Dynamics of Cross Border Industrial Development in Mekong Sub-region

Location advantage is believed to be a development strategy to turn the periphery of border area into the center of growth and to accelerate economic concentration away from capital cities. The large-scale industry located in border areas and relocated to border towns has a growth potential to exploit the location advantages of the abundant and cheap labour force in peripheral area and cross border infrastructure services with the support of ethic ties between two countries. This theory is successfully applied in several cross border areas, e.g. the US-Mexico border zone, and the Hong Kong and Shenzhen region. It is not whether policies supporting the industrial development in border towns are right or wrong. This book raises the question whether it is applicable, feasible and effective in less developed border region with a majority of small and medium-scale industries such as in Thai border towns, especially during the Asian Economic Crisis. The book thus discusses: What produces entrepreneurs and how they operate? What are advantages of border location for entrepreneurs? What are impact of government investments and measures?