Politics Thaksin Unveils Vision to Transform Thailand into ASEAN Powerhouse

[Karma80]

Doing well for a sick old guy looking to spend his final days in Thailand away from politics.

[captain_shane]

2 hours ago, hotchilli said:

They need worker ants not thinkers.

Not with ai and robotics. Those worker ants will be worthless in the 21st century economy. Thailand still thinks it's the 1970s.

[TroubleandGrumpy]

2 hours ago, impulse said:

Show of hands here.  How many think Thailand performed better when he was absent?  I don't.

And if anyone does raise their hand, what was better?  Touchy feely syndrome related stuff doesn't count.  The "T" in front of the syndrome is Thaksin in this case.

I dont think Thailand has performed well at all since the Junta left and Covid started. GDP and overall Economic Growth have been stagnant ever since Covid ended - while other countries in the Region have been booming. The Thailand SET has dropped a lot over last 2-3 years and is one of the worst performing SXs in the World.  I dont see any improvement in all of that since Thaksin came back and the Thainese Shins have taken over power in Thailand again. This speech sounds like a desperate PR statement by a politically dead family Head. Things are going downhill for the Shins and they are desperate for positive support - IMO this BS aint gonna work - it will only re-enforce how out of touch they are with ordinary Thais.

 

The other uber wealthy Thainese families have the sense to stay quiet and only do their usual thing behind the scenes. But the groundswell is growing and it is slowly moving - Thais have just about had enough and things are going to happen.  I hope so and IMO the sooner the better.  

 

[hotchilli]

12 minutes ago, captain_shane said:

Not with ai and robotics. Those worker ants will be worthless in the 21st century economy. Thailand still thinks it's the 1970s.

So with Ai and robots the west will have mass unemployment... boom for Thai tourism.

Maybe that's their master plan.

Sit tight and keep the service workers for later. 

[TheFishman1]

I thought the guy said he wanted to come here to spend time with his grandchildren swimming in his pool for a guy who politics this guy is all over the political scene what the heck is going on this guy ship been in jail TIT

[daveAustin]

22 hours ago, snoop1130 said:

Citing a Thai-designed electric tuk tuk priced at around 200,000 baht as a benchmark, Thaksin envisioned a future driven by innovative, eco-friendly technology.

Fair play. They’ll be building space stations next! 

[lavender19]

Add more and more flights but push for electric vehicles. Make your mind up 

[Dogmatix]

Please no more rubbish about Thaksin's hallucinatory visions for Thailand which we all now just mean grabbing as much power and ill gotten wealth for himself and his disgusting family as possible. We have already the fruits of his visions - two failed handout schemes, a failed land bridge, a failed casino bill, a failed half and half travel scheme, two useless nominee PMs, including a cheshire cat on airmiles and his airhead daughter who fell head first into a trap set for her by Hun Sen.  No more please.  We have all had enough of the man.  Please lock him up or get him to run away and never come back this time. 

[Hunz Kittisak]

This man is not only making Thailand great again but making ASEAN great too. 
he’s meant for greatness 

[Bday Prang]

11 hours ago, captain_shane said:

None a single thing touching upon education.

you sound surprised,

[fondue zoo]

10 hours ago, gtr said:

He must dislike these grandkids with the amount of time he spends in the spotlight 

 

yeah, what are they, ugly or something?

[StayinThailand2much]

Mr. Thaksin, that ship has long sailed... Singapore and Malaysia are ASEAN powerhouses, and Indonesia and Vietnam are on the path to it. Thailand, IMHO, will rather remain the Hub of Mediocrity...

[MarkBR]

On 7/18/2025 at 5:13 PM, snoop1130 said:

Photo courtesy of Billet de France

 

Former Thai PM Thaksin Shinawatra has returned to the public sphere with a grand plan to position Thailand as a leader in aviation, electric vehicles, and green energy. Describing this as a "golden opportunity" for national transformation, Thaksin outlined strategies that could redefine the country's economic landscape.

