1. Introduction
Rapid globalization, which has primarily resulted from trade liberalization in recent decades, has driven the process of regionalization through the formation of trade blocs, notably the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) in order to foster economic complementarities and enhance regional competitiveness. As the progress of development among ASEAN member countries is quite diverse, the programs consisting of the Greater Mekong sub-region (GMS) Development Cooperation and Initiative for ASEAN Integration (IAI) have been created in order to speed up the regional integration towards the goal of the ASEAN Community (AC) by the year 2015 (ASEAN Secretariat 2009). The potential benefits from the GMS cooperation are large; nevertheless, different levels of development may slow down the growth and full benefits of this sub-regional cooperation (Krongkaew 2004). It is apparent that economic interdependence between Thailand and her less developed neighboring countries has increasingly become much closer over the last few decades due to the advancement of regional cooperation. Yet, considerable development gaps seem to be widening due to stark differences in stages of development causing persistently “asymmetric relations.” For example, labor cost in Thailand is higher than Myanmar, Lao PDR and Cambodia by 3.7–5.2 times (Chalamwong et al. 2013). Thus, Thailand has attracted an estimated 6 million unskilled immigrant labor force and family members from these bordering countries, which has accounted for 9.39% of the total national population, to work and live in the country (Manager Weekly 2010). Meanwhile, a study conducted by Prince of Song Khla University, found that approximately 0.20 million southern Thai nationals had out-migrated to Malaysia for jobs (Manager online 2008).
1. บทนำRapid globalization, which has primarily resulted from trade liberalization in recent decades, has driven the process of regionalization through the formation of trade blocs, notably the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) in order to foster economic complementarities and enhance regional competitiveness. As the progress of development among ASEAN member countries is quite diverse, the programs consisting of the Greater Mekong sub-region (GMS) Development Cooperation and Initiative for ASEAN Integration (IAI) have been created in order to speed up the regional integration towards the goal of the ASEAN Community (AC) by the year 2015 (ASEAN Secretariat 2009). The potential benefits from the GMS cooperation are large; nevertheless, different levels of development may slow down the growth and full benefits of this sub-regional cooperation (Krongkaew 2004). It is apparent that economic interdependence between Thailand and her less developed neighboring countries has increasingly become much closer over the last few decades due to the advancement of regional cooperation. Yet, considerable development gaps seem to be widening due to stark differences in stages of development causing persistently “asymmetric relations.” For example, labor cost in Thailand is higher than Myanmar, Lao PDR and Cambodia by 3.7–5.2 times (Chalamwong et al. 2013). Thus, Thailand has attracted an estimated 6 million unskilled immigrant labor force and family members from these bordering countries, which has accounted for 9.39% of the total national population, to work and live in the country (Manager Weekly 2010). Meanwhile, a study conducted by Prince of Song Khla University, found that approximately 0.20 million southern Thai nationals had out-migrated to Malaysia for jobs (Manager online 2008).
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