Growth, inequality and poverty in South-east Asia: the case of Thailand
Amrita Daniere1996, Third World Planning Review
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Abstract
This paper deals with urban and regional planning and the effect of industrial growth on the distribution of income and poverty levels in developing countries. It suggests that in Thailand regional inequality is increasing and that poverty in some Thai cities may have increased in recent years. Migration from the poorer regions to the urban areas could explain this, but the national accounts suggest not. Scant public examination of poverty trends adds to the difficulty of understanding the impact of growth on poverty. The paper also uses recent data collected from Bangkok slums to discuss the problems of the poor in a more dynamic urban context and suggest how poverty and inequality trends might be more fruitfully analysed in the future. There is a growing interest among planners in the rapid economic growth of cities and their regions in developing countries, not only because many of these ~etropolitan areas are, or soon will be, more populous than most cities in the Industrialised world, but also because industrial locations in such cities represent a SOurce of increasing competition with regions in North America and Europe. A number of developing countries, particularly in South-east Asia, have experienced record economic growth accompanied by rapid and unplanned urbanisation. Planners and policy makers in these regions are often not fully aware of the Consequences of economic and urban growth on their citizens and need better
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The views expressed in this publication are those of the author, and do not necessarily reflect the views and policies of the Asian Development Bank (ADB), its Board of Directors, or the governments they represent. ADB does not guarantee the accuracy of the data included in this publication, and accept no responsibility for any consequence of their use. By making any designation or reference to a particular territory or geographical area, or by using the term "country" in this document, ADB does not intend to make any judgments as to the legal or other status of any territory or area. ADB encourages printing or copying exclusively for personal and noncommercial use with proper acknowledgement of ADB and the authors. Users are restricted from reselling, redistributing, or creating derivative works for commercial purposes without the express written consent of the ADB.
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