Publication:
Thailand : Investment Climate Assessment Update

Loading...
Thumbnail Image
Files in English
English PDF (2.5 MB)
886 downloads
English Text (1.87 MB)
305 downloads
Date
2008-12
ISSN
Published
2008-12
Author(s)
Editor(s)
Abstract
This report provides an up-to-date assessment of the investment climate of Thailand. As the socio-economic framework in which enterprises operate including infrastructure, policies and regulations improving the investment climate is helpful for productivity and economic growth. The report is based mainly on the results of the second round of the Thailand Productivity and Investment Climate Surveys (PICS) carried out in 2007 and on a comparison with results from the first round (conducted between March 2004 and February 2005). Some 1043 establishments from nine manufacturing sectors (food processing, textiles, garments, automobile parts, electronic parts, electrical appliances, rubber/plastics, furniture/wood, and machinery) in six regions (North, Central, metropolitan Bangkok, East, Northeast, and South) were surveyed. This report aims to present policymakers with detailed information on key business climate indicators and their relationship to Thai economic performance. Thailand's rapid growth and transition to middle-income country status in the past two decades was mainly the result of the rapid increase in employment and capital goods.
Link to Data Set
Citation
World Bank. 2008. Thailand : Investment Climate Assessment Update. © World Bank. http://hdl.handle.net/10986/7805 License: CC BY 3.0 IGO.
Associated URLs
Associated content
Report Series
Other publications in this report series
Journal
Journal Volume
Journal Issue

Related items

Showing items related by metadata.

