Chiang Rai's Border Economy and the Greater Mekong Sub-region: A Historical Perspective through the Chiang Rai Chamber of Commerce

Abstract

This research article aims to highlight the economic changes in a border province like Chiang Rai, focusing on the transformations within the Chiang Rai Chamber of Commerce. The Chamber has played a key role in driving trade and investment policies in the border region within the context of shifts in the Greater Mekong Sub-region. Studies on this topic ceased in the 1980s. The research aims to investigate changes within the Chiang Rai Chamber of Commerce under the evolving context of the Greater Mekong Sub-region. It employs a historical analysis approach, primarily using primary documents from the Chamber of Commerce. The research findings can be divided into three periods: First Period - From the post-Cold War era to 1997, highlighting the role of the Chiang Rai Chamber of Commerce. Second Period - Post-1997 economic crisis until 2007.Third Period - The Chiang Rai Chamber of Commerce's "Targeted Development" drive from 2008 to 2018. These periods describe the economic transformation of Chiang Rai from the 1980s when the province shifted from a predominantly agricultural economy to one where commerce and tourism became key economic sectors. This economic shift led to changes in the leadership within the Chamber of Commerce, particularly the professions of its chairpersons. Since the post-Cold War era in the 1980s, Chiang Rai evolved into a border town, leading to a "targeted" development focus on border areas. The development strategy particularly emphasized linking Chiang Rai’s economy in trade, investment, tourism, and logistics within the North-South Economic Corridor framework under the Greater Mekong Sub-region cooperation. However, the Chamber's role started to diminish after 2014, following the coup d'état, which caused the targeted development strategy to no longer align with border economic development approaches. It was observed that the publications from the Chiang Rai Chamber of Commerce significantly reduced their economic analysis, limiting them to providing only statistical data about Chiang Rai’s economy. The research findings suggest that the Chiang Rai Chamber of Commerce has not acted as an institution countering the government but rather as one that supports and proposes economic development strategies, particularly in the border region.