Sarakham, Development Plans, The United States, and Secondary City: Modernization Development in Mahasarakham Province by the Thai Government and the United States during the Cold War period (the 1960s-1970s)

Abstract

This article aims to examine the policies, projects, and impacts of development in Mahasarakham Province resulting from the significant roles of the Thai government, the United States, and other Free World nations under the First to Third National Economic and Social Development Plans during the Cold War period from the 1960s to 1970s. The article employs documentary analysis of various sources, including government and provincial documents and annual reports, publications issued by United States agencies in Thailand, personal papers and memoirs, and relevant scholarly studies. The article argues that, before the implementation of the First to Third Development Plans during the 1960s–1970s, Mahasarakham faced poverty and limited state development, similar to that in its surrounding provinces. However, during the 1960s–1970s, Mahasarakham underwent significant changes resulting from development projects in community development, transportation and communication systems, agriculture, irrigation, public utilities, education, public health, and sanitation. All these development projects made several significant impacts on Mahasarakham including improved connectivity within and beyond the province; the expansion of commercial agriculture and the introduction of agricultural capital and technology; the province’s emergence as an educational center; population growth and village expansion; and the emergence of entrepreneurial and consumer-driven society. Moreover, the development transformed Mahasarakham into a secondary city that became increasingly dependent on Khon Kaen, the regional economic hub.