Economic Development Parables: From Siam to Thailand

Abstract

Wongsurawat looks at the history of Thailand since the mid-nineteenth century and uses events to elucidate basic economic models and concepts. He selects defining moments in Thailand's history to convey key economic ideas worthy of classroom discussion. Written without excessive jargon, the chapters connect complex historical phenomena with broader, transportable economic concepts. The cases range from the signing of the Bowring Treaty in 1855, opening Siam to the forces of globalization, to the Asian Financial Crisis that wreaked havoc on the economy in 1997. Key economic terms are also explained. Reconnecting the increasingly distant fields of history and economics, this is an appealing text to researchers with an interest in Thailand's economic history, as well as undergraduates undergoing an introductory economics course or overseas program in Thailand.