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Market Integration – An Exploratory Analysis of Price Patterns and Transport Costs

Author

  • Magnus Andersson

Summary, in English

This dissertation provides an alternative perspective on the process of market integration by focusing on market integration within a nation's borders. The dissertation intends to go beyond traditional integration theory and examine various alternative approaches to market integration by using Lao PDR as an empirical example for assessing these alternative approaches empirically. The main objective with the dissertation is to find determinants for the spatial differences in prices between locations and quantify the importance of different variables influencing the final price of the studied homogenous retail product, one bottle of locally produced Beer Lao. The conceptual and theoretical framework used in this dissertation seeks to identify key actors at different geographical levels. The theoretical framework highlights transport costs as a major barrier to integration within the domestic economy. Thus, an explorative quantitative research approach based on a theoretical model is applied to study the national market for domestic freight services and the spatial price pattern of a homogenous retail product. Therefore, the empirical analysis is divided into three levels; a) an analysis of the determinants for domestic freight rates; b) an analysis focusing on identifying the major determinants of the spatial price patterns of one bottle of Beer Lao; and c) an analysis incorporating Lao PDR's geographical location neighboring China."

Publishing year

2009

Language

English

Document type

Dissertation

Publisher

Thammasat University

Topic

  • Other Social Sciences

Keywords

  • Ekonomisk integration -- Sydostasien (sao)Ekonomisk integration -- Laos (sao)Transportekonomi -- Sydostasien (sao)Business logistics -- Southeast Asia (LCSH)Business logistics -- Lao (LCSH)Greater Mekong Sub-region Greater Mekong subregion (GMS) Supply Chain Management Southeast Asia -- Economic integration (LCSH)Lao -- Economic integration (LCSH)

Status

Published

Supervisor

  • Ari Kokko
  • Ruth Banomyong

Defence date

18 September 2009

Defence time

14:00

Defence place

Bangkok

Opponent

  • Fredric Swierczek (Professor)
  • Jean-Pierre Verbiest (Professor)
  • Gasinee Witoonchart (Professor)