Changes in the Sugar Industry of Thailand, 1965-1981
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Abstract
Objectives: This study was conducted to analyze the changes in the Thai sugar industry between 1965 and 1981. It explains the various factors that influenced the industry's shift from its initial focus on production for domestic consumption to primarily producing for global market exports.
Methods: This study employs a descriptive analytical approach, using historical research methods to gather primary documents related to the Thai sugar industry. These documents are retrieved from five sources: the National Archives of Thailand (NAT), the Office of the Cane and Sugar Board (OCSB), the Ministry of Industry (MOI), the Department of Internal Trade (DIT), and the Ministry of Commerce (MOC). Books, theses, and related articles explaining the factors contributing to changes in the Thai sugar industry were also used.
Results: The study reveals that between 1965 and 1981, the Thai government aimed to promote the sugar industry through policies that encouraged quality production practices and private sector participation in sugar exports. It also identified suitable export markets. Additionally, from 1968 to 1981, Thailand was part of the agreement on sugar, established during the UN sugar conference 1968, and the global market's growing demand for sugar further shifted the industry's focus from domestic consumption to exports. This shift was reflected in the annual expansion of production for export, leading Thailand to become the world's seventh-largest producer and exporter of sugar by 1976.
Application of this study: This study provides information and explanations of government policies and the economic conditions of the sugar market, both domestically and globally, which directly affected changes in the sugar industry. These factors can also serve as guidelines for studying and analyzing changes in other industries in Thailand.
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