Background: From an occupational health perspective, one of the hazards in the workplace is psychosocial
stress. However, the occupational health literature does not pay enough attention to psychosocial health hazards.
This is especially true for stress among Thai contract farmers who experience psychosocial health hazards from
the factors such as state policies, labor market, advanced technologies, and job environment such as employment
and working conditions. The results of these factors contribute to stress and health inequality among Thai
contract farmers under globalization.
Objective: We constructed a psychosocial model that explains the cause of stress among Thai contract farmers
resulting from globalization, which creates health hazards as defined in the occupational health field.
Method: Primary data were collected from 200 Thai contract farmers using simple random sampling. The variables
measured were general sociodemographic indicators, globalization, job environment, Thai labor market, and Thai
state policy variables. ‘The self-analyzed and self-evaluated stress’ test was also used. The model of stress among
Thai contract farmers was verified using Path analysis.
Results: Transnational corporations and transnational economics had a direct effect on stress with a standardized
regression weight of -0.200 and 0.209. Transnational corporations and state protection had a direct effect on
natural resources with a standardized regression weight of -0.189 and -0.150. State protection and natural resources
had a total effect on state regulation with a standardized regression weight of 0.784 and -0.092. Transnational
practices and transnational economics had a total effect on the Thai labor market.
Conclusion: The strength of the causal relationship between globalization and stress was investigated and
indirect effects were found between several macrosocial variables examined and stress. These are new findings in
the understanding of the distal causes of stress among Thai farmers.