40 and 60. The primary aims of the program were to build trust between the farmers and the factories and to equip the farmers with necessary skills for pineapple planting as per the demands of the pineapple-processing factories. Through field visits, semi-structured interviews, and a focus-group interview with the stakeholders, this study sheds lights on the relevance of education to the demands of rural economy which transcends the traditional preparation of employees for rural economic sectors. The well-educated farmers who understand their roles in the farming stage of the food industry’s value chain are as important as formal workers or employees in the breeding, the post-harvest, the production process, as well as the marketing and logistics stages of the value chain. Therefore, non-formal vocational education for the rural labour market should by no means be confined to formal workers in the downstream of the value chain. Informal workers or farmers in the upstream of the value chain have crucial impact on its subsequent stages. Above all, being empowered by relevant non-formal vocational education, the roles of farmers in advancement of rural economy should be extended beyond farming.

Impacts of Quantitative Monetary Easing Policy in the United States and Japan on the Thai Economy

This paper compares and contrasts the impact of quantitative easing (QE) monetary policy conducted by the Federal Reserve Bank and the Bank of Japan on the Thai economy. The impact of the first round of QE policy is related to Thailand's export market exposures, trade, and financial linkages with the United States and Japan. In the short run, QE has either an expansionary or contractionary effect on Thailand's output depending on whether the baht depreciates or appreciates against the US dollar and the Japanese yen. In the long run, when QE stimulates world output expansion, Thailand's manufactured output and exports respond positively to world economic recovery. In the medium run, the impact of QE is related to the appreciation of the Chinese yuan and the slowing of the Chinese economy, which further depresses Thailand's exports and prolongs Thailand's output recovery.

The impacts of Chinese direct investment in Thailand on the Sino-Thai bilateral trade

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to investigate the impacts of Chinese direct investment in Thailand on the Sino-Thai bilateral trade. The economic relationship between Thailand and China has been strengthened through both trade and Chinese direct investment in Thailand for past decades. Design/methodology/approach – AR(p) model was used to examine the effects of Chinese direct investment on both Thailand exports and Thailand imports. Findings – This paper shows that Chinese direct investment in Thailand has contributed to the decrease of intermediate goods of Thailand exports to China. On the other hand, Chinese direct investment has contributed to the increase of finished products of Thailand exports to China. In addition, Chinese direct investment in Thailand has contributed to increase of Thailand imports from China. This suggests that strengthening cooperation for economic growth in either of the two countries can generate mutual benefits through trade. Research limitations/implications – The studies focus only on the effects of foreign direct investment (FDI) on trade, while the effects of trade on FDI are neglected. Practical implications – Policies should be devised to reduce reliance on exports of raw and semi-raw materials by turning on to final products with more value-added products and should improve the equality of infrastructure in the country to attract more FDI into the economy. Originality/value – This paper provides evidence that Chinese direct investment in Thailand is an important determinant factor of the rapid growth of the bilateral trade. It also shows that the appreciation of Thai Baht against Chinese RMB is associated with a decrease in Thailand trade surplus in the bilateral trade.

Canned Pineapple in Syrup from Thailand Export by using Panel ARDL Method

Abstract This study will shows the impact factor affecting Thailand canned pineapple in syrup export by using model from the assumption of import demand side following Smith (2004). The data from various source i.e. International Financial Statistic by IMF, World Bank database, Bank of Thailand and Office of the Permanent Secretary Ministry of Commerce of Thailand. The research question intended to examine how the relationship between export of pineapple in syrup, and Gross Domestic Product of Importer countries (GDP), Exchange Rate between baht per currency of importer countries and Number of population of importer countries (POP) could be found. From 4 countries such as United State, Japan, Germany, and Canada as well as Japan has a fastest adjusting from short-run equilibrium to long-run equilibrium by have a value closest to zero; error-correction model is -1.8280. Mostly of export canned pineapple has a negative relationship with variables GDP and population both in long-run and short-run equilibrium, means canned pineapple in syrup is possibly substitution goods for those countries,

