Thailand's Offshore Services Landscape

This paper looks to explore Bangkok's offshore services landscape and its suitability as a location for offshore services in general. This research is aimed at students, researchers and businesses interested in Thailand as a location for offshore services. Globalisation has provided an opportunity for developing countries to benefit from a new international division of labour, and there is little existing research to gauge to what extent firms are choosing Thailand as a viable location for offshore services production. Data was gathered on offshore services firms and interviews were conducted with experts in the sector, academics and government employees in Bangkok, Thailand and in Europe over a period of six weeks from January 2014. Results suggest that Thailand's offshore services landscape is primarily made up of less advanced Business Process Outsourcing (BPO), but with a substantial presence of more advanced Information Technology Outsourcing (ITO) and Knowledge Process Outsourcing (KPO). The suitability of Thailand to further offshore services was contested, with many participants presenting a negative prognosis.

Autorentext

David Jerome, MSc. Estudou Política com Relações Internacionais na Universidade de York, Reino Unido (licenciatura), e Estudos de Desenvolvimento Internacional (mestrado) na Universidade de Amesterdão, Países Baixos. Consultor, Desenvolvimento Económico Sustentável no Koninklijk Instituut voor de Tropen (KIT).

Klappentext

This paper looks to explore Bangkok's offshore services landscape and its suitability as a location for offshore services in general. This research is aimed at students, researchers and businesses interested in Thailand as a location for offshore services. Globalisation has provided an opportunity for developing countries to benefit from a new international division of labour, and there is little existing research to gauge to what extent firms are choosing Thailand as a viable location for offshore services production. Data was gathered on offshore services firms and interviews were conducted with experts in the sector, academics and government employees in Bangkok, Thailand and in Europe over a period of six weeks from January 2014. Results suggest that Thailand's offshore services landscape is primarily made up of less advanced Business Process Outsourcing (BPO), but with a substantial presence of more advanced Information Technology Outsourcing (ITO) and Knowledge Process Outsourcing (KPO). The suitability of Thailand to further offshore services was contested, with many participants presenting a negative prognosis.