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Thailand’s 9th National Plan 2002-2006
Whilst Thailand has showed signs of recovery in the years since the 1997 crisis, there is a need for the deepening of socio-economic and political policies in order to ensure a steady and sustainable recovery that does not alienate any part of society.
During the year 2000 the Royal Thai Government (RTG) began finalising the 9th National Economic and Social Development plan. The plan articulates Thailand’s development priorities for 2002-2006. The successes and failures of the 8th plan and the political and socio-economic developments since 1997 are shaping the direction of the plan.
The plan is a deepening of, rather than a departure from, the goals expressed in the 8th plan and encapsulates a people-centric vision of development for Thailand, which complements the measures introduced to strengthen the economic and social foundations for long-term sustainable growth.
The main goals of the 9th Plan will be:
- Poverty Alleviation
- Recovery with Sustainability and Stability
- Good Governance
- Strengthening Development Foundations
Despite the change of government in mid-preparation, the goals listed above can be broadly assumed to be Thailand’s national priorities, as they were formulated by the government in continuous consultation with the private sector, NGOs and civil society at the regional and local levels. Whilst a new government may want to review the plan it is unlikely that anything fundamental will change.
Whilst encapsulating a renewed vision of development promulgating increased participation and self-sufficiency, these priorities also aim to alleviate many of the factors that have hindered an increase in the pace of economic recovery in 2000. The plan is explicit in the need for continued restructuring, particularly of the financial sector, and for improving the information technology knowledge base in Thailand to enable the country to assert its middle-income status.
A central pillar of the plan is good governance and the formulation strategy of the plan also reflects the importance of good governance and political reform. These issues are of equal concern to the Thai people as social and economic issues. Viewed crucially as an essential building block to sustainable development, the 9th plan emphasises the growing significance of the role of civil society in the decision making process. Participatory planning approaches were widely applied during the formulation of the plan.
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