  • Publication
    Explaining Enterprise Performance in Developing Countries with Business Climate Survey Data
    (Washington, DC: World Bank, 2008-12) Dethier, Jean-Jacques; Hirn, Maximilian; Straub, Stéphane
    This paper surveys the recent literature which examines the impact of business climate variables on productivity and growth in developing countries using enterprise surveys. Comparable enterprise surveys today cover some 70,000 firms in over 100 countries around the world. The literature that has analyzed this data provides evidence that a good business climate drives growth by encouraging investment and higher productivity. Various infrastructure, finance, security, competition and regulation variables have been shown to significantly impact firm performance. Section 1 of this paper outlines the theoretical framework that underpins the investment climate literature. Section 2 describes the available datasets and surveys the key findings of the empirical literature, first macroeconomic and then microeconomic studies. Particular attention is paid to the robustness of the reported results. Section 3 highlights important econometric issues common to this literature and suggests a research agenda and possible improvements in survey design.
  • Publication
    Russian Federation - Export Diversification through Competition and Innovation : A Policy Agenda
    (Washington, DC, 2011-07) World Bank
    Russia's exports became further dominated by petroleum and natural gas over the last decade. The sector experienced double-digit annual export growth in the last decade and represented almost 65 percent of Russia's exports value in 2009 a product of higher commodity prices and higher export volumes. Export growth rates of the non-oil and gas sector were also notable. Such industries as machinery, electronics, transportation equipment and chemicals reached a combined growth rate in export value of 10 percent in the last decade. This more positive comparison, however, hides relevant structural limitations in Russia's trade performance. Moreover, Russia's revealed comparative advantage seems concentrated in the 'periphery' of the product-space map, which may limit the potential for export diversification. This includes industries such as raw materials (26 products) and forestry (11 products) out of a total of 97 identified products. (At the center of the product-space are industries such as metallurgy, vehicles, machinery, etc, in which Russia does not show comparative advantages). Such specialization is sometimes considered problematic because the capabilities developed in those sectors are not easily redeployed to other industries, hindering the process of economic diversification. Yet, several resource-rich countries have managed to expand their comparative advantages beyond the traditional, natural resource-intensive products. Russian firms are, on average, larger than the average firm in the ECA region but too few firms export. It is a well documented fact that only a minority of firms in an economy export. Economic modernization and export diversification are priorities in the Russian economic policy agenda, with several measures being undertaken in recent years to promote growth in the non-oil and gas sectors. Yet the reason why some firms succeed in breaking into foreign markets while others do not is far from fully understood. In this note, the author tries to identify the binding constraints to export diversification in Russia. Using firm-level data, the author identify which investment climate factors are affecting Russian firm's propensity of engaging in export activities. Results show that lack of competition and entrepreneurial innovation are relevant obstacles to the emergence of new, potentially exportable products.
  • Publication
    Russian Federation - Export Diversification through Competition and Innovation : A Policy Agenda
    (World Bank, Washington, DC, 2013-04) World Bank
    Economic modernization and export diversification are priorities in the Russian economic policy agenda, with several measures undertaken in recent years to promote growth in the nonoil and gas sector. Russia's export base has narrowed substantially over the past decade. Lack of diversification cannot be pinned down to a single cause. Competition and innovation are examined in this study as key drivers of export diversification. After presenting our findings we identify some key trade policy measures that could help firms enter foreign markets and sustain current trade relationships. A comprehensive competition policy will help establish a level playing field, facilitate entry of more efficient firms, and encourage orderly exit of less efficient firms, thereby contributing to increased productivity and export propensity. The government's current initiatives to foster innovation could be strengthened through a number of specific measures focusing on commercialization of public research and development and adequate research funding. This study is organized as follows. Section two scrutinizes various dimensions of Russia's trade performance, including export diversification, sophistication, and survival. A detailed analysis of the role of exports, innovation, productivity, and competition on firm performance is presented in section three. Section four analyzes the competition environment in Russia, by presenting analyses of price-cost margins, state ownership, and regional and sectorial characteristics of competition, while Section five provides an overview of Russia's innovation system and measures to increase the impact of research and development on the economy. Section six concludes and presents policy options.
  • Publication
    Malaysia - Productivity and Investment Climate Assessment Update
    (World Bank, 2009-08-01) World Bank
    In the decades prior to the Asian financial crisis, the Malaysian economy experienced rapid growth and a significant structural transformation. It went from an economy that relied on agriculture and commodities to one dominated by manufacturing and services. Since then, however, Malaysia's growth has slowed to a level well below its key competitors in Asia, including the large labor-surplus economies of China and India. The economy seems to be caught in a middle-income trap, unable to remain competitive as a high-volume, low-cost producer and unable to move up the value chain and achieve rapid growth by breaking into fast growing markets for knowledge, and innovation-based products and services. The Malaysian authorities have expressed their commitment to regain their earlier growth and reposition their economy as a rapidly growing, knowledge-based, high value-added and high income economy. A key element of their strategy is to encourage Malaysians to invest more of their savings at home, instead of abroad. Equally important is the need to improve the quality of that investment. As part of this effort, the Economic Planning Unit (EPU) of the Prime Minister's Department launched a second Malaysia Productivity and Investment Climate Survey in 2007 (PICS-II) to assess whether and how the investment environment had changed since the first survey in 2002 (PICS-I). This report presents the analytical results of the second survey, which covers nine manufacturing industries and five selected business support services industries.
  • Publication
    Albania - Building Competitiveness : Main Report - Overview of Findings and Recommendations
    (World Bank, 2009-10-01) World Bank
    Commitment to structural reforms and to economic stabilization has enabled high rates of gross domestic product (GDP) growth in Albania since the start of transition, and consequent reductions in poverty. The crisis caused by the collapse of 'pyramid' investment schemes in late 1996 and early 1997, the Government began to implement a stabilization and reform program which has resulted in rates of economic growth averaging more than five percent annually between 1998 and 2007. Strong growth has in turn made possible a 6.8 percentage point decline in the poverty headcount, a higher drop than in most countries in the (Eastern) Europe and Central Asia (ECA) region. These achievements have been underpinned by prudent fiscal and monetary policies. Budget deficits have been kept under control, declining from an average of around 10 percent of GDP in the late 1990s to less than 4 percent since 2005. In parallel, a monetary targeting regime has ensured price stability, with inflation remaining at around 3 percent in recent years. This report discusses how Albania can improve its long term competitiveness and growth by facilitating firms' ability to employ technology and skills and by closing the gap between formal regulations and actual enforcement. The second chapter sets the stage by presenting the macroeconomic setting, as well as key structural features of the Albanian economy. The third chapter provides an overview of investment climate constraints on firm performance. The crucial pillars of the investment climate that affect firm performance that is to say: (i) access to and adoption of knowledge by Albanian firms, and (ii) the gap between formal and informal regulation are treated in chapters four and five respectively. Chapter six concludes and summarizes policy recommendations.

