KasetsartKasetsart Journal Journal of of Social Social Sciences Sciences 40 (2019) 440–447 e

40 (2019) 1 9 Kasetsart Journal of Social Sciences

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TheForecasting potentials equilibrium and limitations, quantity and specialization and price of on regional the world cities in natural rubber market Puntip Jongkroy* and Chonmani Thongbai * DepartmentSuratwadee of Geography, Arunwarakorn Faculty of Social Sciences, a Kasetsart, , Kamonchanok University, 10900, Suthiwartnarueput Thailand b, Pongsa Pornchaiwiseskul c, 1 Article Info Abstract a Logistics and Supply Chain Management, Graduate School, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok 10330, Thailand b Department of Commerce, Chulalongkorn Business School, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok 10330, Thailand Article history: c Department of Economics, Faculty of Economics, ChulalongkornThis research University, article Bangkok aimed 10330, to Thailand highlight the potentials and limitations, and the specialization of regional cities in Thailand. Multiple data collection techniques were Received 26 August 2016 Revised 18 May 2017 Article Info Abstract Accepted 19 May 2017 applied: direct field observations, key informant interviews, a literature review, and Available Online 30 August 2019 data retrieval from the Internet. A geographic information system, descriptive statistics, Keywords:Article history: Naturalhad potential rubber in on the the population world market aspect has ashad the small highest increases concentration in demand of and urban big populationincreases in potentialsReceived and27 March limitations, 2017 supply.and content Therefore, analysis demand were andutilized supply for are data imbalanced analysis. Itand was this found impacts that the all regionalnatural rubber cities Revised 2 July 2017 regional cities, price of the world market causing a decline. This study aimed: (1) to develop de-mand and Accepted 25 July 2017 regional specialization supplyin their models individual to predict regions, the the world center natural of non-farm rubber sectorquantity production, using simultaneous and the educational equations; Available online (2)center to predict (except all Songkhla explanatory with variables the outstanding in the demand role as andthe commercialsupply models and using service the centersimple 1 2017 moving average technique; and (3) to estimate the equilibrium quantity and price for world Keywords: September overshadowed by Hat Yai’s influence). Limitations were also found in various social natural rubber during 2017e2026. First, in the demand model, there was a positive equilibrium price, fromservices the (especially present status for public that all health) regional as citieswell as were in road centers network of human and urban settlement structure and relationship of the explanatory variables of world natural rubber production quantity, equilibrium quantity, (except Chiang Mai with its well-planned road network). It could thus be summarized synthetic rubber price, percentage year of year (%YOY) of gross domestic product (GDP), natural rubber, mostlyand the exchangein commerce rate, whileand education. the negative Khon relationship Kaen was variable the industrialwas natural center rubber and price. the In simultaneous equation urbanization.the supply model, In comparison the positive to relationship other regional variables cities, were Chiang natural Mai’s rubber specialization price, mature was orientedarea, rainfall, manufacturing and crude oil and price, international while the trade,negative enhanced relationship by Mueang variables —the were world growthnatural rubbercenter ofstock the westernand urea Indochina price. Second, Peninsula. the predicted variables specialized indicated in export- that wouldproduction, be the %YOY border of GDP, trading exchange center rate, of the amount central of Malay stock, Peninsula. and the mature area tended to hubgradually of world-class increase, while tourism. the synthetic If the role rubber of Hat price, Yai urea were price, taken rainfall, into account,and crude Songkhla oil price tended to slowly decrease from 2017 to 2026. Finally, the equilibrium quantity forecast tended to gradually increase from 953.75 to 957.15 thousand tonnes, and the equilibrium © 2019 . price tended to fluctuate and decrease from 169.78 to 162.05 thousand yen from 2017 to 2026. Consequently, this study may be helpful to the governments of the world's impor- Introduction tant natural rubber producing countries to plan policies to reduce natural rubber pro- duction costs and stabilize the natural rubber price in the future, such as by setting suitable areas of world natural rubberunbalancedagglomeration. plantation urban Unlikein each system othercountry, Southeast contains and defi Asianningthe appropriatelargest countries urban thatand sustainable alternative cropcould areas balance in each the country. growth of urban areas effectively, Thailand’s As a result of the previous 11 national socio-economic © 2017 Kasetsart University. Publishing services by Elsevier B.V. development plans, Thailand’s development has continued to agglomeration that is 24 times greater than Hat Yai urban face severe unbalanced growth. The Bangkok Metropolitan area—the second largest city of the South (Central Intelligence Region (BMR, comprising Bangkok Metropolis and five Agency, 2012; Jongkroy & Thongbai, 2014). neighboring provinces, namely Nonthaburi, Pathum Thani, Previous results from the research on “Patterns of the Samut Prakan, Samut Sakhon, and Nakhon Pathom) has Spatial Distribution of Urbanized Areas in Thailand” noted that accommodated migrants from all over the country and theIntroduction unbalanced growth was influenced by the inefficiency andrd absorbed major investments due to the industrial-led and inconsistency of national policy implementation. Although urban-bias policies implemented for the past 50 years. In 2010, the regional growth pole concept was highlighted in the 3 * Corresponding author. unsuccessful.The natural This rubber research, market therefore, of the aimed world to is identify primarily the thereE-mail were addresses:more than [email protected] 7 million inhabitants registered, [email protected] in BMR specializationNationalconcentrated Plan, inof decentralizingeach China, regional Europe, city growth India, in Thailand USA,to regions andthat Japan,would was which(S. Arunwarakorn) made the. region the country’s largest urban contributerespectively, to the which body were of knowledge the top tofive support countries the formulation of natural Peer* Correspondingreview under author.responsibility of Kasetsart University. rubber consumption in 2015 (International Rubber Study 1 E-mailCo-first address: authors. [email protected] (P. Jongkroy). of appropriate national development strategies. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.kjss.2017.07.013 Peer review under responsibility of Kasetsart University. 2452-3151/© 2017 Kasetsart University. Publishing services by Elsevier B.V. https://doi.org/10.34044/j.kjss.2019.40.2.12 2542-3151/© 2019 Kasetsart University P. ongkroy, C. Thongbai / Kasetsart Journal of Social Sciences 40 (2019) 440–447 441

