Border Economies in the Greater Mekong Sub-region

A group of internationally recognised experts examine the recent trends of cross-border movements of people, goods and economic activity at fifteen major borders in the Greater Mekong Sub-region with the aim of predicting the long terms future for this region. In the after math of the IndoChina war this region has been in the process of liberalising cross-border movements, the book illustrates that cross-border movements of goods and people have shown upward trend. The activities categorized into manufacturing industries located at border areas, border trade activities like warehouses and transhipment, and casino and tourism also prosper. However, the authors forecast that border trade activities and manufacturing industries at border areas can decline in the long run when tariff is liberalized and when labor forces move to metropolises in searching for better wages, respectively. However, they suggest that such development can continue in the mid-run with some political intentions of the governments to develop border areas.

Masami Ishida is Senior Research Fellow at JETRO Bangkok, Institute of Developing Economies (IDE-JETRO), Thailand

PART I: GENERAL VIEWS
Prologue: Progress in Cross-Border Movement and the Development of Border Economic Zones; Toshihiro Kudo and Masami Ishida
1. Thailand's Approach Toward the Management of Migrant Workers; Michiko Ito
2. What is Cross-Border Transport Agreement (CBTA)?; Masami Ishida
PART II. INTRODUCING EACH BORDER IN MEKONG REGION
3. Southern Economic Corridor: Moc Bai-Bavet Border; Masaya Shiraishi
4. Cambodia: The Economic Potential of the Thai-Border Areas; Kanjiro Yagura
5. East-West Economic Corridor: Lao Bao-Dansavanh Border; Masaya Shiraishi
6. Impacts of Cross-Border Infrastructure Developments: the Case of First and Second Lao-Thai Mekong Friendship Bridges; Suchnilanh Keola
7. Development of Border Area in Myanmar: Focusing on Myawaddy- Maesot Border; Toshihiro Kudo
8. Border Trade and Economic Zones on the North-South Economic Corridor: Focusing on the Connecting Points between the Four Countries; Takao Tsuneishi
9. Economic Disparity of the China-Vietnam Border Economic Regions; Ryo Ikebe
10. Myanmar'S Border Trade with China: Roads, Gates, and Peace; Toshihiro Kudo
PART III SUMMARY
Epilogue: Potentiality of Border Economic Zones and Future Prospects; Masami Ishida