Exploring the Trade Patterns and Developmental Implications of Land Concessions: The Case of Cambodia, Lao People's Democratic Republic and Thailand

ABSTRACTED FROM EXECUTIVE SUMMARY: This report deals with land concessions in Cambodia, Lao People’s Democratic Republic and Thailand – a much contended topic which leads discussants from issues such as land ownership and utilization to social structures, human rights and beyond. Overall, this report aims to examine changes in relative competitiveness in selected tradable commodities of Thailand and whether they are impacted through increases of land concession in selected countries in the subregion. To provide its readers with a deeper understanding of land concessions, this report assesses the current state of concessions in the aforementioned countries and analyses the legislative frameworks enabling the concessions. From there, focus of the report is narrowed on the impacts of land concessions on the production of certain goods, namely rice, rubber and sugar. In particular, the report examines whether land concessions affect how these commodities are traded. The social and economic impacts of land concessions are examined alongside the impacts on productivity wherever possible.