Development of Cooperatives in Thailand

Abstract

The objective of this article was to present the development of cooperatives in Thailand in the context of politics, economy, society and technology during the year of 1914-2016. Secondary data were collected in this research in term of documentary research and were used to explain the reality of cooperatives in Thailand during four periods as follow: (1) during the year of 1914-1927, it was the establishment of cooperatives; (2) during the year of 1928-1967, this was the era of cooperative expansion and had status as the primary financial institution; (3) during the year of 1968-1998, it was the adaptation and expansion of the economic role of the cooperatives; and (4) during the year of 1999-2015, this was the era with the cooperative act which aimed at creating the trust in businesses of cooperatives. The results from synthesis and analysis of all data found that the cooperatives in each period had a role contributed to the economics and social development of local communities, cooperative policy, political situations, economy, society and technology. Additionally, the support from government extension had an influence on the success or failure of cooperatives. However, the cooperatives could be truly achieved as people in the country could realize the economic and social problems that they had been self-experiencing and solved those problems by establishing and operating the cooperatives, which followed the ideology, principles, and methods of cooperatives based on the basis of self-reliability and correct understanding in the cooperative systems.