Private Contributions Towards the Provision of Public Goods: The Conservation of Thailand's Endangered Species

This paper looks at why people in Bangkok give money to wildlife charities, estimates how much people would be willing to pay for the conservation of some of Thailand's endangered animals and assesses what would be the best way to collect money for wildlife protection. The study used the Contingent Valuation Method (CVM) to determine the economic value of a group of Thailand's endangered animal species. Information was gathered through 955 face-to-face interviews conducted in Bangkok. The study finds that the majority of the respondents would vote to pass a referendum to impose a 250 Baht income tax surcharge to generate funds for conservation of a selected group of Thailand's endangered species. If this surcharge were imposed on the whole of Bangkok's population, it would raise significantly more money than is allocated to the current budget of Thailand's National Park, Wildlife and Plant Conservation Department. This potential income would allow the implementation of a comprehensive, integrated conservation programme across the country. The study therefore recommends that all policy-makers and organizations involved in wildlife conservation in Thailand seriously consider its findings and incorporate them in future plans to raise funds to save the country's endangered wildlife.