Southern Seaboard
development
to spread Thailand's wealth more evenly
By Jon Fernquest
Since 1991, heavy industry in
Thailand has mostly developed near Bangkok, along the Eastern Seaboard
that runs from Bangkok past Pattaya down to Rayong (Read background).
The Southern Seaboard Development Project aims to move some of this economic activity and prosperity from the now crowded Eastern Seaboard to southern Thailand.
Since 2004, southernmost Thailand has experienced political turmoil, the loss of over 3,000 lives, and a sluggish economy. The rationale is that locating new industrial projects closer to the economically depressed southern areas could have a stimulative effect on the region.
The idea for such a project began almost 20 years ago during the Chatichai Choonhaven administration in 1989. The National Economic and Social Development Board (NESBD) is in charge of drafting the plan. Some of the current features of this plan run as follows:
Southern Seaboard Project (NESBD Plans)
Southern Thailand has two coasts: 1. the Andaman Coast, and 2. the Gulf Coast. Rail and road links will connect the two coastal regions. The Andaman Coast around Phuket would be reserved for the thriving tourism industry there.
Two deep-sea ports will be built, one on each coast. Pak Bara on the Gulf Coast near the Malaysian border and Sichon near Nakhon Si Thammarat on the Gulf Coast have been suggested as good sites.
Pipelines from the Andaman to the Gulf Coast would allow oil and natural gas to be received on the Andaman Coast and then transported by pipeline to refineries on the Gulf Coast, thereby cutting transportation costs from the Middle East.
Industrial estates
located on the Gulf Coast would allow an upstream petrochemical
industry to be developed there.
BOI Incentives
The one missing ingredient is Board of Investment (BOI) incentives for companies to locate large industrial projects in the south.
The BOI might also
provide financial incentives to foreign institutions to open
schools with vocational training to accompany this
industrial development.
Vocabulary:
the Southern
Seaboard - Thailand's coast stretching from Hua Hin, past
Surathani and Nakhon Sri Thammarat to Songkhla and Pattani
ชายฝั่งทะเลภาคใต้
the Eastern
Seaboard - the industrialised area to the southeast of
Bangkok near Chonburi, Pattaya, Rayong, and Laem Chabang
นิคมอุตสาหกรรมชายฝั่งทะเลตะวันออก
the Western
Seaboard, Western Gateway - Thailand's coast on the Bay of
Bengal with easier shiiping access to India, the Middle East, and
Europe, avoiding the Straits of Malacca, the Western Seaboard is not
yet developed ชายฝั่งทะเลตะวันตก
the Straits of
Malacca - the narrow stretch of water between Malaysia and
Singapore and the Indonesian island of Sumatra, most ships have to pass
through these straits on their way from India to India, the Middle
East, and Europe (See Wikipedia) ช่องแคบมะละกา
National
Economic and Social Development Board (NESDB or "Sa-pa-pat")
- Thai government planning agency for economic development, creates
five year plans with an agenda of: 1. Alleviation of Poverty and Income
Distribution problems, 2. Enhancing Thailand’s Competitiveness, 3.
Promoting Social Capital Development, 4. Promoting Sustainable
Development (See Wikipedia)
สภาพัฒนาเศรษฐกิจและสังคมแห่งชาติ
heavy industry
- more capital intensive industries with big plants and factories,
requiring greater and more expensive facilities and resources, examples
are chemicals, oil refining iron production, car manufacturing, and
ship building (See Wikipedia) อุตสาหกรรมหนัก เช่น
ภาคการผลิตเหล็กกล้า อุตสาหกรรมการประกอบรถยนต์ การกลั่นน้ำมัน
prosperity
- doing well financially, earning a lot of money มั่งคั่ง
turmoil - a state of disorder, uncertainy, and
confusion ความไม่สงบ ความผันผวน
political turmoil - a state of political disorder
and uncertainty ความไม่สงบทางการเมือง
a sluggish
economy - an economy with little economic activity,
generating little income and wealth ภาวะเศรษฐกิจซบเซา
the rationale - the reason for something
พื้นฐานของเหตุผล
stimulative
effect - increases economic activity, incomes, and wealth (in
the region) การกระตุ้นการผลิต
National Economic and Social Development Board (NESBD)
-
in charge of Y
- the person with responsibility to oversee activity or project Y
ผู้มีอำนาจดูแลโครงการ
drafting the plan - writing the plan (after the
necessary study) ร่างโครงการ
links, rail and
road links - connections between places by railroad lines or
roads for cars and trucks การเชื่อมโยงด้วยถนน หรือทางรถไฟ
เพื่อการคมนาคม และขนส่งที่สะดวกขึ้น
thriving
- doing well, being healthy, wealthy, and strong (See glossary) ที่รุ่งเรืองสดใส
thriving tourism industry - a strong tourism
industry, generating wealth for the nation
ภาคการท่องเที่ยวที่มีเฟื่องฟู /
เติบโตมากและเป็นภาคธุรกิจที่นำรายได้หลักเข้าประเทศ
a deep-sea port
- an ocean port that larger ships can dock at ท่าเรือน้ำลึก
a site - a place used for a special purpose (for
example, a building site or a web site) สถานที่
the missing
ingredient - the one thing that is needed to make it complete
องค์ประกอบที่ขาดหายไป
Board of
Investment (BOI) - the Thai government agency responsible for
providing incentives to encourage investment in Thailand (See website)
incentives - rewards to encourage people to behave
in a certain way (See glossary) แรงกระตุ้น สิ่งกระตุ้น
vocational
training -
teaching people the skills they need for different kinds of jobs (for
example, the student received training in automotive repair) การฝึกอาชีพ