New parties must tackle the great income divide

[rooster59]

New parties must tackle the great income divide

By WICHIT CHAITRONG 
THE NATION

 

AS ELECTION APPROACHES, INEQUALITY IN WEALTH AND LAND OWNERSHIP PRESENTS THE COUNTRY’S BIGGEST CHALLENGE

 

THE HUGE income gap and wealth inequality presents a formidable task for political parties to solve. 

 

Economic management has been a weak point of the current junta-backed government, and low-income groups, such as taxi drivers, street vendors and even middle-class workers, have been unhappy with the current situation.

 

Economic data suggest that a clear recovery began last year and it is expected to continue this year, yet the benefits have not yet spread wider to all sectors. So it is fertile ground for new political parties to propose new paths and new solutions to address the economic issues facing middle and lower-income earners. But that task may be formidable.

During the launch of the Future Forward Party, its two key leaders – billionaire Thanathorn Juangroongruangkit and law academic Piyabutr Saengkranokkul --– emphasised the importance of people’s participation in forming public policies covering politics, economics and society. 

 

This idea is not only limited to the Future Forward Party. “Participation” has become a fashionable word for the young bloods, who have jumped in to form new political parties. They believe their participation will lead to more economic equality.

 

Thanathorn describes the state of the economy as “semi-monopolitic” and promises to break it down in order to create space for new entrants. “There are many undesirable factors in society that create such an economy. I will destroy all those things,” he promised. 

 

After about half a century of economic development, Thailand has been praised for significantly reducing the number of absolutely poor people but income inequality has persisted. Looking around, one would find that just a few business groups control both the income and wealth of the country. 

 

According to the National Economic and Social Development Board, the top 10 per cent of income earners had a 36.8 per cent share of national income in 2013, which was the second year in the country’s 11th five-year plan (2012-2016). Meanwhile, research by Duangmanee Laovakul revealed that the top 20 per cent of land owners owned 79.9 per cent of the land in the country in 2013, while the bottom 20 per cent owned just 0.3 per cent. Among the priorities in the current development plan (2017-2021) is how to address the issue of inequality, even though the latest data suggests a slight improvement. 

 

“The new government after the next election has to do more to support the rural economy and the poor urban population,” said Lae Dilokvidhyarat, an economist who specialises in labour issues.

 

Welfare cards and other measures implemented by the current government to help low-income earners will be insufficient, according to Lae. He said the government listened too much to big businesses at the expense of workers and other groups. However, he has high hopes for some of the new political parties. 

 

“It is really good that a new party [the Future Forward Party] has proposed its political ideology,” he said, adding that the old parties usually “have policies but lack political ideology”.

 

 Thanathorn, Piyabutr and other key founders of the Future Forward Party have insisted that they want people to participate in forming policies instead of just letting big businesses, specialists, technocrats and authoritarian rulers direct the country. 

 

The party’s platform of embracing democracy and participation has drawn interest from both the mainstream media and social media. 

Yet, not everyone is encouraged.

 

“I’m not impressed by anyone,” said Deunden Nikomborirak, research director at the Thailand Development Research Institute, an independent think-tank. She said she did not see any new or old politician qualified enough to win her vote.

 

 “There is no candidate who has great experience in running public office, such as we see with US presidential candidates, who are often successful state governors before running for the presidency,” she said. 

 

However, she suggested that if any political leaders wanted to address the semi-monopolistic economy, they would have to allocate an adequate budget to the Office of Trade Compettion Commision (OTCC).

 

The OTCC has been designed to tackle unfair trade practices, or a so-called monopolistic competition in which a few big businesses dominate the market and use unfair practices to create barriers for new entrants.

 

It is said that its previous failure has largely been due to the fact that the OTCC is under the control of the Commerce Ministry, which is often led by politicians from big business families or their nominees. 

 

A new law, the Trade Competition Act BE 2560 (2017), makes the OTCC independent of the Commerce Ministry but it remains to be seen how the new government will solve income inequality.

 

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/detail/politics/30341167

 

 

-- © Copyright The Nation 2018-03-18

[mok199]

billionairs telling the millionairs how poor feel.....priceless

Edited March 18, 2018 by mok199
speliing

[YetAnother]

20 minutes ago, rooster59 said:

Thanathorn describes the state of the economy as “semi-monopolitic” and promises to break it down in order to create space for new entrants. “There are many undesirable factors in society that create such an economy. I will destroy all those things,” he promised.

surely he meant 'semi-oligopolitic';  the latter part of this statement is untenable; most of those 'things' make the place go 

[Lungstib]

After 30 years in this country I am still baffled as to how the ordinary worker manages. With few people getting more than the minimum 320b a day, and many still getting less, how do you send 2 kids to school, feed your family, put clothes on their backs, pay house rent and afford a motorbike to get around? And yet prices of 20b a donut, 40b a frothy coffee and 50b for a slice of pizza are everywhere. Prices in Chiang Mai almost always increase by 5b in one stroke, never by one or two. The people who decide this minimum wage probably spend more than a days pay before they have finished breakfast and how they can feel comfortable deciding such poverty leaves me bewildered.

