Most Thais Think Economy Bad, Getting Worse

[simoh1490]

9 minutes ago, Eric Loh said:

So a never ending debt from budget deficits. 

That's how financing works in every government in every country, are you surprised? The UK is paying interest on its deficit at the rate of about £50 billion! The thing is, £100 borrowed today and repaid in 25 years means only about £40 (at todays value) has to be repaid, it's cheap financing. 

 

Here, this may help: https://www.economicshelp.org/blog/3028/economics/interest-payments-on-uk-debt/

Edited June 7, 2018 by simoh1490

[KiwiKiwi]

14 minutes ago, thaibeachlovers said:

The poorest Thais tend to live in the rural areas, and they can grow vegetables alongside the road if they don't have enough land of their own. They eat a more healthy diet that Thais that live in urban areas, who eat trucked in food that is poisoned by chemicals. Villages have markets where they can buy fresh food from local farmers.

 

 

The nutritional value of indigenous Thai food is very poor, which is why Thais have to eat so often, to maintain a relatively small body mass (though size among young Thais is improving and I've noticed the number of obese Thais has increased over the past 5 years or so). Rice is the staple diet, which contains huge amounts of carbohydrate and relatively little protein.

 

I notice our fearless leader some time ago said he would help to bring down the incidence of diabetes in Thailand by encouraging Thais to eat more rice. His stupidity on display for all to see. Again.

Edited June 7, 2018 by KiwiKiwi

[Cranky]

3 minutes ago, mrmicbkktxl said:

If the hotels are full it doesn't mean the economy running well,also the average thai has nothing to do with hotels and tourists

Apart from the milllion or two that work in the tourism industry that is.

[Eric Loh]

1 minute ago, simoh1490 said:

That's how financing works in every government in every country, are you surprised? The UK is paying interest on its deficit at the rate of about £50 billion!

 

Here, this may help: https://www.economicshelp.org/blog/3028/economics/interest-payments-on-uk-debt/

That's also how Greece run the government to the ground. Soon Italy, Portugal and Spain. Even Yellen warned of perils in US growing debt. Not your concern though.

[mogandave]

When I started working here we had a 3,000 m^2 factory with about 80 employees and parking for four cars.

We still have the same factory, and about the same number of employees, but we’ve had to increase the car-parking three times.

We now have parking for 26 cars, and the last few people to get here in the morning have to park on the street.

[jayboy]

35 minutes ago, brucec64 said:

 

"financial data and is well served by able officials in the responsible ministries and the Bank of Thailand."

 

This was by far my favourite line of the post. Comedy gold...

Simply confirms your ignorance.Any experienced person, Thai or foreigner, with substantive experience at a senior level in Thai business would confirm my high opinion of the excellent quality of senior officials in the ministries I earlier mentioned together with the BOT.If your asinine remark was made on the assumption few of those senior businessmen would be members of this forum, you are probably correct.

[thaibeachlovers]

Just now, KiwiKiwi said:

 

 

The nutritional value of indigenous Thai food is very poor, which is ahy Thais have to eat so often, Rice is the staple diet, which contains huge amounts of carbohydrate and relatively little protein.

 

I notice our fearless leader some time ago said he would help to bring down the incidence of diabetes in Thailand by encouraging Thais to eat more rice. His stupidity on display for all to see. Again.

Unless you have statistics to prove Thais had a high incidence of diabetes before a western diet became affordable, I suggest it was western food and processed food that have caused any increase in diabetes. Every mom and pop shop in rural LOS sells mainly processed snack food loaded with salt and sugar.

In the 90s an obese Thai was a rarity, but now they are commonplace, especially the children that eat loads of bad snack food after school gets out. Not only do obese children that eat sugary food get rotten teeth, but they are sitters for heart disease and diabetes.

[mrmicbkktxl]

1 minute ago, Cranky said:

Apart from the milllion or two that work in the tourism industry that is.

