Study Reports

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Background and Structure of the Report

1. Purpose of the study

JICA set up the first study committee on Japan's ODA to Thailand in 1989 and the second committee in 1996 to draw up their respective reports. Since then, factors including the Asian currency crisis in July 1997, the subsequent recovery from the crisis and the economic growth that has been supported by brisk exports and domestic demand since 1999, and the ongoing top-down political management and administrative reform under the strong leadership of the Thaksin Administration, which was formed in 2001, have brought about substantial socioeconomic changes in Thailand. In addition, recent years have witnessed significant changes in economic relations in Indochina, including the deepening economic integration of ASEAN and the region's strong commitment to bilateral free trade agreements or FTAs.

In addition, Japan started reviewing its Official Development Assistance (ODA) with pressure from the prolonged recession at home. In August 2003, Japan revised its ODA Charter for the first time in a decade. The revised charter emphasized strategic value, responsiveness, transparency and efficiency, as well as wide public participation, and defined Asia as a priority region from a strategic perspective.

Based on above background, JICA set up this committee - the Third Committee on the Country Study for Japan's Official Development Assistance to the Kingdom of Thailand. Its major aims are to discuss which direction the development of Thailand is going to take and what role Thailand and Japan-Thailand relations should play in the regional context, and to come up with recommendations on Japan's cooperation to Thailand in the future.

2. Organization of the study committee

This committee, consisting of 16 members and advisors including experts and staff at the organizations concerned, as well as JICA staff, was chaired by Dr. Akira Suehiro, Professor at the Institute of Social Science, University of Tokyo.

The committee held six monthly meetings and had lively discussions. At some meetings, teleconferences were used to exchange views with experts directly involved in development programs and projects in Thailand, as a new attempt to deepen discussions. The findings of these sessions were compiled into this report.

3. Structure of the report

This report in English is a Summary Discussion of the main report, which provides the committee's perspectives on the current situation in Asia and Thailand and the framework for future development as well as the direction of Japan's ODA to Thailand. Professor Suehiro authored Chapters 1 to 3, reviewing Japan's ODA to Thailand and providing perspectives on Japan's perceptions of current Asia and Thailand. Chapters 4 to 6 was authored by Michiko Umezaki based on the discussion of previous chapters, examining the philosophy of Japan's ODA to Thailand, and clarifying the priority issues and the problems in institutional and operational arrangements for ODA.

The full report, only provided in Japanese, contains detailed analysis of the current state of Thailand, addressing political and economic situations, regional cooperation, and ODA to Thailand from Japan as well as other countries. It also includes over 100 columns written by many experts and others to help further understanding of the current situation and the new direction of development in Thailand, and the cooperation between Japan and Thailand.