Research Objectives

1. To assess the potentials and limitations in the In other words, a growth pole, or regional growth center with investment in a special zone to stimulate regional economic 2. To analyze the specialization of regional cities in ofdevelopment, centrality and could progress act as a from center the for capital hinterland to major development regional Thailand.development of regional cities in Thailand. cities(De Blij in &the Muller, country. 2002) and should lead to the re-distribution

Scope of the Study Since 1961, Thailand’s development strategy and target To conduct this research, three aspects of study scope andareas physical have constantly inequality. changed. Thus, theEconomic urban systemdevelopment in Thailand of the remainedcapital and unbalanced,its environs resulted as noted in persistingin the research social, economic, entitled: based primarily on four regional cities: Chiang Mai (regional were designated. In the spatial context, the study areas were ratio“Patterns between of the the Spatial population Distribution in the primate of Urbanized city and the Areas urban in includingcity of the PattayaNorth), CityKhon (regional Kaen (one city of of two the regionalEast), and cities Songkhla of the Thailand”. It was stated that even if the primate city index or the Northeast located in the central part of the region), Chonburi analysis of the potentials and limitations of the regional cities population in the second largest city decreased from 34.9-fold usedincluding to highlight Hat Yai (regional the regional city ofspecialization the South). By content, the in 2003 to 23.9-fold in 2010, the primacy of the capital— aspects: policy (the connection of the national policy to local Bangkok—clearly existed (Jongkroy & Thongbai, 2014). These covered four observations culminated in the assumption that ineffective urbanimplementation system in of Thailand, regional growth as illustrated center development in the conceptual policy development plan), basic infrastructure (connectivity, frameworkcoupled with (Figure disruptive 1). policies could result in an unbalanced analysisaccessibility, of location and social quotient), service and delivery), population economic (distribution, base density,(the proportion growth, of and gross proportion provincial of product urban population).by sectors and Since the Methodology this research was dynamic, its temporal scope aimed at were gathered during 2014–2015, while economic and methodology was applied. Collection of primary data on changes from 1998 to the present: the data from field surveys To achieve the main objectives, a mixed research population analysis utilized the data from 1998, 2003, 2008, infrastructure (connectivity and accessibility, location of Literatureand 2013 (only Review population data). social services delivered in the study areas) and the attitude towards the connection of national policy to local development plans were carried out by direct field observations and interviews with key informants (the governor or the governor’s of theThis efforts research of decentralization was developed to createunder sustainablethe concept urban that representative). Secondary data on social, economic, the country’s regional city development policy that was one population, and national policies were retrieved from documents and the Internet. development (Lynch, 1981 as cited in Pacione, 2005, p. 619). The formulation of guidelines for spatial