Thailand has 77 provinces,out of that maybe 25-30 are involved with tourism.If somchai works in a factory in Laem chabang[near Pattaya],do you think he gets 1 baht from the tourism?Or how about Jeab from ricefield 7 in nakhon nowhere?or .......

[hotchilli]

My trip to the local talat to buy fresh fruit & veg has sen a rise in prices these last few months..

including, fish, shrimp even herbs...

As has my local CJ store & Lotus lek... & not just by a couple of baht..

for an example my usual pack of coffee has gone up from 89 baht to 102 baht in one jump!!

[simoh1490]

1 minute ago, Eric Loh said:

That's also how Greece run the government to the ground. Soon Italy, Portugal and Spain. Even Yellen warned of perils in US growing debt. Not your concern though.

Which is why the external debt figure needs watching. But since it's only 40% of GDP rather than Greece where it was several hundred per cent of GDP, there shouldn't be a problem. Here's the debt tables for comparison purposes: https://tradingeconomics.com/country-list/government-debt-to-gdp?continent=asia

[thaibeachlovers]

6 minutes ago, Cranky said:

Apart from the milllion or two that work in the tourism industry that is.

Tourism accounts for about 12% of the Thai economy, depending on which statistics one uses.

Farangs marrying locals probably contributes more to rural areas than any amount of tourism.

[KiwiKiwi]

3 minutes ago, thaibeachlovers said:

Unless you have statistics to prove Thais had a high incidence of diabetes before a western diet became affordable, I suggest it was western food and processed food that have caused any increase in diabetes. Every mom and pop shop in rural LOS sells mainly processed snack food loaded with salt and sugar.

In the 90s an obese Thai was a rarity, but now they are commonplace, especially the children that eat loads of bad snack food after school gets out. Not only do obese children that eat sugary food get rotten teeth, but they are sitters for heart disease and diabetes.

 

I don't disagree, but what you think I said isn't what I actually said. For Prayuth to say he could reduce diabetes (esp DM2) by increasing dietary rice is uneducated nonsense. That is what I said, and that's what I still say.

[HappyinNE]

If you think the economy is getting better then get out of Bangkok, Pattia etc and come to Nong Khai.  All the merchants here are saying that business is bad.  I am not talking about Tesco etc I am talking about the local outdoor markets and small stores.  Been hearing the same for at least six months.

[thaibeachlovers]

3 minutes ago, hotchilli said:

My trip to the local talat to buy fresh fruit & veg has sen a rise in prices these last few months..

including, fish, shrimp even herbs...

As has my local CJ store & Lotus lek... & not just by a couple of baht..

for an example my usual pack of coffee has gone up from 89 baht to 102 baht in one jump!!

I think coffee went up world wide. If one sticks to food grown in LOS, rather than imported food, the inflation rate will be different.

Not surprised seafood went up in price given the rampant overfishing reducing fish stocks.

[simoh1490]

Just now, HappyinNE said:

If you think the economy is getting better then get out of Bangkok, Pattia etc and come to Nong Khai.  All the merchants here are saying that business is bad.  I am not talking about Tesco etc I am talking about the local outdoor markets and small stores.  Been hearing the same for at least six months.

It's the Tesco's that are important, the small outdoor markets are meaningless when assessing the economic climate.

[theguyfromanotherforum]

1 hour ago, KiwiKiwi said:

 

I don't recognise the situation you are describing. I also think you have a jaundiced view of ex-pats, for what reason I could guess at but won't - because guesses and personal prejudices don't help.

 

The average Thai is lazy and under-intelligent. So far as I can see, these are demonstrable facts, born of government statistics and personal experience. They engage in the behaviour that life has taught them works to their advantage. In Thailand, what works is brown-nosing, buying presents or giving gifts or brown envelopes and seeking patronage, it is not necessarily effort, experience or talent. I suggest it is this culture that you should attack rather than the opinions of people you don't know and apparently can only sneer at.

