Overseas Chinese And The Development Of Thailand Modernization

Southeast Asia is the area which the overseas Chinese concentrates, Thailand is opposite of other Southeast Asia countries in national modernization development, especially in economical modernization aspect. This article discusses the Thailand Chinese community's development as well as the function of Chinese people in modernization advancement from the historical development succession angle.This thesis consists of three parts. The preface elaborates the research condition, significance and method.The body is made up of three parts. The first part analyzes the Thailand Chinese community's formation with the Thai modernization start. The Thailand Chinese community formed in Dacheng dynasty time (A.D. 1349-1767). King Mongkut and Chulalongkong the Great started the reform at the end of the 19th century and the beginning of the 20th century, which was the time of Thailand modernization reform beginning. They established the modernized industry and provided the advantage for the Chinese, which impelled Thailand to transform from the traditional agriculture society to the modern industry society.The second part discusses the Thailand Chinese community's change and its reasons after the World War II. The Thai Government made the policy of adjustment to Chinese's nationality, the education, the traveling migration and so on, which caused the Thai Chinese change in the polity, the economy, the education, the ideology and the life style aspects.The third part studies the Thai Chinese effect in the economy, polity, education modernization development after the World War II, and takes the honorable group—Zhengda enterprise as the example in the Thai modernization development. This chapter emphasizes the status of Chinese in Thai economy modernization. Their capital investment in Thailand's economical development was divided into three stages: financial industry stage, industry manufacturing industry stage, multiplication development phase, which drived Thailand to change the sole economic structure. The Chinese impelled the Thai politics modernization, they promoted Thailand's democracy election, the number of Chinese increased in the Thai cabinet, as well as the head overseas Chinese such as Chuan Leekphai pushed the law reform. They donated for the school, which advanced the education modernization.