Thailand GPP development planning in - The proportion of - Distribution - Accessibility and of economic sectors - Density connectivity - Location Quotient - Growth - SocialINFRASTRUCTURE service delivery ECONOMIC - UrbanityPOPULATION regional growth center The development of

Possible links between national and regional Potentials and limitations in policies developing regional cities in Thailand POLICY

The identification of the specialization of regional cities in Thailand

Figure 1 Research conceptual framework 442 P. ongkroy, C. Thongbai / Kasetsart Journal of Social Sciences 40 (2019) 440–447

The centrality of Thai regional cities: Nodes of policy, infrastructure, economy, and population The nearest neighbor index (NNI) was calculated using 1. Policy a geographic information system (GIS) command known as ‘Average Nearest Neighbor’ to indicate the pattern of spatial distribution of three types of social services: public health Reviews of planning guidelines and spatial development (hospitals), education (schools), and trading (convenience in all 11 national social-economic development plans (the stores). The clustered pattern together with the availability National Plan) indicated ththe continuing over-emphasis of of high-order social services reflected the high degree of metropolitan area development. Regional centerth development centrality in social aspects. In addition, descriptive statistics was first outlined in the 4 National Plan. Five major urban and the location quotient (LQ) were used for population and centers were identified in the following 5 National Plan, maps,economic while base content analysis. analysis Finally, was the used GIS to wasintegrate used theto integrate physical, consisting of Chiang Mai in the North, Khon Kaen and Nakhon the spatial data on accessibility and connectivity and shown in Ratchasima in the Northeast, Chonburi in the East, and Songkhla-Hat Yai City in the South. However, decentralizationth Resultspopulation, and and Discussion socio-economic data. into the various was inconsistent. Spatial Seaboarddevelopment that targetwas carried areas throughconsistently from changedthe 5th from ththe Plan. 5 The results and discussions are presented in two parts: National Plan onwards, with the exception of the Eastern potentials and limitations of regional cities in Thailand, and the areas was necessary, but such an increase without to maintainingthe 8 specialization of Thai regional cities which are summarized It was clear that the increase in spatial development target below. the 2.importance Infrastructure: of growth road networks centers and invariably social service signified delivery the Potentials and Limitations of Regional Cities in Thailand government’s- Road network lack of: commitmentDirect in its decentralization effort. map reading and satellite image interpretation indicated field observation together with regional cities in Thailand are summarized in two parts: the network in each regional center in Thailand, as shown in centrality The research of Thai findings regional on cities, the potentials and the andsummary limitations of the of Figuredifferent 2. levels of accessibility and connectivity of the road potentials and limitations of each regional city as follows.

Figure 2 Main road networks around regional growth centers in Thailand P. ongkroy, C. Thongbai / Kasetsart Journal of Social Sciences 40 (2019) 440–447

Figure 2 clearly shows that Chiang Mai was the regional 443 center with the best infrastructure plans compared to the other an unplanned road network lacking major intersections hasresulted led to in an its elongated moderately settlement high connectivity. pattern signifying However, an to the outer areas through ring roads connected to feeder roads inregional a radial cities. pattern, Its road coupled network with coveragethe grid pattern had efficient of roads linkages in the narrow resulting in limited accessibility to central places in central area of Chiang Mai. inefficient urban system. Moreover, most of the roads are very - Social service delivery: both Hat Yai and Songkhla City. On the other hand, Khon Kaen had low accessibility to its It was found from the analysis of thatcentral its roadbusiness network district had (CBD) only oneand ringlow roadconnectivity that was with located the NNI that all the regional cities had a rather high level of farsurrounding from the cityprovinces. center. ItsThe problems missing innerstemmed ring fromroad andthe factthe centrality in social aspects. Provinces with , namely limited numbers of both primary and secondary roads to the Chonburi with Pattaya as a well-developed tourism business, and Songkhla with Hat Yai as the South’s most important problem. trading center, were in an advantageous position because their CBD and the surrounding provinces further exacerbated the twin cities enhanced their role as the regional centers providing social services. While Pattaya enhanced Chonburi’s level of Despite its well-planned road network, Chonburi and commercial3. Economy center, Hat Yai strengthened Songkhla’s level of Pattaya City—the world-famous tourist attraction—also had centrality in every aspect (Table 1). airport,low accessibility the internationally to the respective acclaimed CBDs deep due seato narrow port, and roads. the products (GPP) in four major production groups of each Nevertheless, the services provided by the international regional Analyses center of changesindicated in that the Chiangvalues ofMai the specialized gross provincial in the relative location to the capital, all contributed to Chonburi’s high level of connectivity. important“trading and economic service sectors group”. were The hotelscity was and the restaurants, only regional and Songkhla, with its twin city Hat Yai that has achieved transportation,center with lackluster in tune “production with its role sectors”. as the Chiang tourism Mai’s center most locationhigher centrality in relation in almostto the neighboringevery aspect, country is a regional in the city central with Malaya very Peninsulalimited road plus network. the railway Its deepwith internationalsea port and linkagesrelative mentioned above (Figure 3).

