Cabradelmar

The NESDB, Thailand's official economic planning agency, uses a sector-based classification system. As of 2023, the major breakdown is: Service Sector: 56.18% (including wholesale & retail, tourism, finance, real estate, etc.) Industrial Sector: 34.99% (manufacturing, construction, utilities) Agricultural Sector: 8.82% (farming, fishing, forestry) No matter how you cut it, tourism (as a % of total GDP) is a big number and represents a certain level of industry concentration risk: 18% per Nikkei Asia reports. Only manufacturing at 20% is larger - with low profit margin sub-sectors textile & garments, and food processing representing half of that number. The believe it or not, the Thai government aims for the tourism sector to contribute 30% of GDP by 2030. Which seems incredibly rosey/optimistic, not to mention furthering the existing industry concentration risk. When you uncover the details details, Thailand's economy is, at best, while large, sluggish. The only real bright spots are electronics and automotive, but that's < 8% of total GDP.

Increasingly unsafe (roads and personal), polluted (land, air and sea), scams, corruption, shoddy healthcare, foreign dependency (Chinese tourist)... yep. Unfortunately, this country lives and dies with agriculture and tourism/retail trade... Thailand has yet to face the reality that that is increasingly unwise and unsustainable. Until they start making some fundamental changes to allow for a better educated workforce (so to attract new high-tech manufacturing, etc.), diversify the economy, and attract new investment in growth industries, Thailand will continue to flounder. Agriculture and tourism/retail trade is fine, but it keeps the country poor and growth flat. And populist giveaways are not going to help the people in the long run. Take that money, and a whatever other money They have available to them, and invest in the infrastructure needed to truly lift the people up.

Nothing new to see here... The economy is failing because the education system is failing. Not to mention poor corporate governance, rampant corruption, and antiquated tax laws. You have to be crazy to want to invest in Thailand. Yet all the PM can think to do is promote more populist giveaways.

Sub-standard teachers (overpaid and underworked, yet worshiped as untouchable), rote teaching methods and learning, poor facilities (particularly in the rural areas), old textbooks/materials... not to mention compulsory school ending after the 9th grade (at the age of 15 years old)... this is, and will always be, Thailand's achilles heal in hopes of any meaningful economic, political and social development.

and nothing will change/improve... and anyone who has ever had to get a thai DL knows why. Thais are terrible drivers, terribly educated/training on how to drive safely, for starters.

"advised" 😂... and while a nice sound bite, means nothing. This soap opera is officially boring.

This is pitiful on so many levels. A human in need dies because Thailand hospital is too worried about money. It would serve the country right if tourist would just stop coming here all together.

17 year old working in a Pattaya bar as a prostitute (that's your headline, albeit not shocking)

Improper waste disposal is a national pastime in Thailand... but you still don't have to behave like an animal. Do better.

I'm more concerned about the dirty air (> 2.5 ppm). That's a respiratory illness just waiting to happen.

(un)Surprisingly little is required to provoke some people.

The level of self-awareness (or simply denial) by Thai authorities is astounding. Pattaya is what it is. Nothing new, nothing changed. It would not be a stretch to image a Thailand, without its sex-datination reputation, losing at least 5-10 million tourist arrivals on any given year. Which is why it will never change.

Fault and cause aside, the one thing you can be assured of is that in bars frequented by large numbers of young Thais, the Thais are likely armed (mainly with knives but increasingly with guns). And if they aren't armed in the moment they will be soon once an argument breakouts. Foolishly is to argue, particularly, if you are a foreigner. Step back is the only and best advise.

The level of ongoing and deeply embedded corruption within Thailand is never surprising, but always disappointing.

Never underestimate a Thais thirst for revenge or their inability to control their anger/emotions.

This is a good thing. Good for departures. Korea uses similar technology. And it/this has nothing to do with arrivals. The fact they give the PM credit is because the PM has done nothing worth taking credit for, so this is is just manufactured praise.

They should put him behind bars (for 6+ months, say) then deport him.

Thailand is a truly a supplicant to China. It's embarrassing, and dangerous. Thailand undermines their very own legitimacy by allowing China's police to roam Thailand's tourist areas. This type of thing only makes Thailand look weak and incapable (more so than they already do). Not to mention the optics of sovereignty. Who is really in change here 🤔 and will the Chinese police be allowed to carry weapons and use lethal force to detain and arrest non-Chinese? Who's laws will they be enforcing, Thai law and Chinese law?

It's never been that difficult to find a drink just about anywhere in Thailand, at just about any time of day or night. Those who want to drink at 3am will drink. Because if there is one thing people like to spend money on its booze. I'm not totally convinced that formally allowing venues to stay open until 4am is going to result in some broad economic windfall. But at least some bar owners will be making more money. What's sad is that this is the PMs signature legislative move to date. Nothing else better to do?

It's barbaric and inhumane, doesn't deter crime, and is often misapplied in a criminal justice system that is imperfect in its application of guilt. And because it's irreversible in an imperfect system, it has no place within that system.

Huh?

Thai youths love wildling in packs. The foreigner may have simply said something innocuous to some kid on the street 10 minutes earlier, and the next thing he knows are multiple youths chasing him down on motorbike with sticks.

One thing is certain... Arguing with a Thai in public never results in anything positive. Not to mention a Thais obsession with saving face and their thin skin just makes them irrational and prone to unreasonable outburst. Lose lose. The best revenge is not to behave like a Thai. Just walk away.

Elite does next to nothing when doing criminal background checks. They don't require applicants produce anything from their home country. At least not anymore (not since 2021 anyways). All they do is a simple INTERPOL search. And the search is only as good as the search perimeters the IO uses when reviewing the application. And if this character used his Vanuatu passport to apply for his elite, he'd have nothing to worry about if he had no criminal record in Vanuatu.

Boot licking muppets that are the social hierarchy of Thailand's elite.