| Abstract | Thailand has adapted the Environmental Impact Assessment process as a tool for
environmental management at the project level since 1978. However, not a single EIA report in
Thailand includes rigorously social impact assessment dimension. This is mainly because
available SIA methods and techniques which are largely developed and practiced in developed
countries are neither clearly known nor applied in the EIA process in Thailand. In addition,
limited budget, time, and qualified social impact researchers are often among the major
constraints in the EIA process in Thailand. The main objectives of this study are to select and
synthesize appropriate methods and techniques to be applied for selected areas of social impact
assessment and employ those selected methods and techniques to assess the social impacts of
the Eastern Seaboard Development Program (ESDP) in few selected areas and their
demonstration for application in other projects of Thailand in future. The ESDP is the largest
industrial and multi-purpose development program ever planned and undertaken in the country.
Two coastal areas of the eastern seaboard sub-region, namely Map Taphut in the southeast
coast and Laem Chabang in the east coast of the Upper Gulf of Thailand are the main locations
under promotion for industrial activities.
This study intends to use relatively simple methods and techniques for evaluation of
the ESDP. To familiar with the problems and issues in the ESB area, the method of Rapid
Rural Appraisal (RRA) has been employed at the very beginning of the study. Technique of
impact network is used for presentation of direct and indirect impacts as perceived from the
RRA study. With the outcome of the RRA results, the analyses of this study are made at two
levels: macro and micro. At the macro-level analysis, the study applies spatial analysis of
social indicators to evaluate social impacts of the ESDP for the whole ESB area. The analysis
has been made by amp hoe (district) level of all three provinces as well as by travel time zone of
half an hour interval. Selected social factors and indicators are derived from the RRA results
and formulated according to the available secondary database of Thailand. Two approaches are
employed to do spatial analysis. Approach I is based on changes of indicator values between
two time periods i.e. from 1982 to 1988 and from 1988 to 1994. The impact level is assigned
according to change in each time period for each indicator. Changes of each common indicator
values for two time periods are then compared. Analyses are made for each indicator and
factor for each time period and also for the comparison between two periods. Approach II is
based on changes of all 29 indicator values against the ESB averages. Factor analysis is applied
for the data set of the differences between indicator values and the corresponding ESB
averages. Method of Principal Component Analysis is used to extract the data resulting in eight
factors. Composite index for each amphoe is derived from factor scores and level of impact
intensity is assigned accordingly.
At the micro-level analysis, the study employs method of sample survey to evaluate the
social impacts of one major development project in which the Map Taphut industrial estate is
selected. The purpose of sample survey is to study the satisfaction and opinions of the people
around the project site concerning their perceptions of social impacts of the ESDP especially
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the Map Taphut industrial estate. The application of control area (Tambon Kram) has been
used to determine the impacts from the Map Taphut industrial estate project.
Findings from macro-level analysis suggested that population factor seemed to be more
positively affected in 1988 than in 1994. Rate of population growth is found to be the most
influential indicator of population factor. The main reason is that population growth at local
area such as an amphoe tends to increase or decrease rapidly especially when it was influenced
directly or indirectly by development projects or activities due to internal migration. With
regards to education factor, most amphoes in the core area received positive impacts, while in
1994 the immediate influence zone received more positive impacts. Only Muang Rayong
received highly negative impact in 1994 due to rapidly increase in number of student
enrollments coupled with inadequacies in the supply of facilities such as classrooms. As far as
service factor is concerned, most amphoes have received positive impacts on banking and
telephone services in both periods. However, the impact intensity was much more pronounced
in 1994. As expected, the core area received much higher impacts than the outer influence
zone.
Impact intensity of the ESDP as derived by factor analysis indicates that only Ko
Sichang has received highly positive impacts, while Sattatip, Bo Thong and Ban chang have
got highly negative impacts. Since this method has considered only cumulative result of all
indicators, to get reliable outcome from the analysis, it is really a matter of choice of indicators.
Findings from sample survey suggested that there are significantly differences on
satisfaction and opinions of the people in Map Taphut and the control area on several aspects.
The differences on satisfaction are mainly related to couple's income, couple's occupation,
education of children, relationship among the household members, community condition,
relationship with neighbors, educational facilities, health facilities, public parks, safety,
environment, and way of life. Map Taphut is also responsible in bringing out rapid change
within local community which has been reflected through more inmigrants, more jobs for
women, more road accidents, and high cost ofliving.
The major outcome of this study is devoted in identifying social impacts of the ESDP.
However, the findings are not adequately revealing the facts. But this study is a pioneering
work in a number of ways. It is the first empirical study of its kind on social changes in the
area. The study also applies innovative techniques for evaluating the social impacts of the
large, complex development program ever implemented in Thailand. It also highlights both
strengths and weaknesses of these techniques. Finally, a guideline on SIA methods and
techniques based on experience of this study is offered to be used in further researches,
especially the ones that need to use secondary data for analysis. |