[PatOngo]

32 minutes ago, Lungstib said:

After 30 years in this country I am still baffled as to how the ordinary worker manages. With few people getting more than the minimum 320b a day, and many still getting less, how do you send 2 kids to school, feed your family, put clothes on their backs, pay house rent and afford a motorbike to get around? And yet prices of 20b a donut, 40b a frothy coffee and 50b for a slice of pizza are everywhere. Prices in Chiang Mai almost always increase by 5b in one stroke, never by one or two. The people who decide this minimum wage probably spend more than a days pay before they have finished breakfast and how they can feel comfortable deciding such poverty leaves me bewildered.

Thainess! Thai Niyom Yangyuen.

A hiso elite concept loosely translated as ...a lot for us, little for you!

Edited March 18, 2018 by PatOngo

[seminomadic]

No, they mustn't. Last guy who tried doing that - and had some success in doing so - was kicked out of the country.

 

He's still not allowed back in.

[anon467848]

1 hour ago, Lungstib said:

After 30 years in this country I am still baffled as to how the ordinary worker manages. With few people getting more than the minimum 320b a day, and many still getting less, how do you send 2 kids to school, feed your family, put clothes on their backs, pay house rent and afford a motorbike to get around? And yet prices of 20b a donut, 40b a frothy coffee and 50b for a slice of pizza are everywhere. Prices in Chiang Mai almost always increase by 5b in one stroke, never by one or two. The people who decide this minimum wage probably spend more than a days pay before they have finished breakfast and how they can feel comfortable deciding such poverty leaves me bewildered.

 

Unfortunately Thailand is all about me, me, me.... the decision makers don't give a sh?t about the low income people. They are all from well to do backgrounds, and have no comprehension as to how a large percentage of the Thai population scrapes by daily on their measly wages.... 

[robblok]

1 hour ago, seminomadic said:

No, they mustn't. Last guy who tried doing that - and had some success in doing so - was kicked out of the country.

 

He's still not allowed back in.

As long as he is clean they can't kick him out the last guy who tried it was a corrupt criminal. If your clean and working for the country they can't kick you out. 

[IamRoach]

No doubt this is one of the biggest issues in Thailand but every time someone attempts to tackle it the establishment makes sure to get rid of that person/government with the help from boys in the RTA. To think that that the democratic party or any other party with military support is actually going to do anything about the income and asset disparity is completely delusional.

[RichardColeman]

2 hours ago, Lungstib said:

After 30 years in this country I am still baffled as to how the ordinary worker manages. With few people getting more than the minimum 320b a day, and many still getting less, how do you send 2 kids to school, feed your family, put clothes on their backs, pay house rent and afford a motorbike to get around? And yet prices of 20b a donut, 40b a frothy coffee and 50b for a slice of pizza are everywhere. Prices in Chiang Mai almost always increase by 5b in one stroke, never by one or two. The people who decide this minimum wage probably spend more than a days pay before they have finished breakfast and how they can feel comfortable deciding such poverty leaves me bewildered.

Pretty sure one day the BOT will just declare that the non performing loans have hit 95%

[RikDao]

2 hours ago, robblok said:

As long as he is clean they can't kick him out the last guy who tried it was a corrupt criminal. If your clean and working for the country they can't kick you out. 

Beaver Cleaver hath spoken. 

 

Wonder what Eddie Haskell thinks.

[robblok]

2 minutes ago, RikDao said:

Beaver Cleaver hath spoken. 

 

Wonder what Eddie Haskell thinks.

Your  age is showing. 

[Thian]

4 hours ago, seminomadic said:

No, they mustn't. Last guy who tried doing that - and had some success in doing so - was kicked out of the country.

 

He's still not allowed back in.

Ohhh, i know himmm...him hab 4 billions dollaaa but him no pay tax....sooo thai 5555

[ramrod711]

The new government after the next election has to do more to support the rural economy and the poor urban population,” said Lae Dilokvidhyarat, an economist who specialises in labour issues.

 

I'm sure that there are many people that work very hard for minimum wage and have to go to money lenders to make their payments. I am equally certain that there are many people that like the life they have in the villages. In my village people are weaving baskets and lampshades in their homes, some to augment their salaries and some finish a piece, rush off to the wholesaler to receive payment and head for the local bar. They work from home, living in houses left to them by relatives and are happy to have a bowl of rice and a shot of whiskey. What kind of an economic plan can be of assistance to people that have no ambition?

