Rural-Urban Linkages in the Vicinity of Bangkok Metropolis: A Case Study of Rural Trade in Phathum Thani Province

Abstract

     The first objective of this research was to study the characteristics and present situation of grocery stores located in three types of communities on the rural-urban continuum: urban area (Rangsit Municipality), rural-urban area (Chiang Rak Yai Tambon Administration Organization) and rural area (Phuet Udom TAO) focusing on current situation, location, form and goods of grocery stores, as well as how the business was run. The second objective was to study rural-urban linkages through the flow of goods. Analysis of primary and secondary data was carried out. Primary data were gathered by semi-structured interview and direct field observations. The research found that the grocery stores in the rural community offered more diverse goods than those in the urban community. Socio-economic characteristics of communities especially the occupations of local people determined the types of merchandise sold in each store. The way the owners run their stores in the three communities were alike. Most grocery stores in Phuet Udom TAO were located along the local road. In terms of rural-urban linkages pertaining to rural trade, it was found that the grocers in rural area bought goods from the wholesalers in Pathum Thani's sub-provincial city (Lam Sai Tambon Municipality) more than other urban areas. The growth of modern trade affected the survival of traditional grocery stores. Therefore, urban planning regulations should be applied to solve the problem especially to control the suitable location for the large retailing enterprises and to limit the number of stores to suit the population size. Moreover, tax regulation and control of opening and closing time of large retail stores should be applied.