 

 

 

You don't recognize the situation, I'm describing....Yet, here you are. Perhaps taking advantage of cheap labor and stupid Thai? In the land of the blind and all that, eh?

 

So, my question hasn't changed. Why shouldn't the average middle class Thai expect to have a house and a car? Or is this privilege strictly reserved for gangsters, brown-nosers and hiso elite? In my opinion, of course, there aren't bigger brown nosers than Westerners. Both beta males and females will massage egos of people above them just to get through life. The interview process in the West is one of the most stupid I have ever experienced. No wonder your reward are millennial.

 

lolz

 

 

[thaibeachlovers]

error

[mogandave]

Thailand has 77 provinces,out of that maybe 25-30 are involved with tourism.If somchai works in a factory in Laem chabang[near Pattaya],do you think he gets 1 baht from the tourism?Or how about Jeab from ricefield 7 in nakhon nowhere?or .......

So does a growing auto industry benefit Thai workers?

More employment, and more tax revenue from any industry helps all workers.

[brucec64]

6 minutes ago, jayboy said:

Simply confirms your ignorance.Any experienced person, Thai or foreigner, with substantive experience at a senior level in Thai business would confirm my high opinion of the excellent quality of senior officials in the ministries I earlier mentioned together with the BOT.If your asinine remark was made on the assumption few of those senior businessmen would be members of this forum, you are probably correct.

Simply confirms your naivety. There are self-serving and able people at senior levels, and well served but less than able people at that level, but well serving and able is a rare commodity in Thailand. Any experienced person would confirm that. 

[thaibeachlovers]

1 minute ago, theguyfromanotherforum said:

Why shouldn't the average middle class Thai expect to have a house and a car? Or is this privilege strictly reserved for gangsters, brown-nosers and hiso elite?

In my country the only way for the middle class to afford a house is for both to work and mortgage themselves up to the eyeballs for decades of their life. Many can't afford to buy.

Why should the Thai middle class be any more deserving?

[Cranky]

5 minutes ago, mrmicbkktxl said:

Thailand has 77 provinces,out of that maybe 25-30 are involved with tourism.If somchai works in a factory in Laem chabang[near Pattaya],do you think he gets 1 baht from the tourism?Or how about Jeab from ricefield 7 in nakhon nowhere?or .......

Somchai's sister is probably on the game and funding his drugs habit as he only earns enough to fund his gambling.  Jeab is only 11, which is why she is working in a field,  and will be on the game when she is older and gets a one-way ticket to Pattaya to join her Mum.  Both totally reliant on tourists.

 

Where do you think the money actually comes from for most of the pick-up trucks, motorbikes, mobile phones and flash houses in the North-East?

[thaibeachlovers]

4 minutes ago, mogandave said:

more tax revenue from any industry helps all workers.

How does that work in LOS?

There is no benefit to workers in Chiang Mai from car factory in Ayuttahaya, far as I know.

[mrmicbkktxl]

5 minutes ago, mogandave said:

 

So does a growing auto industry benefit Thai workers?

More employment, and more tax revenue from any industry helps all workers.

 

Growing auto industry gives more jobs but not more money for Somchai working on the band,and prices still go up

[KiwiKiwi]

5 minutes ago, theguyfromanotherforum said:

 

You don't recognize the situation, I'm describing....Yet, here you are. Perhaps taking advantage of cheap labor and stupid Thai? In the land of the blind and all that, eh?

 

So, my question hasn't changed. Why shouldn't the average middle class Thai expect to have a house and a car? Or is this privilege strictly reserved for gangsters, brown-nosers and hiso elite? In my opinion, of course, there aren't bigger brown nosers than Westerners. Both beta males and females will massage egos of people above them just to get through life. The interview process in the West is one of the most stupid I have ever experienced. No wonder your reward are millennial.

