| Abstract | This study was conducted in four villages, they are Ban Nabon, Ban Na-0, Ban Titto and a non-electrified village: Ban Paem of Loei Province,
Northeast, Thailand. These study villages were selected purposively according to different periods of electrification and similar types of location to each other.
The study was aimed to search for the importance of electrification to village development by studying the utilization, reasons why some people who live in electrified village did not connected to electricity and lastly is studying the attitudes of the respondents towards the electrification.
Through the study, it is found that electricity in the study areas
did not really serve as an economic input for village development. It did, however, serve as a social input. The degree of benefit derived
from electricity varied. The majority of villagers, farmers, got access to electricity less than the minority, i.e . traders and government officers
who could afford more electric appliances. Electricity was found, anyway, to be regarded by most villagers as being a major component for a better life. Particularly, the non-electrified village, even though its villagers have not yet electricity, they strongly want to have access to it. Although not significant at present, the role of electricity in the economy is expected to be greater in the
long run. |