This book presents an economic history of Bangkok, the Central Region, the North, the South, and Northeastern Regions from the signing of the Bowring Treaty in 1855 to the present. Most research has focused on Bangkok as the centre of change affecting other regions and has neglected other regions that had an influence on Bangkok. This book however looks at the changes not only in Bangkok, but also in the other regions, and emphasizes the ways in which Bangkok had an impact on the other regions, and how changes in the other regions affected Bangkok. It also looks, in turn, at each of the principal regions, and concentrates on the long-term economic and social changes and the various forces which promoted the changes.

Today, more than ever, the state of a country's science and technology is a critical factor for economic competitiveness and long-term growth. This book traces the development of science and technology policies and initiatives in Singapore since 1965. Developed as a trading entrepôt by the British, science and technology were never strongly emphasized, right up to the 1970s. However, the need to stay ahead of economic competitiveness motivated the Singapore Government to initiate its national science and technology policy from the 1980s – moving Singapore from a low-skilled, low-technology economy to a high-skilled, high-technology one. Today, the drive for Singapore to become a hotbed for technological start-ups and R&D activities, supported by strong government funding and cutting-edge facilities, seems promising. Are the aspirations of nurturing a Silicon Valley–type culture in Singapore achievable? Are pragmatic, risk-averse Singaporeans ready for the mindset change? Can a nation of traders and service-brokers become a nation of technological innovators and entrepreneurs? This book attempts to provide the answers.

Credit and debt are practical concerns of all times and places. They are also increasingly important topics in economic history and the social sciences, from Marcel Mauss and the anthropology of the gift to the urgent quest for understanding of today's global credit crunch. This volume brings together eight essays on credit and debt in the history of Indonesia, where for centuries debt and debt bondage played central roles in the organization of society, and where efforts to combat 'usury' and free peasants from indebtedness were central to the ethical and nationalist movements of the late colonial period. Topics range from the inscriptions of ninth-century Java to the first global financial crisis in 1930, and from Islamic laws against the charging of interest to the role of Chinese temples and Dutch church charities as credit providers. The history of credit and debt in Indonesia is examined from a wide variety of perspectives - legal, institutional, and cultural as well as economic. Attention is paid to parallels and contrasts with more recent developments, including the Asian financial crisis of 1997 and Indonesia's rise to fame as a pioneer of the current global microfinance revolution.

How did imported technology contribute to the development of the colony of Singapore? Who were the main agents of change in this process? Was there extensive transfer and diffusion of Western science and technology into the port-city? How did the people respond to change? Examining areas such as shipping, port development, telegraphs and wireless, urban water supply and sewage disposal, economic botany, electrification, food production and retailing, science and technical education, and health, this book documents the role of technology and, to a smaller extent, science, in the transformation of colonial Singapore before 1940. In doing so, this book hopes to provide a new dimension to the historiography of Singapore from a 'science, technology and society' perspective.'The connections between technology and colonialism is an important aspect of modern history. Singapore is a special case, as it was developed as a port, entrepot, and naval base serving the British Empire in Asia. Professor Goh's work on the role of technology in the development of Singapore promises to be a valuable contribution to the field of colonial technology studies.'– Professor Daniel Headrick, Professor Emeritus of Social Science and History, Roosevelt University 'A remarkable and eminently readable analysis of the historical forces that have contributed to the development of contemporary Singapore. While there are many existing studies of various aspects of science and technology in contemporary Singapore, this to my knowledge is the first comprehensive narrative that incorporates a historical dimension which is crucial for a deep understanding of the present condition. This analytically rigorous book is a major contribution to a deeper understanding of Singapore.'– Professor Zaheer Baber, University of Toronto, author of The Science of Empire