Paper short abstract:

Drawing on the notions of knowledge infrastructure, political capabilities & procedural justice, this paper explores narratives of national development, urban planning & the implications these projects have on the livelihoods, environmental risks and vulnerabilities of local communities in Thailand.

Paper long abstract:

The persistent issue of inequalities in Thailand manifests in many forms, from socio-economic and political inequalities, geographical disparities of education, healthcare and access to public services, to social exclusion of marginalised community groups. Poverty and inequalities are often ascribed to be the source of the country’s deep political divide, posing challenges for long-term development and hindering economic prosperity to become a developed country. In an attempt to reconcile with the poor, the military government initiated a number of top-down approaches in the form of development strategies and policy-based campaigns. By drawing on the concepts of knowledge infrastructure, political capabilities and procedural justice, the study explores the dominant narratives of national development policies, political landscape of urban planning and practices, and the implications of urban, infrastructure and industrial development projects on the livelihoods, environmental risks and climate vulnerability of local communities. The lack of meaningful participation and recognition as well as misrepresentation of social groups in development planning and decision-making processes exacerbate the issues of marginalisation and inequalities of not only informal communities, but also local communities whose preferred livelihoods are not aligned with politically constructed consensus.