Sustainable Development Reporting: Evidence from Thailand

The aims of this research are to investigate the extent of sustainable development (SD) reporting in the 2005-2012 annual reports of listed companies in the Stock Exchange of Thailand (SET) and to determine the relationships between corporate characteristics and the level of SD reporting. The sample size was 100 SET-listed firms in the SET. In addition, this research utilized content analysis by word count to quantify the level of SD reporting. The findings indicated an increase in the SD reporting level among the sampled SET-listed firms during the study period. The disclosures on economic aspect were the most prominent, followed by social and environmental reporting. Moreover, the levels of SD reporting varied between small and large firms and between state and private companies. The research results also showed the associations of company size, industry type, ownership status and corporate social responsibility accomplishments to the level of SD reporting.