Global challenges in agriculture and the World Bank's response in Africa

AbstractA country's economic, environmental and social well‐being is intricately linked to a healthy, well‐performing agricultural sector. Across Africa, south of the Sahara, agriculture is the predominant sector in the economies of most countries accounting for between 30 to 40 percent of gross domestic product, and the sector is a leading source of jobs for over two‐thirds of Africa's population. With an abundance of labor, land and untapped water, Sub‐Saharan Africa has the resources necessary for a massive expansion of agricultural production. Notwithstanding these advantages, over the last 40 years Africa has been steadily losing its share of the global agricultural market. Today, Thailand exports more food products than all of Sub‐Saharan Africa combined. The “Green Revolution” that transformed tropical agriculture in Asia and Latin America largely bypassed Africa. A confluence of factors – increasing prices for African agricultural products, booming urban food markets, many opportunities for expanding irrigated area, greater interest by development partners, improved policy environment, technological innovations, rising private sector interest, framework for climate‐smart agriculture, and improved infrastructure – present a golden opportunity for African agriculture to realize its full potential. Responding to the challenges, the World Bank is scaling up its support for African agriculture. The medium‐term plan is to scale up lending to US$3 billion a year, with ambitious targets in key thematic areas – irrigation, land administration, access to technology, inputs, financial services and markets, and climate‐smart agriculture – so that Sub‐Saharan Africa can benefit fully from the transformative opportunity. Greater South‐South learning and collaboration, and strengthening of African institutions and building capacity are all needed. Agriculture is the pathway to ending poverty and boosting shared prosperity in Sub‐Saharan Africa, backed by improvements in education, health, nutrition and sustainable management of natural resources among others. The prospects for success have never been better.

Identification of deposit types of natural corundum by PIXE

Natural corundum, one of the most important exports of Thailand, is a rare, durable and valuable gemstone. The value of these precious stones is determined by their visual appearances, including brilliance, color, fire (light dispersion) and luster. Corundum is an allochromatic mineral whose trace element concentration depends on the origin and has influence on price setting. This work attempts to use an alternative method to identify the geological deposits of rubies and sapphires found in the Thai market which came from various countries, e.g., Africa, Cambodia, Myanmar, Sri Lanka, Thailand and USA. Interrelations between most important major trace elements are the main results of this work. Quantitative analysis of trace elements were performed by particle-induced X-ray emission (PIXE) technique, using 2-MeV proton beam generated and accelerated by the 1.7MV tandem accelerator at Chiang Mai University. The trace elements of interest are Ti, Cr, Fe and Ga. We have found that the relationships between the ratios of trace element concentration can be used to classify the deposit type. Moreover, this method shows a clear separation between two main types of geological deposits, basaltic and metamorphic deposits, which further helps in determining the gemstone origin. For example, the gemstones from Cambodia, Thailand and the USA can be classified as the basaltic deposits with their high concentration in Fe but low in Ti, while the gemstones from Africa, Myanmar and Sri Lanka are metamorphic deposits because they have low Fe but high Ti concentrations. Both deposits required plots of pairs of trace elements and their ratios in population field appearance in order to distinguish their origins. The advantageous of these methods appear to be a new and a sustainable procedure for determining gemstone origins.

Thailand’s Hidden Workforce: Burmese Migrant Women Factory Workers.

* 1. Thailand's hidden workforce: Burmese women factory workers * 2. Thailand's industrialisation and labour migration policies * 3. Burmese women migrant workers in Thailand's export industries * 4. Migrant women in Thailand's factories: working conditions, struggles and experiences * 5. Burmese migrant women and families in Thailand: reproduction, children and care * 6. After the crisis: new struggles and possibilities * 7. Burmese migrant workers between two worlds * Appendices * Notes * References

Estimation Of Demand System In An Aids Model:The Opportunity For Exporting Thai Agricultural Products

This paper reports the results of the estimation of Almost Ideal Demand System(AIDS) model is developed to estimate quantity respond based on price. Five major export agricultural products data from the office of Agricultural Economics, Thailand and Biofuel policy from the office of the National Economic and Social Development Broad were used. The AIDS model estimatesdemand of palm, cassava, and sugar are highly response to changed price. Rubber and rice has less response to the changed price. All of major agricultural products are affect expenditure of Thailand export. This result suggest that the opportunity for increasing supply of energy plants, which benefits to Thai farmer communities for expanding market share in energy plants in domestic and global market.

