1887

OECD Economics Department Working Papers

Working papers from the Economics Department of the OECD that cover the full range of the Department’s work including the economic situation, policy analysis and projections; fiscal policy, public expenditure and taxation; and structural issues including ageing, growth and productivity, migration, environment, human capital, housing, trade and investment, labour markets, regulatory reform, competition, health, and other issues.

The views expressed in these papers are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect those of the OECD or of the governments of its member countries.

English, French

Making growth more inclusive in Thailand

The People pillar of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development focuses on quality of life in all its dimensions, and emphasises the international community’s commitment to ensuring all human beings can fulfil their potential in dignity, equality and good health.

Thailand’s path from a low-income to an upper-middle-income country over recent decades is widely hailed as a development success story. Poverty has fallen impressively and inequality is on a downwards trend, but more efforts are needed to reduce still widespread informality and persistent, substantial regional inequalities, and to further improve living standards, especially for those who currently work informally. To achieve these objectives, the government needs to: (i) consider tax and regulatory measures to encourage formalisation; (ii) boost the participation rates of informal workers in social protection schemes; (iii) expand adequate social safety nets for poor households and the elderly; (iv) prepare the healthcare system for an ageing and modernising society; and (v) improve the education system, particularly in rural areas. Gaps also remain in ensuring women’s political participation and reducing gender-based violence.

This Working Paper relates to the 2018 Initial Assessment report of the Multi-dimensional Country Review of Thailand (http://www.oecd.org/eco/surveys/multi-dimensional-review-thailand.htm)

English

Keywords: gender equality, poverty, health care, education, social protection, informality, well-being, labour market, inclusive growth, demographic change, inequality, pensions, regional development
JEL: J46: Labor and Demographic Economics / Particular Labor Markets / Informal Labor Markets; I28: Health, Education, and Welfare / Education and Research Institutions / Education: Government Policy; I21: Health, Education, and Welfare / Education and Research Institutions / Analysis of Education; K38: Law and Economics / Other Substantive Areas of Law / Human Rights Law; Gender Law; I00: Health, Education, and Welfare / General / Health, Education, and Welfare: General; I25: Health, Education, and Welfare / Education and Research Institutions / Education and Economic Development; I13: Health, Education, and Welfare / Health / Health Insurance, Public and Private; I38: Health, Education, and Welfare / Welfare, Well-Being, and Poverty / Welfare, Well-Being, and Poverty: Government Policy; Provision and Effects of Welfare Programs; I18: Health, Education, and Welfare / Health / Health: Government Policy; Regulation; Public Health; J26: Labor and Demographic Economics / Demand and Supply of Labor / Retirement; Retirement Policies; J08: Labor and Demographic Economics / General / Labor Economics Policies; H55: Public Economics / National Government Expenditures and Related Policies / Social Security and Public Pensions; I30: Health, Education, and Welfare / Welfare, Well-Being, and Poverty / Welfare, Well-Being, and Poverty: General; J10: Labor and Demographic Economics / Demographic Economics / Demographic Economics: General; I12: Health, Education, and Welfare / Health / Health Behavior
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