 

Central to his proposal is making Thailand the premier aviation hub of ASEAN. Despite Thailand's geographical advantage, he argued that current policies hinder progress. He zeroed in on the Passenger Service Charge (PSC), presently set at 735 baht, significantly lower than Singapore’s 1,500 baht.

 

"Increase it by 100 baht, and Airports of Thailand (AOT) could see an additional 14 billion baht annually," he stated. A rise of 300 baht could generate 40 billion baht, enabling crucial airport upgrades, he suggested.

 

Beyond infrastructure, Thaksin highlighted restrictive policies like airport smoking bans and inadequate transit services as stumbling blocks for travellers. He advocated for increased investment in regional airports such as Chiang Mai and Phuket, and for acquiring assets like Krabi Airport to bolster Thailand’s aviation credentials.

 

However, aviation is just one part of Thaksin's vision. He also emphasised the need for a decisive shift towards electric vehicles and green energy. He urged the government to levy excise taxes on imported cars lacking Thai-made components, thereby boosting local assembly and welcoming foreign partnerships.

 

Citing a Thai-designed electric tuk tuk priced at around 200,000 baht as a benchmark, Thaksin envisioned a future driven by innovative, eco-friendly technology.

 

Thaksin also placed energy at the heart of his digital transformation agenda. He proposed developing solar farms across 1.4 million rai in the northeast, aiming to generate 40,000 MW of clean energy for emerging industries.

 

“Green electricity is the passport to attracting global data centres,” he declared, suggesting that Thailand's power costs could be cut to just 3 baht per unit, thereby transforming the country into a global high-tech hub.

 

His ultimate ambition is a "Green EGAT," featuring HVDC lines supplying constant, low-cost renewable energy to the data centres of tomorrow.

 

Thaksin’s bold proposals, if realised, offer a roadmap for Thailand to redefine its economic stance and assert itself as a formidable regional power, poised to meet the challenges and opportunities of a rapidly evolving global landscape.

 

  Adapted by ASEAN Now from The Thaiger 2025-07-18

 

 

 

 

Forgot to mention the education system & endemic corruption as things that need to be sorted first.

[BangkokReady]

How long do they think they can keep kicking the can down the road?  Just keep releasing statements that Thailand will soon be the hub of this and that, and just hope that tourism picks up again?

 

Where's the gold at the end of this rainbow?

[BangkokReady]

34 minutes ago, MarkBR said:

Forgot to mention the education system & endemic corruption as things that need to be sorted first.

 

That would be interesting.  "The first step is to get rid of the things that the ruling elite rely on to keep the people quite and money in their pockets..."

[PETERTHEEATER]

Thaksin Unveils Vision to Transform Thailand into ASEAN Powerhouse

 

There was a another politician who said "I have a dream" 

 

What happened to him? 🤔

[realfunster]

On 7/18/2025 at 5:13 PM, snoop1130 said:

Former Thai PM Thaksin Shinawatra has returned to the public sphere with a grand plan to position Thailand as a leader in aviation, electric vehicles, and green energy. Describing this as a "golden opportunity" for national transformation, Thaksin outlined strategies that could redefine the country's economic landscape.

Hubba, hubba, hubba.

 

Lots of buzzwords, which is what I see daily in my Thai corporate life.

 

Proof, if it were needed, of lack of any substantial plan and only a reliance on buzzwords to propose policy.

 

China is only focusing on this as they wish to supply EV to EU & US.

 

Both EU and US have recently significantly rolled back their Carbon and EV targets.

Sadly all these focus areas are mostly CCP focused industries. If Thailand believes it will ever be exporting EV/Net Zero products to China, think again…

 

 

[ikke1959]

12 hours ago, PETERTHEEATER said:

Thaksin Unveils Vision to Transform Thailand into ASEAN Powerhouse

 

There was a another politician who said "I have a dream" 

 

What happened to him? 🤔

That luck we will never have.....