Thai Export under Exchange Rate Volatility: A Case Study of Textile and Garment Products

This research intends to determine impacts of exchange rate volatility on Thai export quantity in textile and garment products. In order to correctly measure export volume, this study computed export quantity as dependent variable rather than export value by constructing composite Thailand export quantity index through the disaggregation of export value and export price. Three alternative methods of volatility determination, including, quarterly variance, univariate GARCH model of spot exchange rate, and the bivariate GARCH models of spot and forward exchange rate, were applied in determining exchange rate risk. Panel data with fixed effects and random effects models were employed in analyzing impacts of export price and exchange rate risk on Thai export quantity. Also, the study included subprime crisis as dummy variable in measuring the impacts of subprime crisis. The estimated results indicate that the bivariate GARCH model is the most appropriated method in determining the exchange rate volatility. The empirical results revealed that the Thai export in textile and garment products are significantly influenced by its export price and the exchange rate volatility. Higher exchange rate volatility can cause decreasing in export quantity. Furthermore, the study also found significant impacts of the subprime crisis on Thailand economy through the sharp drop in Thai textile and garment export during this period.

Government use licenses in Thailand: an assessment of the health and economic impacts

BackgroundBetween 2006 and 2008, Thailand's Ministry of Public Health (MOPH) granted government use licenses for seven patented drugs in order to improve access to these essential treatments. The decision to grant the government use licenses was contentious both within and beyond the country. In particular, concerns were highlighted that the negative consequences might outweigh the expected benefits of the policy. This study conducted assessments of the health and economic implications of these government use licenses.MethodsThe health and health-related economic impacts were quantified in terms of i) Quality Adjusted Life Years (QALYs) gained and ii) increased productivity in US dollars (USD) as a result of the increased access to drugs. The study adopted a five-year timeframe for the assessment, commencing from the time of the grant of the government use licenses. Empirical evidence gathered from national databases was used to assess the changes in volume of exports after US Generalized System of Preferences (GSP) withdrawal and level of foreign direct investment (FDI).ResultsAs a result of the granting of the government use licenses, an additional 84,158 patients were estimated to have received access to the seven drugs over five years. Health gains from the use of the seven drugs compared to their best alternative accounted for 12,493 QALYs gained, which translates into quantifiable incremental benefits to society of USD132.4 million. The government use license on efavirenze was found to have the greatest benefit. In respect of the country's economy, the study found that Thailand's overall exports increased overtime, although exports of the three US GSP withdrawal products to the US did decline. There was also found to be no relationship between the government use licenses and the level of foreign investment over the period 2002 to 2008.ConclusionsThe public health benefits of the government use licenses were generally positive. Specifically, the policy helped to increase access to patented drugs, while the impact of the US GSP withdrawal did not adversely affect the overall export status. Because the levels of benefit gained from the government use licenses varied widely between the seven drugs, depending on several factors, this study makes recommendations for the future implementation of the policy in order to maximise benefits.

The Paradoxes of Thailand's Pre-crisis Export Performance

Starting from the observation that Thailand succeeded in developing its exports in a spectacular way in the decades preceding the 1997 financial crisis, the author points to a number of apparent paradoxes that become apparent when looking at Thai trade policies in detail. For example, Thai trade policy was characterized by an anti-export bias, the causal effect of inward foreign direct investment (FDI) on exports could not clearly be demonstrated, and the effects of discriminatory tariff reductions were apparently very poor. Elements of an explanation are suggested.

Much Ado About Nothing? Estimating the Impact of a U.S. Slowdownon Thai Growth

External demand was the main driver of growth in Thailand in 2006 and 2007. However, WEO projections indicate moderating foreign demand in 2008, with U.S. growth being revised downwards to reflect the turmoil in housing and credit markets, and high oil prices. While the share of Thai exports to the US has fallen in recent years, the US remains Thailand's largest export destination. We use a small structural model and Bayesian estimation to assess the possible impact of a U.S. slowdown on Thai growth. We find that a 1 percent slowdown in U.S. growth in 2008-relative to the baseline forecast-could have an upper-bound impact on Thai GDP growth of 0.9 percentage points.