Table 1

Regional citySummary of the degree of centrality in Thailand’s regionalDegree cities of centrality in social aspects Education Trading Chiang Mai Moderate Moderate Moderately high OutstandingEducation sector Health Overall Khon Kaen Moderate Moderate Moderately high Education High Chonburi Moderate Moderately high Education and trading High Songkhla Moderate Moderate Moderately high Trading High High High

100%

90%

70%80%

50%60%

40% Proportion of the value of GPP of the value Proportion

20%30%

10%

0% Chiang Mai Khon Kaen Chonburi Songkhla 199842.0 2003 200840.2 1998 200327.2 200821.5 199817.0 2003 200814.0 199827.0 200320.1 200822.0 20.7 17.2 21.7 22.1 21.9 20.1 24.0 ProductionTrading and services 37.5 34.6 13.8 Infrastructure 12.426.7 31.1 10.532.1 10.7 19.3 10.116.2 4.0 4.4 2.7 25.0 25.5 18.9 18.0 17.3 34.0 40.8 52.3 61.8 60.0 61.2 26.1 34.2 30.3 Agriculture 13.4 12.6 23.7 Figure 3

Proportion of gross provincial product in four major sectors 444 P. ongkroy, C. Thongbai / Kasetsart Journal of Social Sciences 40 (2019) 440–447

Chonburi was still the regional center with the highest Figure 3 clearly illustrates the specialization of Khon Kaen Northeast’s population). and Chonburi in the “production sector” which had the highest proportion of GPP. Despite its insignificant construction and level of urbanization because it had the highest proportion mining and quarrying sectors, the growth and productivity of of urban population (68.2% of the total population with Khon Kaen’s manufacturing sector was outstanding not only an urbanization index of 0.68; the United Nations classifies at the provincial level but also at the regional and the national an urbanization index of over 0.40 as a highly urbanized area). levels. At the same time, Songkhla, Chiang Mai, and Khon Kaen had in manufacturingChonburi’s most was outstanding so great that sectorit could was export manufacturing, its products urbansmaller population proportions growth of urban of 9.22 population percent (49.1%,(higher than37.7%, that and of accounting for 58.9 percent of its GPP in 2008. Its specialization the26.5%, East) respectively). was an indicator Furthermore, of its urbanization. Chonburi’s average annual

Thailand(regional includedLQ value electrical,of 1.047 and petrochemical, national LQ food,value andof 1.469). metal other regional cities experiencing urbanization (with a higher Manufactured goods that earned large amounts of revenue for Apart from Chonburi, Chiang Mai and Songkhla were two and non-metal products. population growth rate than the regional average). However, sectors All of indicated Songkhla’s that economic the most sectors outstanding were found sector to be was the their urbanization was lower than in Chonburi. Nevertheless, construction.most balanced of all the regional cities. Analysis of its various their urbanization levels could still be considered as high and 4. Population and urbanization urbanizationrelatively high, index respectively. of 0.27 which was considerably low in the Khon Kaen had the lowest level of urbanization, with an

