The practice of free economic zones in Thailand
Keywords:
free economic zones, industrial zones, export-processing zones, science and technological parks, special economic zones, cross-border economic zones, Indonesia-Malaysia-Thailand growth triangle, Greater Mekong subregionAbstract
Thailand is a country successfully implementing the policy on free economic zones. It takes the beginning since 1971, when the first industrial zone was formed. At present their total number is 36. The term “industrial” zone is common to other types of SEZ located in both the public and private or joint ownership. In practice, there are Thai export-processing zones, free zones, free trade zones, and science and technology parks. In 2014, the formation of six special economic zones as cross-border ones on the borders with the neighboring countries of ASEAN - Malaysia, Cambodia, Laos and Myanmar - was initiated. Thailand also takes part in the ASEAN’s economic growth zones: the North zone of growth and zone of the Greater Mekong.
The development of SEZs in the country has stimulated industrial production and the evolution of its branch structure from labour-intensive to capital-intensive and technology-intensive, employment growth, FDI inflows and export growth.
