Rainfed Revolution in Northeast Thailand

Abstract

The Northeast is still the poorest region in Thailand, but over the past two decades it has experienced underappreciated major economic growth. This growth has not been confined to urban areas, and living conditions in rural villages have improved. Using Thai Government data and other sources, this report describes and analyzes changes that have occurred. More people now work in non-agricultural jobs, both permanently and part-time with agriculture, and remittances from emigrants working outside the region have been of great help. But in farming households agricultural income has so far remained a very major part of overall income, a principal reason why the majority of the population has stayed in agriculture and rural villages became better off. We argue that this occurred primarily because of agricultural breakthroughs after the adoption of the glutinous rice variety RD6, with the non-glutinous variety KDML105 playing a complementary commercial role. Increased agricultural income helped make the villages more attractive settings for residence, joint investments and remittances, all of which ramified beyond the villages to help lift the economy of the region, and of the nation.