As balanced population distribution is considered a KhonUnited Kaen Nations’ possessed criteria. Moreover,the weakest its populationpopulation growth aspect rate in significant characteristic of an efficient urban system, this comparisonwas also lower to the than other the regional Northeast’s cities. regional average. Thus, Centralresearch region also were highlighted set aside, the it was findings found thaton populationthe regional distribution in each region. If the Bangkok Metropolis and the Summary of the potentials and limitations of each regional city city was 2.01 times larger than its second largest city while the population distribution was rather balanced. The East’s largest primary city in the Northeast, the North, and the South was For the past 30 years, regional city development in 1.42, 1.38, and 1.11 times larger, respectively. Chiang Mai— Thailand could not be pronounced a clear success. Although the North’s regional center—and Chonburi—the East’s all the regional cities have continued to accommodate andregional the South, center—were in terms ofthe population, largest cities were in not their their respective regional population growth in their own region, their development has citiesregions. (Figure On the 4). other hand, the largest cities in the Northeast been very slow due to the disruptive national policy that has constantly changed the development target areas. At present, proportion of urban population in comparison to the other implementedthese regional through)cities continue the 9 thto and grow. the However, 10th the current Among the four regional cities, Chonburi had the highest provincial development direction was linked to (or per se National Plans’ provinces in the East (29.1% of the East’s population), followed hadcluster potentials development and limitations policy moreas follows. than the regional center by Songkhla (15.2% of the South’s population), Chiang Mai development concept . As a result, each regional center (14.1% of the North’s population), and Khon Kaen (8.2% of the

2,500,0003,000,000

2,000,000

1,500,000 Population

1,000,000

500,000

20 1 2 4 5 7 9 10 11 12 14 15 17 19 20

3 6 8 13South East16 18

Northeast North Figure 4

Ranking of provinces in each region of Thailand by population size P. ongkroy, C. Thongbai / Kasetsart Journal of Social Sciences 40 (2019) 440–447 445

1. Regional city of the North: Chiang Mai Chiang Mai was a regional center with potentials for sustainable growth despite its limitation as an old city with sector group that was the most distinctive, accounting for 61 percent of the GPP in the latest year. Furthermore, Chonburi populated settlements compared to other regional cities. connectingis the regional to centerthe outside located world, nearest has to ledBangkok to the Metropolis, strongest a central precinct full of historical sites and old, sparsely- clusteringthe country’s of production largest market, sectors plus of theits largefour regionaldeep sea cities. port problem.Narrow roadways Economically in the innerspeaking, area werethe sectors the major plagued obstacle with to a density increase but one-way traffic has partly eased the theSuch Eastern distinction Seaboard. resulted from the long-continuing spatial are manufacturing and mining and quarrying. development policy at the national level that aimed to develop variable productivity that constituted Chiang Mai’s weakness the Themanufacturing electricity industrysector, followed was Chonburi’s by the petrochemical, top revenue On the other hand, Chiang Mai’s potential as a regional earner, accounting for one-third of provincial revenue from center was based on its strength in various positive tourism business development factors. They included natural or metal,metal andand non-metal,plastic industries. food, and Expansion plastic industries. in the manufacturing At the same eco-tourism and cultural or lifestyle tourism that have drawn time, labor-intensive industries included the electricity, food, Chiangheavily Maion thealso mild had climateinfrastructural and beautiful potential scenery due to together its road production and tourism industries attracted immigrants with its long history and unique local culture. Moreover, industry coupled with the opportunity to develop the tonetwork other regionalcoverage cities. leading The to strongest the best accessibilityproduction sectors,to the inner as a from all over the country. As a result, Chonburi had become area as well as connectivity to the outer area in comparison populationthe regional density. city with the highest level of urbanization, restaurants and transportation sectors. the fastest growth rate, and the highest average provincial result,2. Regional were trading city of the and Northeast: services, Khon especially Kaen Province hotels and Despite Chonburi’s close proximity to the Bangkok Metropolis, its complete urban development would be Amongst the four regional cities, Khon Kaen had the compareddifficult to to achieve the other because regional of the cities, capital’s resulting dominance. from its slowest growth despite several advantages. Its central location designatedAnother weakness role as was the itscenter unbalanced of the Easterneconomic Seaboard system, within the Northeast coupled with its relative location with easy access to neighboring countries in the central Indochinese manufacturingPeninsula resulted sector in creatednumerous huge international-level GPP, especially the spatial paper manufacturing and service industry development that has development projects in the province. Khon Kaen’s outstanding left the agricultural sector very weak and so it has had to depend upon imports from nearby provinces. Although industriesand paper product did not industry, contribute the asfood much, and beveragethey were industry, major Chonburi has invested more than other Eastern provinces in employerselectricity, andin Khon transport. Kaen. Even though the textile and garment infrastructure, this investment was smaller as a proportion than the investment in its other production sector groups. system was the fact that manufacturing was the sole sector infrastructureMoreover, its mightoutstanding lead to futuremanufacturing decline in manufacturingdevelopment that The dominated outstanding all other characteristic economic of sectorsKhon Kaen’s and was economic on an above all other sectors with very little investment in 4. Regional city of the South: Songkhla development that has been the province’s leading sector. upward trend in every time period studied. At the same time, prosperous southern neighbor that is more stable than the infrastructure sector was Khon Kaen’s specialization its northernSongkhla’s neighbor. advantage Furthermore, was in its itsrelative international location airport to the as indicated by its LQ in comparison to other provinces in the infrastructureNortheast, with was muchfound tolower be low infrastructure with a downward investment. trend that Nevertheless, the proportion of investment value in and deep sea port enhanced its opportunity to diversify sustainability in the future. Furthermore, production in the grownits economic in tandem development. with Songkhla It could Citybe argued with athat large Hat number Yai City could seriously affect the province’s manufacturing sector was like the South’s capital supporting its economy and had has been in decline, indicates that more attention should be trade and services, with a high proportion of revenue that of tourists who came to shop. Economic development amongstopportunity the resulted four regional in a moderately cities duehigh largelylevel of urbanizationto the high given. in with the highest population density Another major weakness of Khon Kaen was its low accessibility and connectivity due to an old unattractive airport population density and economic activities in Hat Yai City. strategywith highly network problematic with no circularfloor space roads, design narrow and roads the roadwith When compared to the other regional cities, Songkhla could be annetwork inadequate that needed radial urgentroad network development. and only Its onestrong-center ring road said to have the most balanced economic system. From that was constructed too far away from the city center almostprevious comparable. years, investments in major production sectors— production, trading, agriculture, and infrastructure--were the inner city. all contributed3. Regional city to theof the failure East: Chonburiin easing traffic congestion of to theAll southern things considered, part of Songkhla the problem especially of unrest in Singhanakhon in the three Chonburi was the regional center with the production southern border provinces has caused violence that has spread

