Learning and Foreign Technology Spillover in Thailand: Empirical Evidence on Productivity Dynamics

Thailand has experienced annual average growth of GDP of remarkable 6.6% during the period 1950 – 2000. We analyze total factor productivity (TFP) growth in a modified Nelson-Phelps framework where foreign trade and foreign direct investment influence the adoption of technology. The econometric analysis separating between sources of productivity for agriculture and industry covers the period 1975 – 96. International spillovers are significant and important, and both sectors have been able to take benefit of openness. The analysis addresses the endogeneity issues involved in the estimation of TFP sources and investigates the dynamics of productivity. The effects during the period studied must be interpreted as transition growth, and endogenous growth effects are rejected.