Thailand’s first Five–Years National Economic and Social Development Plan was launched in 1962. The
first two Five – Years Plans focussed on infrastructure development, agricultural diversification, and import
substituting industrialization to achieve high and stable economic growth. The Third Plan (1972–1976)
turned to export oriented industrialisation, The Fifth Plan (1982–1986) put an emphasis on liberalization,
deregulation, and decentralization. The implementation of the plan was however obstructed by the oil
crisis and global recession. Some liberalization was undertaken during the Seventh Plan period (1992–5
1996). The Eighth Plan then focussed on quality of life and quality of human resource, people participation
in development design and process