Short-run and long-run impact from the Million Baht Program in Thai villages

This paper evaluates short and long run implications of Thailand’s “Million Baht Village Fund”, one of the largest Microfinance programs in the world. I analyze pre- and post-program household level data on consumption, saving, migration and loan burden from the Townsend Thai Project considering both individual and village level heterogeneity. All program outcomes are compared to the other important microfinance institution in Thailand, Bank for Agriculture and Agricultural Cooperatives (BAAC). The results indicate that migration behavior and saving behavior under the “Million Baht Fund Program” differ from those under other microfinance institutions. Improved access to credit reduces household indebtedness, increases consumption expenditure and decreases the migration rate. Differences in per capita credit flow among villages have considerable impact on income inequality.