Leading Think Tank Sees Need To Restructure Thai Economy And Society

[george]

Leading think tank sees need to restructure Thai economy and society

BANGKOK: -- The National Economic and Social Development Board (NESDB) sees a need to accelerate restructuring of the Thai economy and society in preparation for the changing global economy.

NESDB Secretary-General Amphon Kitti-amphon said Thursday that the board will hold its annual seminar in June on the topic of "How Thailand Can Enjoy Sustainable Development in the Age of Globalisation.".

Officials concerned had been instructed to intensify their study of the details of the economic and social restructuring in preparation for the changing global situation.

He said he had met with Mutzashiro Kuroda, chairman of Japan's Institute on Economic and Social

Research, seeking suggestions and an exchange of views as part of the preparation on a way to prepare the economic and social development plan.

Mr. Amphon said that in common with Mr. Mutzashiro he shared the belief that the Thailand's economy

and society needed to be restructured since the global situation had changed dramatically.

In particular, innovation in the world's money and capital markets is now more sophisticated and complicated.

He said the NESDB viewed what Thailand needs to do urgently is to prepare a long-term plan on energy affair.

At present, an inflation rate in Japan is flat and expected to stay at 1 per cent throughout this year while the inflation rate in Thailand is 4 per cent and that of the United States is 3 per cent.

He said Japan has been well prepared for rising inflation in the energy sector for some 20 years ago by

shifting investment to rely more on nuclear power and natural gas instead of oil.

Additionally, Thailand's social structure needs to be changed, Mr. Amphon said. Currently, Japan allocates

40 per cent of its budget to look after the elderly.

Thailand is also becoming a society of the elderly, so it must pay attention to caring for the elderly.

--TNA 2008-10-28

[Boater]

Leading think tank sees need to restructure Thai economy and society

BANGKOK: -- The National Economic and Social Development Board (NESDB) sees a need to accelerate restructuring of the Thai economy and society in preparation for the changing global economy.

NESDB Secretary-General Amphon Kitti-amphon said Thursday that the board will hold its annual seminar in June on the topic of "How Thailand Can Enjoy Sustainable Development in the Age of Globalisation.".

Officials concerned had been instructed to intensify their study of the details of the economic and social restructuring in preparation for the changing global situation.

He said he had met with Mutzashiro Kuroda, chairman of Japan's Institute on Economic and Social

Research, seeking suggestions and an exchange of views as part of the preparation on a way to prepare the economic and social development plan.

Mr. Amphon said that in common with Mr. Mutzashiro he shared the belief that the Thailand's economy

and society needed to be restructured since the global situation had changed dramatically.

In particular, innovation in the world's money and capital markets is now more sophisticated and complicated.

He said the NESDB viewed what Thailand needs to do urgently is to prepare a long-term plan on energy affair.

At present, an inflation rate in Japan is flat and expected to stay at 1 per cent throughout this year while the inflation rate in Thailand is 4 per cent and that of the United States is 3 per cent.

He said Japan has been well prepared for rising inflation in the energy sector for some 20 years ago by

shifting investment to rely more on nuclear power and natural gas instead of oil.

Additionally, Thailand's social structure needs to be changed, Mr. Amphon said. Currently, Japan allocates

40 per cent of its budget to look after the elderly.

Thailand is also becoming a society of the elderly, so it must pay attention to caring for the elderly.

--TNA 2008-10-28

It took a leading think tank to come to this conclusion

Why not just ask 99.9 % of foreign expats here, they will be able to give a good anwser to what needs to be changed to bring Thailand into the 21st century

[Seneque]

NESDB Secretary-General Amphon Kitti-amphon said Thursday that the board will hold its annual seminar in June

... Gives them some time to think then

[clausewitz]

. Currently, Japan allocates

40 per cent of its budget to look after the elderly.

Japan spends 40% of its health budget on the elderly, not its entire budget.

Why do people write such nonsense.

[john b good]

Leading think tank sees need to restructure Thai economy and society

BANGKOK: -- The National Economic and Social Development Board (NESDB) sees a need to accelerate restructuring of the Thai economy and society in preparation for the changing global economy.

NESDB Secretary-General Amphon Kitti-amphon said Thursday that the board will hold its annual seminar in June on the topic of "How Thailand Can Enjoy Sustainable Development in the Age of Globalisation.".

Officials concerned had been instructed to intensify their study of the details of the economic and social restructuring in preparation for the changing global situation.

He said he had met with Mutzashiro Kuroda, chairman of Japan's Institute on Economic and Social

Research, seeking suggestions and an exchange of views as part of the preparation on a way to prepare the economic and social development plan.

Mr. Amphon said that in common with Mr. Mutzashiro he shared the belief that the Thailand's economy

and society needed to be restructured since the global situation had changed dramatically.

