THAILAND DEVELOPMENT - THE ROLE OF BANGKOK

This article explores the ways urbanization in general, and primate cities in particular, impact the economic growth of LDC. The resulting paradigm is applied to the role of Bangkok in the development of Thailand. Growth impulses in the form of technology, investment, trade and modernization in general, are found to be initiated in and spread from Bangkok. This takes place through corridors that are like rays emanating from Bangkok. This is contrasted to the policy of building growth poles in provinces far from Bangkok, which has failed in its two major objectives: diverting migrants away from Bangkok, and creating alternative centers of development. The specific economic activities in the corridors differ, depending on the resources of the provinces toward which they are leading. Our paradigm specifies that, for an expansion to be successful, it is important that the new steps occur within the agglomeration spillover range of the metropolis. As new areas in the corridors ''metropolitize,'' the process extends further into the provinces. Much of the actual expansion in Thailand's development has occurred in this way, largely irrespective of government policies.