Yuanyuan Ma: The paper analyses the rise and fall of Thailand's export-oriented industries, from the perspective of the vulnerability to external shocks and challenges. Four industries, with different development paths, performance, and challenges, are analyzed in detail: the processed food industry, the automobile industry, the electronic and electrical equipment (E&E) industry, and the textile and garment industry. This paper argues that the key element to successful performance is the ability to attract continuous inflow of FDI, without which, “the future of Thailand's export-oriented industries remains bleak.”

This paper addresses an important aspect of Thailand's economic growth and development. The export of goods and services have continuously accounted for more than 60 percent of Thailand's GDP since the year 2000.1 Through exposure to external economic shocks, domestic sociopolitical tensions, and natural disasters, export-oriented industries in Thailand have experienced a fluctuating development process over the past three decades. Examining the reasons...

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