district, or the bombings in the airport and in Hat Yai’s CBD P. ongkroy, C. Thongbai / Kasetsart Journal of Social Sciences 40 (2019) 440–447

446 as well as criminal activities have frequently disrupted area connected with ASEAN neighboring countries in the Songkhla’s economy. Weak urban structure both in Songkhla Malay Peninsula. Such roles as the center for trading, financial City and in Hat Yai City especially the road network that has intermediation, and tourism services were in harmony with lacked proper management has caused serious traffic anits roleoutstanding analyzed tradingfrom its center level of that centrality was different in infrastructure. from the congestion in Hat Yai City and even in Songkhla City with much The analysis found that Songkhla (supported by Hat Yai) was acuteless activity during and rush a lower hours population because of density the road than network in any of with the cities were outstanding as educational centers (being the site neitherother CBDs planned under primary study. or Traffic secondary congestion roads norwas ring particularly roads to forother nationally regional famouscities under higher study. education Whereas institutions the other regional in each ease congestion on the main roads. an educational center was only moderate. Specialization of Thai Regional Cities province’s central area), the level of Songkhla’s centrality as Conclusion Specialization of regional cities in Thailand was determined based on the analysis of the potentials and limitations of The research results, in harmony with the research

each regional city mentioned above, from the National objectives, could be summarized from the content analysis Economic and Social Development’s publication on ‘Thailand’s and descriptive statistics of the data gathered from the canManagement be summarized of Regionalas follows. and Spatial Development’ asliterature follows. survey, satellite image interpretation, direct field (Kmonwatananisa, 2008; Lu & Deng, 2011). The specialization observation, and in-depth interviews of key informants, Specialization of Chiang Mai: Potentials and limitations of Thai regional cities famous tourist destination with a good mix of natural tourism, lifestyleThe tourism,distinctive and role cultural of Chiang tourism. Mai resultedChiang Mai from has its become world- Evaluation of the potentials and limitations in regional city development was divided into three aspects: infrastructure, centralitythe regional in termscity with of infrastructure a major role inindicated trading thatand Chiangservices Mai to limitationseconomy, and due population. to their It wasinfrastructural found that regional weakness cities inof wasaccommodate also a regional various educational tourism activities.center. Moreover, analysis of accommodatingthe Northeast, the urbanization East, and the and South in portraying all had development the role of

