Sociospatial relations through development projects: the alignment of Thailand’s EEC and China’s BRI

ABSTRACT

The Eastern Economic Corridor (EEC) is an endeavor to promote Thailand’s development in multiple industries in its eastern coastal areas through strengthening its links with overseas. The project has unfolded through close alignment with China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). This paper discusses what roles the EEC plays in economic development, and how the alignment of the EEC and the BRI reshapes brings about sociospatial changes. It is based on qualitative research, involving interviews with experts from Thailand and China and secondary data analysis. Drawing on the TPSN framework, this paper unpacks the multi-dimensional changes in sociospatial relations brought by the EEC’s alignment with the BRI, reflecting the mutual interests of and local contestations between Thailand and China. First, the flourishing of the EEC hinges upon opening up Thailand’s borders to China through new railways and new immigration rules. Second, the EEC represents a new scale of governance which allows the Thai government to negotiate with local interests in pursuing its economic vision with China. Third, the development of specific places along the EEC, such as Pattaya, has been reoriented to their new economic potential under closer Thailand-China ties. Lastly, international business networks in Thailand are reshaped as new interdependencies between Thailand and China are forged by Chinese investors in the EEC.

KEYWORDS:

• Sociospatial relations
• eastern economic corridor
• belt and road initiative
• Thailand
• China

Acknowledgements

I would like to thank the editors and reviewers of Asian Geographer for their valuable feedback.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Funding

Thank you to the National Research Council of Thailand (NRCT), the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences (CASS), and the Faculty of Political Science at Chulalongkorn University for the funding and support.