[JOC]

Remember....

A society is judged by the way it treats it's weakest member.....!!

[robblok]

12 minutes ago, ramrod711 said:

The new government after the next election has to do more to support the rural economy and the poor urban population,” said Lae Dilokvidhyarat, an economist who specialises in labour issues.

 

I'm sure that there are many people that work very hard for minimum wage and have to go to money lenders to make their payments. I am equally certain that there are many people that like the life they have in the villages. In my village people are weaving baskets and lampshades in their homes, some to augment their salaries and some finish a piece, rush off to the wholesaler to receive payment and head for the local bar. They work from home, living in houses left to them by relatives and are happy to have a bowl of rice and a shot of whiskey. What kind of an economic plan can be of assistance to people that have no ambition?

Obviously people need to invest in themselves (education), if the government can help with that making it available and easy to access people might make more money. 

 

If they mean handouts then that is the wrong way to go, you will only make people dependent on handouts.

[robblok]

1 minute ago, JOC said:

Remember....

A society is judged by the way it treats it's weakest member.....!!

 

What would that mean in your opinion in related to Thailand what would need to happen ?

 

Higher taxes on alcohol and smokes and income and then paying everyone benefits ?. Just imagine the corruption on that one. We seen what happens with normal payments to the poor. (repulsed by that)

[JOC]

14 minutes ago, ramrod711 said:

The new government after the next election has to do more to support the rural economy and the poor urban population,” said Lae Dilokvidhyarat, an economist who specialises in labour issues.

 

I'm sure that there are many people that work very hard for minimum wage and have to go to money lenders to make their payments. I am equally certain that there are many people that like the life they have in the villages. In my village people are weaving baskets and lampshades in their homes, some to augment their salaries and some finish a piece, rush off to the wholesaler to receive payment and head for the local bar. They work from home, living in houses left to them by relatives and are happy to have a bowl of rice and a shot of whiskey. What kind of an economic plan can be of assistance to people that have no ambition?

You got a point.....

But how do you change the attitude in people, who have been breastfed with..."know your place"

 

The sustainability policy, supported by high places, are not exactly promoting economic equality.....

[robblok]

2 minutes ago, JOC said:

You got a point.....

But how do you change the attitude in people, who have been breastfed with..."know your place"

 

The sustainability policy, supported by high places, are not exactly promoting economic equality.....

To be honest I don't see anything wrong with the sustainability policies. If you have enough to live and be happy with why would you need more ?. I think its actually good to try to make people not dependent on handouts. Handouts should be the last thing ever and even in far more developed countries as Thailand fraud with benefits is huge. If it ever really starts here the corruption could be huge. 

[Lucky mike]

Maybe time to practice Buddhist path !

[connda]

6 hours ago, Lungstib said:

After 30 years in this country I am still baffled as to how the ordinary worker manages. With few people getting more than the minimum 320b a day, and many still getting less, how do you send 2 kids to school, feed your family, put clothes on their backs, pay house rent and afford a motorbike to get around? And yet prices of 20b a donut, 40b a frothy coffee and 50b for a slice of pizza are everywhere. Prices in Chiang Mai almost always increase by 5b in one stroke, never by one or two. The people who decide this minimum wage probably spend more than a days pay before they have finished breakfast and how they can feel comfortable deciding such poverty leaves me bewildered.

Most are in debt up to their eyeballs.  Banks hold huge portions of this debt.  When the house of cards falls, it will be back to 1997 albeit on steroids.  The artifacts of the collapse will be a landscape flush with unfinished 'mega-projects' and commercial buildings. 

[soalbundy]

They are so right, the gap isn't big enough.

[jonstarjon]

I heard the big leaders were preparing to write manuals to distribute to the newbies called "success at the pig trough".

[JOC]

1 hour ago, robblok said:

To be honest I don't see anything wrong with the sustainability policies. If you have enough to live and be happy with why would you need more ?. I think its actually good to try to make people not dependent on handouts. Handouts should be the last thing ever and even in far more developed countries as Thailand fraud with benefits is huge. If it ever really starts here the corruption could be huge. 

Both you and I come from countries with  developed social security nets...thanks to high taxes and a feeling of solidarity with our not so lucky countrymen.....Making sure that everyone have something to eat and a roof over their head.

So you are saying that Thailand should not try to go the same path.....because some of the money might get stolen along the way?

Thailand needs a government, who is brave enough to tax the filthy rich and transfer some that wealth to the real poor, urban or rural.

You call it handouts...also known as transfer of wealth....which is a mechanism used by civilized societies to create economic equality...to everyone's benefit....

