One In Five Thais Facing Economic Problems

[Martin]

I don't think the figures in http://www.kent.ac.uk/economics/papers/pap...f/1999/9904.pdf

have a high reliability. They are calculated from the World Development Indicators put forward by the World Bank.

I don't know how the World Bank went about its job, but I will bet that it didn't send anybody up to Isaan to estimate the enormous (but fluctuating) savings of my neighbours in the form of rice in their granaries.

And how is that figure of average income calculated for Thailand?

If it is wages and salaries and retained profits, but ignores the peasantry's income of rice that is retained for home consumption, it is way wrong.

For some brave young Thai scholar, there's a nice topic for a multi-disciplinary Master's Degree, or a PhD, in the above (if s/he can find a brave-enough supervisor).

[Prakanong]

I don't think the figures in http://www.kent.ac.uk/economics/papers/pap...f/1999/9904.pdf

have a high reliability. They are calculated from the World Development Indicators put forward by the World Bank.

I don't know how the World Bank went about its job, but I will bet that it didn't send anybody up to Isaan to estimate the enormous (but fluctuating) savings of my neighbours in the form of rice in their granaries.

And how is that figure of average income calculated for Thailand?

If it is wages and salaries and retained profits, but ignores the peasantry's income of rice that is retained for home consumption, it is way wrong.

For some brave young Thai scholar, there's a nice topic for a multi-disciplinary Master's Degree, or a PhD, in the above (if s/he can find a brave-enough supervisor).

Well I am sure these type of economic figures ie domestic savings rate for a country are not done by surveying individuals

And of course some will save a higher proportion of their income than others - those with more disposeable earning than others in all probability save more too - if you are living hand to mouth it is quite difficult to save.

There is meaning in the figures at a macro-economic level though just as other economic indicators do have too - some more important than others.