Introduction
From the First to the Tenth of Thailand’s national development plans, the
development paradigm of national development plans has evolved in the context of global
and domestic changes. A significant shift in the country’s development planning has taken
place since the Eighth Plan (1997-2001) from a growth-oriented approach to the new model
of holistic “people-centered development”. In order to ensure a more balanced
development, priority was given to broad-based participation, and to actively engaging civil
society, the private sector and academia, in the formulation the national development plan.
Furthermore, economic mismanagement, which led to the 1997 Asian crisis, prompted the
adoption of the Philosophy of Sufficiency Economy as a main guiding principle in the Ninth
Plan (2002-2006), with its practical applications becoming evident during the Tenth Plan
(2006-2011). In order to achieve sustainable development with a people-centered approach,
it is necessary to enhance the country’s self-resilience by strengthening Thailand’s economic
and social capital and improving risk management in order to effectively handle internal and
external uncertainties. This will lead the country toward sustainable development and a
“Happiness Society