Development and Dispossession: Land-Use Transformation and Conflict in Thailand’s Eastern Economic Corridor
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Abstract
This study examines conflicts arising from land-use reorganization in the Eastern Economic Corridor (EEC), focusing on Chachoengsao province and the Chachoengsao-Chon Buri border areas. The analysis is grounded in the concept of accumulation by dispossession. The study employs qualitative methods, including documentary analysis, in-depth interviews, and focus group discussions. The findings show that land-use conflicts within the EEC constitute a complex arena involving state agencies, private capital, and civil society networks. These conflicts emerge from interactions between centralized legal mechanisms, land-use planning decisions, and development discourses. Land-use reorganization has transformed agricultural and community lands into industrial zones, leading to dispossession, livelihood insecurity, and unequal power relations. Conflicts unfold through negotiation, social mobilization, and legal contestation. Theoretically, this study contributes to debates on accumulation by dispossession by demonstrating how dispossession occurs through planning processes, land-use reclassification, and regulatory arrangements before direct land acquisition. The findings also extend debates on land conflict in the Global South by highlighting policy-driven forms of dispossession shaped through planning and development frameworks. The study recommends balancing industrial development with the protection of community resources through participatory planning and inclusive land-use governance.
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