Work

Reform, Rails, and Rice: Political Railroads and Local Development in Thailand

Year: 2024

Type: article

Abstract: How do external threats to state sovereignty benefit local development? In this paper, we look at Thailand’s railroad projects in the late-nineteenth and early-twentieth centuries as an example of a state’s strategic response to colonial encroachment. By transporting government officials and establishing a permanent administrative presence, the railways served to ensure Thailand’s sovereignty over peripheral regions and bring them under direct governance. These regions, long considered economically unviable and disconnected from Bangkok, gained rail access due to their strategic importance and, in turn, witnessed urbanization and increased agricultural production.

Source: The Journal of Economic History

DOI: 10.1017/s0022050724000238

Authors: Christopher Paik, Jessica Vechbanyongratana

Institutions: New York University Abu Dhabi, Chulalongkorn University

Language: English

Topic: Southeast Asian Sociopolitical Studies

Subfield: Political Science and International Relations

Field: Social Sciences

Domain: Social Sciences

SDGs: Industry, innovation and infrastructure, Peace, justice, and strong institutions

Open Access status: hybrid

Estimated APC paid: $3,450