How Does the Million Baht Village Fund Impact Fertility in Thailand?

Author

Kaci FelstetFollow

Year of Award

2017

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Type

Master of Arts (MA)

Degree Name

Economics

Department or School/College

Department of Economics

Committee Chair

Douglas Dalenberg

Commitee Members

Amanda Dawsey, Keith Bosak

Keywords

Thailand, fertility, microloans, development

Publisher

University of Montana

Subject Categories

Econometrics | Growth and Development

Abstract

This study evaluates the impact of Thailand’s Million Baht Village Fund program on household fertility decisions. Thailand’s fertility rates are alarmingly low and it is imperative to recognize the unintended consequences a microfinance program may have on fertility choices within Thailand. Using panel data from pre- and post-program years, this research identifies the change in number of babies in a household associated with getting a microloan from the Village Fund program. The quasi-experimental nature of the program and an instrumental variable model with fixed effects identifies a negative relationship between the number of babies within families and participation in the microfinance program. Although the impact is statistically significant, the decrease in babies due to participation is not of practical significance.

Recommended Citation

Felstet, Kaci, "How Does the Million Baht Village Fund Impact Fertility in Thailand?" (2017). Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers. 10928.
https://scholarworks.umt.edu/etd/10928