LOCATION SELECTION OF LOGISTICS CENTER: A CASE STUDY OF GREATER MEKONG SUBREGION ECONOMIC CORRIDORS IN NORTHEASTERN THAILAND

Abstract

The Greater Mekong Subregion (GMS) Economic Corridors have recently become an essential key component of trade in Southeast Asia. As one of the member countries in regional cooperation, Thailand can use these corridors as a tool to boost the nation's economy with respect to cross-border trade. As a large volume of freight is regularly transported and stored, logistics centers are heavily involved in these activities. In this study, an integrated methodology using both AHP and TOPSIS was proposed and utilized for the selection of a suitable location. The Northeastern zone of Thailand was chosen as a case study for the site of a logistics center as two major corridors of the GMS pass through this area. Initially, there were eight alternative Northeastern provinces considered with regard to ten determining criteria. Subsequently, AHP was employed to construct weightings for each of the criteria, and TOPSIS was utilized to rank the provinces from the most to least appropriate alternatives for the location of the logistics center. The outcomes show that Nakhon Ratchasima is the best location within Northeastern Thailand.