Title: Government policy, industrialisation and the investment development path: the case of Thailand

Authors: Anthony Bende-Nabende, Jim Slater

Addresses: University of Birmingham, UK. ' University of Birmingham, UK

Abstract: This study investigates the interactive role government policy has played in influencing industrialisation and, hence, the pattern of the investment development path (IDP) of Thailand. We start by analysing how, until the 1997/8 financial crisis, the increasing attractiveness of Thailand|s economy generated benefits from foreign direct investment (FDI) inflows. While its sources of comparative advantage were changing, financial deregulation lured Thailand into abandoning the necessary checks in the financial system thus instigating a financial crisis, which had dire effects particularly on the FDI outflows. Consequently, the traditional pattern of the IDP was disrupted. We conclude that Thailand can re-track into the traditional pattern of the IDP if it pursues the right policies.

Keywords: government policy; industrialisation; investment development path; Thailand; foreign direct investment; FDI inflows; financial deregulation; FDI outflows.

DOI: 10.1504/GBER.2004.006220

Global Business and Economics Review, 2004 Vol.6 No.1, pp.55 - 81

Published online: 07 Feb 2005 *

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