Users also downloaded

Showing related downloaded files

  • Publication
    The Journey Ahead
    (Washington, DC: World Bank, 2024-10-31) Bossavie, Laurent; Garrote Sánchez, Daniel; Makovec, Mattia
    The Journey Ahead: Supporting Successful Migration in Europe and Central Asia provides an in-depth analysis of international migration in Europe and Central Asia (ECA) and the implications for policy making. By identifying challenges and opportunities associated with migration in the region, it aims to inform a more nuanced, evidencebased debate on the costs and benefits of cross-border mobility. Using data-driven insights and new analysis, the report shows that migration has been an engine of prosperity and has helped address some of ECA’s demographic and socioeconomic disparities. Yet, migration’s full economic potential remains untapped. The report identifies multiple barriers keeping migration from achieving its full potential. Crucially, it argues that policies in both origin and destination countries can help maximize the development impacts of migration and effectively manage the economic, social, and political costs. Drawing from a wide range of literature, country experiences, and novel analysis, The Journey Ahead presents actionable policy options to enhance the benefits of migration for destination and origin countries and migrants themselves. Some measures can be taken unilaterally by countries, whereas others require close bilateral or regional coordination. The recommendations are tailored to different types of migration— forced displacement as well as high-skilled and low-skilled economic migration—and from the perspectives of both sending and receiving countries. This report serves as a comprehensive resource for governments, development partners, and other stakeholders throughout Europe and Central Asia, where the richness and diversity of migration experiences provide valuable insights for policy makers in other regions of the world.
  • Publication
    Classroom Assessment to Support Foundational Literacy
    (Washington, DC: World Bank, 2025-03-21) Luna-Bazaldua, Diego; Levin, Victoria; Liberman, Julia; Gala, Priyal Mukesh
    This document focuses primarily on how classroom assessment activities can measure students’ literacy skills as they progress along a learning trajectory towards reading fluently and with comprehension by the end of primary school grades. The document addresses considerations regarding the design and implementation of early grade reading classroom assessment, provides examples of assessment activities from a variety of countries and contexts, and discusses the importance of incorporating classroom assessment practices into teacher training and professional development opportunities for teachers. The structure of the document is as follows. The first section presents definitions and addresses basic questions on classroom assessment. Section 2 covers the intersection between assessment and early grade reading by discussing how learning assessment can measure early grade reading skills following the reading learning trajectory. Section 3 compares some of the most common early grade literacy assessment tools with respect to the early grade reading skills and developmental phases. Section 4 of the document addresses teacher training considerations in developing, scoring, and using early grade reading assessment. Additional issues in assessing reading skills in the classroom and using assessment results to improve teaching and learning are reviewed in section 5. Throughout the document, country cases are presented to demonstrate how assessment activities can be implemented in the classroom in different contexts.
  • Publication
    Lebanon Economic Monitor, Fall 2022
    (Washington, DC, 2022-11) World Bank
    The economy continues to contract, albeit at a somewhat slower pace. Public finances improved in 2021, but only because spending collapsed faster than revenue generation. Testament to the continued atrophy of Lebanon’s economy, the Lebanese Pound continues to depreciate sharply. The sharp deterioration in the currency continues to drive surging inflation, in triple digits since July 2020, impacting the poor and vulnerable the most. An unprecedented institutional vacuum will likely further delay any agreement on crisis resolution and much needed reforms; this includes prior actions as part of the April 2022 International Monetary Fund (IMF) staff-level agreement (SLA). Divergent views among key stakeholders on how to distribute the financial losses remains the main bottleneck for reaching an agreement on a comprehensive reform agenda. Lebanon needs to urgently adopt a domestic, equitable, and comprehensive solution that is predicated on: (i) addressing upfront the balance sheet impairments, (ii) restoring liquidity, and (iii) adhering to sound global practices of bail-in solutions based on a hierarchy of creditors (starting with banks’ shareholders) that protects small depositors.
  • Publication
    World Development Report 2006
    (Washington, DC, 2005) World Bank
    This year’s Word Development Report (WDR), the twenty-eighth, looks at the role of equity in the development process. It defines equity in terms of two basic principles. The first is equal opportunities: that a person’s chances in life should be determined by his or her talents and efforts, rather than by pre-determined circumstances such as race, gender, social or family background. The second principle is the avoidance of extreme deprivation in outcomes, particularly in health, education and consumption levels. This principle thus includes the objective of poverty reduction. The report’s main message is that, in the long run, the pursuit of equity and the pursuit of economic prosperity are complementary. In addition to detailed chapters exploring these and related issues, the Report contains selected data from the World Development Indicators 2005‹an appendix of economic and social data for over 200 countries. This Report offers practical insights for policymakers, executives, scholars, and all those with an interest in economic development.
  • Publication
    Argentina Country Climate and Development Report
    (World Bank, Washington, DC, 2022-11) World Bank Group
    The Argentina Country Climate and Development Report (CCDR) explores opportunities and identifies trade-offs for aligning Argentina’s growth and poverty reduction policies with its commitments on, and its ability to withstand, climate change. It assesses how the country can: reduce its vulnerability to climate shocks through targeted public and private investments and adequation of social protection. The report also shows how Argentina can seize the benefits of a global decarbonization path to sustain a more robust economic growth through further development of Argentina’s potential for renewable energy, energy efficiency actions, the lithium value chain, as well as climate-smart agriculture (and land use) options. Given Argentina’s context, this CCDR focuses on win-win policies and investments, which have large co-benefits or can contribute to raising the country’s growth while helping to adapt the economy, also considering how human capital actions can accompany a just transition.