ECONOMIC EMPOWERMENT STRATEGY OF MSMEs IN FACING THE FLOOD DISASTER CRISIS IN THE SOUTHERN THAI BORDER

Abstract

Hydrometeorological disasters, particularly floods, disrupt the operational and financial activities of micro-enterprises that depend on daily cash flow. This study examines the economic empowerment and recovery strategy of a Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprise (MSME) after a major flood in the southern border region of Thailand. A descriptive qualitative design with a single case was applied to a Thai Tea stall owned by a woman entrepreneur. Primary data were collected through observation and in-depth interviews with the owner, while secondary data were obtained from government reports and related literature; credibility was strengthened through triangulation of sources and techniques. The findings indicate that direct government intervention acted as an important lifeline for rapid recovery, since a compensation fund of 9,900 Baht enabled the owner to repair damaged facilities and to restock essential supplies. Financial assistance alone, however, was not sufficient. Recovery was also associated with the managerial resilience of the owner, expressed through the strategic allocation of the assistance to productive needs, the use of digital marketing to reactivate customers, and the mobilisation of neighbourhood social capital. Post-disaster revitalisation of micro-enterprises therefore appears most effective when state financial aid is combined with the adaptive capacity of the entrepreneur. As a single-case study, the findings are analytically rather than statistically generalisable.