BGHS

Sanit Ritmontri

Contesting Development Projects: A Case Study of Resistance in Eastern Thailand

The government of Thailand has started transforming the country towards industrialization since the 1960s. Although this resulted in rapid economic growth, it also created profound social and cultural changes. To achieve industrialisation, the government initiated massive infrastructural projects and formulated various policies to encourage foreign investment, initially aimed at substitution of imported industrial goods. The establishment of these projects, however, was accomplished at the expense of local communities, which were deprived from participating in the decision-making process. Some projects potentially posed threats to the livelihood of local communities permanently; others create conflicts over resource utilization with the surrounding communities. That is why the projects and its related components are being resisted by local communities. My research deals with the resistance of development projects in Eastern Thailand which emphasizes on the effects of Eastern Seaboard Project (ESB) towards local people. The objectives of this research aim at inquiring into patterns of resistance against development projects, and analyzes the dynamics, mechanisms and contexts in which resistance transforms into a collective organized movement and to analyze why some protest and social movements can not develop into strong groups.

Curriculum Vitae