So according to you, we should just give up and leave it as it is.....and wear traditional costumes for outings......

[robblok]

9 minutes ago, JOC said:

Both you and I come from countries with  developed social security nets...thanks to high taxes and a feeling of solidarity with our not so lucky countrymen.....Making sure that everyone have something to eat and a roof over their head.

So you are saying that Thailand should not try to go the same path.....because some of the money might get stolen along the way?

Thailand needs a government, who is brave enough to tax the filthy rich and transfer some that wealth to the real poor, urban or rural.

You call it handouts...also known as transfer of wealth....which is a mechanism used by civilized societies to create economic equality...to everyone's benefit....

So according to you, we should just give up and leave it as it is.....and wear traditional costumes for outings......

I hate high taxes and I feel there should be an income divide between those that work and those that don't work. I seen enough fraud in my country with unemployment and sickness benefits. I can only imagine how bad the corruption and fraud would be here. 

 

I feel that handouts are absolutely the last step, first things should be equal access to schools and loans (for starting companies of course with a good businessplan). I feel strongly about making people responsible for their own lives and rewarding those that study long and excel at their work. I don't like rewarding people who never studied and or are lazy. Communism failed because there was no incentive to do your best or work harder. That is what you create when you want everyone to have the same salary.  The government should make sure the infrastructure is there and opportunities too. Then its up to yourself to make something of your life.

 

That is why i feel that benefits are really the last step and should never be high at all certainly should not get too close to what people who work make (why else work if you can sit at home and get your money)

 

I do agree with you about taxing the really rich (not middle class they pay enough) and breaking down their monopolies, as for those traditional costumes you can wear them if it floats your boat. 

Edited March 18, 2018 by robblok

[stephen tracy]

Just now, robblok said:

As long as he is clean they can't kick him out the last guy who tried it was a corrupt criminal. If your clean and working for the country they can't kick you out. 

So how do you explain the continued presence of Prayuth and Prawit still within the borders of Thailand. Neither is clean (far from it) and neither is working for the country, they work for the powers that installed them. End of list.

[robblok]

35 minutes ago, stephen tracy said:

So how do you explain the continued presence of Prayuth and Prawit still within the borders of Thailand. Neither is clean (far from it) and neither is working for the country, they work for the powers that installed them. End of list.

Maybe you have problems reading my reply but I did not say that all people who possibly were corrupt got kicked out. So far Prayut and Prawit have no convictions against them and not a long row of pending court cases. Prawit certainly is not a good example and I love to see him investigated, the current PM however I suspect is mainly clean. 

 

My point was that so far no cases have been fabricated (made up) but all cases including YL her negligence in allowing 36 BILLION baht of fake G2G rice sales (how much were Prawit his watches again...) have been proven in court and were not made up. So if you don't break the law you can't get kicked out. Would be nice to see a really rich guy not wanting to enrich himself even more.

 

Then unlike Thaksin he would be in it for the people and I would support the guy for sure. 

[ramrod711]

5 hours ago, JOC said:

You got a point.....

But how do you change the attitude in people, who have been breastfed with..."know your place"

 

The sustainability policy, supported by high places, are not exactly promoting economic equality.....

I agree, the policy is a major hindrance to advancement. You don't see the police, army or government agencies advocating it, they all want more, a Benz, a high expense life style etc. Not for them "as long as we have rice" life, they don't believe it, but they're happy to let people in the heartland swallow that drivel. What's the use of being rich if there aren't poor people to look down on?

[stanleycoin]

12 hours ago, mok199 said:

billionairs telling the millionairs how poor feel.....priceless

+ 1

[stephen tracy]

Just now, robblok said:

Maybe you have problems reading my reply but I did not say that all people who possibly were corrupt got kicked out. So far Prayut and Prawit have no convictions against them and not a long row of pending court cases. Prawit certainly is not a good example and I love to see him investigated, the current PM however I suspect is mainly clean. 

 

My point was that so far no cases have been fabricated (made up) but all cases including YL her negligence in allowing 36 BILLION baht of fake G2G rice sales (how much were Prawit his watches again...) have been proven in court and were not made up. So if you don't break the law you can't get kicked out. Would be nice to see a really rich guy not wanting to enrich himself even more.

 

Then unlike Thaksin he would be in it for the people and I would support the guy for sure. 

If Prayuth is clean, where did he get all his money from?  And why is no one allowed to ask him that? And if he's so clean, why is he doing nothing about the fact that his friend and Dep-PM is clearly not? Answer: because they are all dirty, rotten to the core. They are allowed to do as they please by the powers that installed them as long as they protect the interests of the powers that installed them. They're hardly gonna rat each other out, there'd be no generals left in the Thai military, and those that installed them would have no one to protect them.