As a background, prior to the formulation of the First Plan, in 1946 the government obtained loans from India and the United States; from 1950 the World Bank began to lend money to Thailand for the construction of infrastructure such as roads, railways, irrigation and electric power generation. Foreign loans, grants and overseas investment became regular features of the economy from the early 1950s. These developments were closely related to the United States increasing involvement in the Asian and Pacific region (Dixon 1999, 78-79). The need to monitor and manage overseas loans, grants and investment led to the establishment of related agencies such as the National Economic Council (1950) to look after national income statistics, the Thai Technical and Economic Cooperation Committee to look after requests for aid, the National Economic Development Board (1959) to provide economic planning, followed by the Board of Investment, the Bureau of the Budget, and the Office of Fiscal Policy (1959-1960). In addition, a series of new agencies and councils were established to facilitate policy formulation and coordination in such areas as education and power generation. These agencies, including the established ministries, struggled with individual problems, conflicts of interest, and policy. However, in terms of development planning programs, these were increasingly coordinated.