The Impact of Technological Change on Inequality, Health and Crime: Evidence from Thailand

In most developing countries, technological advancements have occurred rapidly in recent years. These economies emphasise technological changes contributing to their economic growth, especially information and communication technology (ICT). ICT policies have been launched since 2001 to improve Thai people's quality of life. ICT has several benefits for both the economy and society. However, it can also have adverse effects. One of the Thai government's goals is to reduce inequality using ICT policies. The first chapter evaluates the impact of technology policy on inequality from different perspectives, including labour force, education, and healthcare. Results prove that ICT policies increase earnings and improve educational achievements. Such inequality has decreased. However, expenditure disparities in education and healthcare persist, and more healthcare investments exist. Whether the increased healthcare expenditures are due to increased access to healthcare information via ICT or increased morbidity remains questionable. The second chapter investigates and quantifies the impact of ICT usage behaviour on physical and mental health problems. The findings imply that Thai people are more likely to have some health problems from ICT use. ICT adoption at different times begins to affect health at various times and has different likelihood of illnesses. The effects on mental health occur faster than physical health. Time spent on ICT affects physical health, while some ICT activities, such as learning, social media, and entertainment, impact both physical and mental health. Another issue that could be a consequence of ICT is crime. Certain ICT activities, such as social media, have risks that could lead to crime. However, ICT is also an effective tool for deterring crime. Chapter 3 results reveal that social media has decreased reported crime rates while increasing convicted crime rates. Fraud and prostitution are the most concerning forms of crime, possibly stimulated by social media.