IMPACTS OF THE EASTERN ECONOMIC CORRIDOR INNOVATION (EECi) DEVELOPMENT ON PEOPLE’S QUALITY OF LIFE IN PA YUP NAI SUB-DISTRICT, WANG CHAN DISTRIC, RAYONG PROVINCE

Abstract

This research aims to study the positive and negative impacts of the Eastern Economic Corridor Innovation (EECi) Development project on people in Pa Yup Nai Sub-District, Wang Chan District, Rayong, and analyze the problem, limitations, and recommendations for improving the quality of life of the surrounding communities according to the goals of the EECi Development project. Serving as qualitative research, it features 15 informants. 7 of them came from an in-depth interview, consisting of leaders or chiefs of staff from the local area, public offices, and independent social activity organizations in the concerned area. 4 of them are local people in the area who lived there before the launch of the project and worked for it, while the other 4 are those who lived in the area but never worked for the project. The 8 people were selected from a group discussion. Furthermore, data were collected from observations. Analysis was done by verifying the accuracy of information with triangulation regarding the data themselves and the data collection. The results can be summarized as follows:

          1) In terms of the positive impacts of the Eastern Economic Corridor Innovation (EECi) Development project on people in Pa Yup Nai Sub-District, Wang Chan District, Rayong, there are 6 aspects, namely improved community infrastructure, increasing income of the people, increasing recruitment, ongoing support for traditional values, culture and customs, strengthened local community leaders, existing civil society to follow up on the project’s work, and public interests which enjoy cooperation and negotiation to solve public problems between local community leaders and the project’s staff. Negative impacts, on the other hand, included environmental issues, such as garbage management, water management, and water quality; and

          2) Problems and limitations of improving the quality of local community life include the fact that the development of the quality of people’s life does not cover the entire Pa Yup Nai sub-district, and the existing public relations of the project are not yet thorough. Recommendations for improving the quality of life of the surrounding communities concern educational support, support for the development of agricultural technology, increasing the employment of people in the area, doing public relations about the progress of the project's operations and launching a public hearing for opinions from people of every village in Pa Yup Nai sub-district, and integrating cooperation between relevant agencies in solving environmental problems and developing infrastructure.