Specialization of : regional city had the infrastructure that could facilitate a high Thailand’s regional cities. At the same time, the North’s but its narrow roadways without any clearance on either side electricity,In the Northeast, and transportation, Khon Kaen aswas well the as center textile of manufacturing,and garments. tolevel accommodate of connectivity future with manyexpansion one-way resulted traffic enforcementsin moderate especially paper and paper products, food and beverages, accessibility to its central place. from being the site of the nationally famous Khon Kaen Khon Kaen was a social service center for education resulting regional city had the potential of population clustering at the highest From proportion the socio-economic in each region aspect, coupled it was foundwith beingthat each the University. Furthermore, if its transportation could be developed into an effective network, then Khon Kaen could Peninsula.very well serve as a growth pole for the Mekong sub-region Mostcenter of for the non-agricultural regional cities under production. study had However, potential their and connecting neighboring countries in the upper Indochinese development target was rather general with no specificity. Specialization of Chonburi Province: specialization in manufacturing production. Nonetheless, Khononly Chiang Kaen, Mai and had Chonburi specialization had potential and potential to become in tourism- the Amongst the regional cities in Thailand, Chonburi could be related trading and service development. Even so, Chiang Mai, said to be an important center not only at the regional level but also the national level for manufacturing and its export- educational center for their respective region as well. Spatial oriented production base. Pattaya’s fame as a tourist destination development direction to support these socio-economic also enhanced Chonburi’s role as a world-famous sun-sea- activities still lacked the continuity of the target area within educationalsand tourism center center. with Analysis famous of theeducational level of centrality institutions. for SpecializationThailand’s regional of Thai development. Regional Cities infrastructure service found that Chonburi was a regional Summarizing from the current status, it was found that The long-continued tourism business growth in Pattaya has all regional cities were centers that could accommodate madeSpecialization Chonburi the of trading Songkhla and Province: service center as well. the population and urbanization. Each regional city had either Songkhla was clearly the southern regional city enhanced a similar or different roles of a center, as follows. Chiang Mai by Hat Yat—its twin city. Songkhla had successfully integrated was the trading and service center geared the manufacturing of fishery and marine animal processing for various tourism activities at the national and the with its role as a financial service center and border trading international levels. It was also a regional educational center. P. ongkroy, C. Thongbai / Kasetsart Journal of Social Sciences 40 (2019) 440–447 447

Khon Kaen Conflict of Interest Peninsula as well as the regional manufacturing and educational centers. was the growth pole of the central Indochinese Chonburi Acknowledgments There is no conflict of interest. class tourism centerwas the and center a regional for national,educational export-oriented center. manufacturingSongkhla and international trade. It was also a world- The researchers would like to thank the Kasetsart

was the center of border trading and financial Recommendationsservices as well as the growth pole of the Malay Peninsula. University Research Development Institute (KURDI), ReferencesBangkok, Thailand for its full financial support. The research results clearly pointed out the lack of The world factbook plan that has led to regional cities with no specialization or Central Intelligence Agency. (2012). Geography: Realms,. Retrieved regions, fromand concepts https:// connection between national policy and the local development www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/th.html De Blij, H. J., & Muller, P. O. (2002). unique role. Their development, therefore, was deprived of urban(10th ed.).centers New in York, Thailand. NY: John Kasetsart Wiley Journal:& Sons, Inc.Social Sciences, 35 should pay more serious and continuing attention to linking Jongkroy, P. & Thongbai, C. (2014). Patterns of the spatial distribution of specific direction. To address this situation, national agencies Thailand’s management of regional and spatial development. (1), 30–44. Kmonwatananisa, N. (2008). national policy with the provincial and the local policies. Bangkok, Thailand: Office of the National Economic and Social Furthermore, twin cities should be identified to enhance the Development Board.Regional Retrieved specialization: from http://www.nesdb.go.th/Default. A measure method and trends inaspx?tabid=426 China Therole ofroad centrality network and should to decrease also thebe congestionupgraded toof activities.increase Lu, Z., & Deng, X. (2011). Development of public health services should be expedited. De/40915. MPRA Paper No.40915. Sichuan, P.R. China: School of Economics, Sichuan University.Good city Retrievedform from http://mpra.ub.uni-muenchen. Pacione, M. (2005). Urban geography: A global perspective Peninsulaaccessibility and and in connectivitythe Malay Peninsula. with other provinces in the same Lynch, K. (1981). . Cambridge, MA: MIT Press. region as well as with neighboring countries in the Indochinese (2nd ed.). New York, NY: Routledge.