Multi-dimensional Country Reviews are the result of a collaborative effort of the OECD and the country under review. Work on the first phase of the MDCR of Thailand was carried out jointly by the OECD Development Centre, the OECD Economics Department and the OECD Statistics Directorate, with excellent support from the National Economic and Social Development Board in Thailand. The review was initiated with an OECD mission to Bangkok in July 2017.
The review was produced under the guidance of Alvaro Pereira – Acting OECD Chief Economist and Director of the Country Studies Branch at the Economics Department, Mario Pezzini – Director of the OECD Development Centre, Martine Durand – OECD Chief Statistician. The review was led and coordinated by Vincent Koen, Head of Division at the OECD Economics Department, and Jan Rieländer, Head of the MDCR Unit at the Development Centre. It was drafted by Hidekatsu Asada, Adam Bogiatzis, Abu Zeid Mohd Arif, Mohamed Rizwan Habeeb Rahuman (OECD Economics Department), Martha Baxter and Andrea Colombo (OECD Development Centre), Lara Fleischer and Koffi Zougbédé (OECD Statistics Directorate). Deirdre Culley (OECD Development Centre) managed the Foresight work stream, including the workshop “Thailand: Vision and Challenges” held in Bangkok on 18 July 2017 and provided significant inputs to the report. Vararat Atisophon and Catriona Marshall (OECD Development Centre) provided excellent project management and statistical support. The review also benefited from the contributions made by Kazuki Hao and Carine Viac (OECD Development Centre). Secretarial assistance was provided by Myriam Andrieux (OECD Development Centre), Mercedes Burgos and Sisse Nielsen (OECD Economics Department).
The team is grateful for insightful contributions and comments provided by Christine Lewis, Haruki Seitani, Margit Molnar and Patrice Ollivaud (OECD Economics Department), Céline Colin, Juan De Laiglesia, Nejma Bouchama, Lea Fuiret, Alessandra Heinemann, Caroline Tassot and Riku Elovainio (OECD Development Centre), Elizabeth Fordham (OECD Education and Skills Directorate), Bert Brys (OECD Centre for Tax Policy and Administration), Ruben Maximiano (OECD Directorate for Financial and Enterprise Affairs), Filippo Cavassini, Jeroen Michels, Julio Bacio Terracino, Yukihiko Hamada and Winona Rei Bolislis (OECD Public Governance and Territorial Development Directorate), Inese Rozensteine, Janos Ferencz, Kaveri Bopiah and Shingo Kimura (OECD Trade and Agriculture Directorate), Katherine Scrivens (OECD Statistics Directorate) and participants of the workshop “Thailand: Vision and Challenges” held in Bangkok in July 2017, which brought together actors from a variety of sectors to discuss the diagnostic phase of the report as well as the main development challenges Thailand faces.
On the side of the Thai government, the review has benefited from the support of Porametee Vimolsiri, Secretary General of the Office of the National Economic and Social Development Board (NESDB) of the Kingdom of Thailand, and his staff. Pattama Teanravisitsagool (Deputy Secretary General of the NESDB), Marayart Samootsakorn (Senior Advisor in Policy and Plan) and their respective teams have been a valuable counterpart throughout the process, both technically and analytically. Athipong Hiranraengchok and Nisawan Pitchdumrong played a key role in the continuous interaction between the OECD team, the NESDB and other representatives from the Government of Thailand. The Multi-dimensional Country Review team met and is grateful to the Office of the Prime Minister (especially the Office of the Council of State, Office of the Civil Service Commission, Office of SMEs Promotion), the Office of the Public Sector Development Commission, the Bank of Thailand, the Ministry of Finance (in particular the Public Debt and Management Office and the Revenue Department), the Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives, the Ministry of Commerce, the Ministry of Digital Economy and Society (especially the Office of the Permanent Secretary and the National Statistical Office), the Ministry of Education, the Ministry of Energy (and its Energy Policy and Planning Office), the Ministry of Industry (especially the Office of the Permanent Secretary), the Ministry of Interior (and its Department of Local Administration and Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation), the Ministry of Justice, the Ministry of Labour (in particular, the Department of Skill Development and the Thai’s Social Security Office), the Ministry of National Resources and Environment, the Ministry of Public Health, the Ministry of Social Development and Human Security (especially the Department of Social Development and Welfare and the Department of Women Affairs and Family Development), the Ministry of Transport, the National Health Security Office, the National Science Technology and Innovation Policy Office, the Office of the National Anti-Corruption Commission, and the Office of the Law Reform Commission of Thailand. The report benefited from insights by the Federation of Thai Industries, the Friends of Women Foundation, the Thailand Development Research Institute, the Faculty of Archaeology of Silpakorn University, the Faculty of Economics of Thammasat University, the Institute of Human Rights and Peace Studies of Mahidol University and the School of Social Innovation of Mae Fah Luang University. The team is also grateful for inputs received from Tatchalerm Sudhipongpracha (Office of the Prime Minister of Thailand) and all the other interlocutors of the Policy Mission held in Bangkok in December 2017 who reviewed the initial draft of this report.
Finally, the team acknowledges David McDonald for editing the manuscript. Aida Buendia, Delphine Grandrieux and Elizabeth Nash from the OECD Development Centre’s Communications and Publications Unit edited, laid out and produced the report.