Occupational Health in Thailand's Northern Region Industrial Estate: A Study of Industrialization's Effects on the Labor Force

Abstract

The recent Asian financial crisis has left Thailand in an economic tailspin, and the severity of the crash has been made clear by the state of the national currency. Within two years the value of the Thai baht has lost more than half its original value, causing middle class families to part with vehicles and real estate to maintain their standards of living. The Thai government has based a possible recovery on industrial investment, offering numerous incentives. A lack of workers' rights is well known and corporations enjoy the country's lack of investigations into such subjects as labor protection. It is unknown how many workers have developed diseases or died from unsafe working conditions in Thailand and little is being done to assess the problem.