Guidelines Developing Quality of Life and Community Well-being of Border Trade Area between Thailand and Cambodia for Being a Country ASEAN Economic Community
Abstract:
This research aimed to study the quality of life, community health and propose guidelines for improving the quality of life and health of the border trade community in the area of Khlong Yai Subdistrict, Pong Nam Ron District, Chanthaburi Province. The results according to first objective, the quality of life in Thai-Cambodian border trade community in term of economic shown that the economy in Khlong Yai today depends on the international situation, market price mechanisms and the situation between borders. Most of the people in Khlong Yai in the era after export longan had a better economic quality of life than the era of cassava farming. In term of the social shown that, most of the people lived together in the manner of kinship that everyone known in the village. Therefore, crime problems were rarely of a violent nature. In addition, the villagers participated in important social activities such as community public interest activities, traditional merit-making ceremony according to religious festivals and sport game. However, after opening of the border trade causing movement of foreigners, including Cambodian workers, foreign investors, group of fortune seekers, and in terms of environment and natural resources shown that Khlong Yai has plain area that alternates with mountains. Most of the people are famer so they therefore have a need to use water for agriculture. In addition, the emergence of the border trade market also affects the community in traffic and waste problems in the area as well. The results according to the second objective, there were 4 dimensions of community health, namely physical well-being, shown that in terms of physical health. Most of the people were physically healthy and there are relatively few patients with chronic diseases because Khlong Yai is an agricultural community, mentally healthy, complete social well-being and complete spiritual health. And the results according to the third objective, shown that the guidelines for improving the quality of life and health of the border trade community in the context of Khlong Yai include reviewing the way of life of the community in order to create the quality of life of the community in accordance with the economy and society, creating a good quality of life and well-being, there should be a plan of participation and integration from relevant agencies and creating a good management system to reduce environmental pollution problems for a better quality of life and good health.