 

lolz

 

 

 

My reason for being here need not concern you, neither should the reason I decide to stay, neither one is any of your business.

 

I do however agree with you that Westerners are among the biggest brown-nosers of all, particularly (it seems) those who live among Thais in Thailand and still suffer the naive delusion that Thais appreciate brown-nosing. They only appreciate it if they do it.

 

As to your assumption that you know anything at all about me, that also is a delusion, you don't, so it would be better if you did not base any of your assumptions on the delusion that you do. Don't get me wrong, I have nothing against you, I don't even know you, what I do know is that you should not debate psychology or related issues with me.

 

Have a nice day.

 

[simoh1490]

1 minute ago, Cranky said:

Somchai's sister is probably on the game and funding his drugs habit as he only earns enough to fund his gambling.  Jeab is only 11, which is why she is working in a field,  and will be on the game when she is older and gets a one-way ticket to Pattaya to join her Mum.  Both totally reliant on tourists.

 

Where do you think the money actually comes from for most of the pick-up trucks, motorbikes, mobile phones and flash houses in the North-East?

Just the North East? There's shed loads of flash houses in the North and I'm pretty certain they weren't built with Pattaya's farang money, most if not all were built on the back of local businesses, many of which are very very successful.

[mrmicbkktxl]

2 minutes ago, Cranky said:

Somchai's sister is probably on the game and funding his drugs habit as he only earns enough to fund his gambling.  Jeab is only 11, which is why she is working in a field,  and will be on the game when she is older and gets a one-way ticket to Pattaya to join her Mum.  Both totally reliant on tourists.

 

Where do you think the money actually comes from for most of the pick-up trucks, motorbikes, mobile phones and flash houses in the North-East?

okok I just saw you stay in Pattaya,gives me an understanding for you thinking,but believe me not every girl in Thailand is a hooker  or waits till she gets a car from a pattaya farang.

[KiwiKiwi]

4 minutes ago, Cranky said:

Somchai's sister is probably on the game and funding his drugs habit as he only earns enough to fund his gambling.  Jeab is only 11, which is why she is working in a field,  and will be on the game when she is older and gets a one-way ticket to Pattaya to join her Mum.  Both totally reliant on tourists.

 

Where do you think the money actually comes from for most of the pick-up trucks, motorbikes, mobile phones and flash houses in the North-East?

 

That shouldn't be anything like as funny as it is. It ought to be tragic.

 

It ought to be untrue.

[thaibeachlovers]

1 minute ago, Cranky said:

Somchai's sister is probably on the game and funding his drugs habit as he only earns enough to fund his gambling.  Jeab is only 11, which is why she is working in a field,  and will be on the game when she is older and gets a one-way ticket to Pattaya to join her Mum.  Both totally reliant on tourists.

 

Where do you think the money actually comes from for most of the pick-up trucks, motorbikes, mobile phones and flash houses in the North-East?

I think your claim that every old enough girl in LOS is working in Pattaya/ Nana Plaza/ Soi Cowboy/ Patpong or  Patong to be somewhat erroneous.

 

I'd say the money for the vehicles and phones in the nth east comes from easy credit.

[Cranky]

1 minute ago, simoh1490 said:

Just the North East? There's shed loads of flash houses in the North and I'm pretty certain they weren't built with Pattaya's farang money, most if not all were built on the back of local businesses, many of which are very very successful.

They are very successful because of all the money shipped in by brasses for Mom and Pop to splurge on pick-up trucks, motorbikes, mobile phones and flash houses.  

[simoh1490]

1 minute ago, Cranky said:

They are very successful because of all the money shipped in by brasses for Mom and Pop to splurge on pick-up trucks, motorbikes, mobile phones and flash houses.  

Nonsense, have you ever been outside of Pattaya!

 

Thai/Chinese businesses in the North are seriously big business, the work ethic is there as is the wherewithal to make them work, nothing whatsoever even remotely connected to Pattaya and farangs.