Thailand as a donor in South-South cooperation : with special focus on its ODA to Lao PDR

다국어 초록 (Multilingual Abstract)

In recent years, Thailand has been taking an increasingly active role as a donor in South-South Cooperation by providing ODA to its less developed neighbors with Lao PDR being the largest recipient. There is an indication to expand the geographical scope and budget scale of its ODA provision. However, there is a clear lack in the discussion on the quality and content of its programs and projects, particularly their contributions to the development of its recipient countries. To fill in this gap, this paper examines the characteristics of Thailand as a donor in South-South Cooperation and evaluates the effectiveness of its ODA, using case study of Lao PDR. Thailand is found to share many characteristics with other Southern contributors, including the emphasis on the principle of mutual benefits, the absence of policy conditionality, focus on loan to infrastructure sector and technical cooperation, tying of aid, relatively lower level of concessionality and insufficient monitoring and evaluation process. Thai ODA also contributes to a number of MDGs in Lao PDR. However, its performance on aid effectiveness according to the Paris principles is generally poorer than other donors and does not satisfy the set targets.

목차 (Table of Contents)

• I. Introduction……………………………………………………………………...1
• II. Literature Review………………………………………………………………4
• 2.1 Overview of Official Development Assistance (ODA)……………….4
• 2.2 Recent Movement towards Aid Effectiveness………………………...6
• 2.3 South-South Cooperation……………………………………………...9
• 2.3.1 South-South and Triangular Cooperation: the Definition…...9
• 2.3.2 Modalities and Priorities of South-South Cooperation….....11
• 2.3.3 Quality and Unique Characteristics of South-South Cooperation………………………………………………...13
• III. Methodology…………………………………………………………………18
• IV. Thailand as an ‘Emerging Donor’…………………………………………...19
• 4.1 History: From Recipient to Being a Donor…………………………..19
• 4.2 Rationales for Thai ODA.…………………………………..………..21
• 4.3 Priorities of Thai ODA…………….…………………………………22
• 4.4 Thailand’s International Cooperation Institutions…………………...27
• 4.5 Quality and Characteristics of Thai ODA…………………................28
• V. Aid Effectiveness of Thai ODA: The Case of Lao PDR……………………..32
• 5.1 Overview of Foreign Aid to Lao PDR…….………………………....35
• 5.2 Thai ODA to Lao PDR……………………………………………….36
• 5.2.1 Aid and the Millennium Development Goals……………...38
• 5.2.2 Aid and the Paris Principles………………………………..41
• VI. Conclusion and Implications……………...…………………………………56