Poverty Assessment on the Basis of Household Characteristics: An Empirical Study of the Rural Pattani Province, Southernmost Thailand

Abstract

Using the rural households in Pattani province located in the southernmost of Thailand, this paper investigates the factors affecting poverty incidence among people living in rural areas. A sample size of 600 households was selected through multi-stage sampling procedures. The data obtained were analyzed using descriptive statistics, the Foster, Greer and Thorbecke (FGT) poverty index (1984) and probit model. The finding indicates that the Mean Per Capita Expenditure of the Household (MPCEHH) in rural Pattani province was 2,450.71 Baht. At the poverty line 1,633.81 Baht, the study showed that the incidence of poverty among the Pattani province sampled population is 33.33 percent (or 200 households were poor). Further use of the probit regression shows that the characteristics of households such as gender of household head, marital status of household head, occupation of household head, household size and savings significantly influenced poverty incidence.