An article printed in the Urban Times in August 2012 stated that “There are many signs of increasing degrees of urbanization in Thailand as the country continues to act as a major global exporter and newly industrializing nation. Successes in economic development in recent decades have occurred because of macroeconomic stability and a market-based economy. Asia and the Pacific region as a whole have been recognized as a highly dynamic economic region worldwide. With a current urbanization rate of 38% of the total population, the urban landscape is clearly changing.”