In particular, innovation in the world's money and capital markets is now more sophisticated and complicated.

He said the NESDB viewed what Thailand needs to do urgently is to prepare a long-term plan on energy affair.

At present, an inflation rate in Japan is flat and expected to stay at 1 per cent throughout this year while the inflation rate in Thailand is 4 per cent and that of the United States is 3 per cent.

He said Japan has been well prepared for rising inflation in the energy sector for some 20 years ago by

shifting investment to rely more on nuclear power and natural gas instead of oil.

Additionally, Thailand's social structure needs to be changed, Mr. Amphon said. Currently, Japan allocates

40 per cent of its budget to look after the elderly.

Thailand is also becoming a society of the elderly, so it must pay attention to caring for the elderly.

--TNA 2008-10-28

It took a leading think tank to come to this conclusion

Why not just ask 99.9 % of foreign expats here, they will be able to give a good anwser to what needs to be changed to bring Thailand into the 21st century

That (asking foreign expats) is something that they will never do. The reason ? The reason is that it will cause loss of face.

The authorities in the realm will carry on making the same statements "leading think tanks" etc., but they will never put in place the measures required to advance into the 20th century (before they even dream of thinking about the 21st)

The education system is an absolute joke with the "no failure policy" in both schools and universities.

The sad thing is that some of these people having received some exposure to education in the developed world have upon returning home then used their acquired learning to ensure that the gap between they (the have's) and the no have's. is maintained and even widened.

If you take the old adage "you can take the girl out of the bar, but you cannot take the bar out of the girl" and then say "you can take the Thai out of the country (and educate he/she) but you cannot "absolutely cannot" take the Thai way of thinking out of the person and create a person who might ever have the ability to to do something say worthy of being awarded a Nobel Prize (in chemistry, science, literature or the arts) or even creating a person who will do something for the benefit of the country rather than purely and simply for her/him self.

There has not been one solitary singular invention/development to come out of the realm that has benefited the people of the world.

To advance there must be a full 180 degree turn in their way of thinking. They can still retain their 'sic' gentle disposition, but to advance they must start to think like a German, a Frenchman a Swiss, an American, Canadian, NZ'er, Australian etc., and, they must give up their corrupt and self satisfying way of life.

Edited March 28, 2008 by john b good

[PeaceBlondie]

Let's see, they could do away with all non-royal titles and honorifics. No more na-Ayuttayas, no more Khunyings.

They could spend a fraction of the defense budget to retire all ajarns over the age of 55 and all their directors, double the enrollments of their university education-training, admit the new teachers to the civil service. They could halve the average classroom size. In fact, without doing that and a few more obvious changes to the Thai education system, the Burmese and the Laotians will run over Thailand like a steamroller over warm asphalt.

As already stated, the structural problems in this culture do not require a seminar in rocket science. The problems require changes that the elites simply are unwilling to make.

[rethaired]

The problems require changes that the elites simply are unwilling to make.

BINGO! When one was born with a silver spoon up you know where, it is hard to use chop sticks!

I am not too sure where buddhism comes into play here, but it would seem that this was either not driven into their heads (that they were born priviledged and that they should do something worthy to repay society) or it is not part of buddhism. If the latter, simple morality should be taught to them. However, I fear it will take a lot of work to change that caste-like mentality! Just look at the soap operas on Thai TV where the whitish elite living in palaces and don't do a thing, but cry all day! (Not that this is much different than in North America, mind you!) So, does buddhism teach anything that could change the mentality? If so, why is it not working?

I agree completely with you that reducing class size, etc. is essential, but I wonder if the Thai teachers who represent the elite (right?) want to change things?

[hanibal7]

The think tank should be how do we get rid of the idiots running the country,oops sorry,they are the idiots.As an example has anyone seen the total balls up of the outer ring road on the east of sukhumvit in pattaya,which dissects siam country rd,soi nermplabwan,soi kho noi and soi kho talo.Whoever planned this should be excecuted by a firing squad.

This sums up the intelectual thought process of a top government thai.my 7 yo step son would have done a better job of the planning.

Edited March 28, 2008 by hanibal7

[Jingthing]

In view of all this, why is the baht so strong?

[PhilHarries]

In view of all this, why is the baht so strong?

Sorry we'll have to set up a think tank to answer this one. We'll get back to you sometime in December.

It makes me laugh all this think tank nonsense and it's not limited to Thailand. A think tank is just a bunch of mealy mouthed hasbeens and wannabes who sit around for months producing a 350 page report that recommends setting up a committee to produce a road map to solve the problem. The report then disappears into that supergiant black hole we call government and nothing is done.

[Big A]

Leading think tank sees need to restructure Thai economy and society

Really? My God, I would never have thought that!!

[Bok63]

In view of all this, why is the baht so strong?

Is the $ that is weak.

[Gravelrash]

Why is the Think Tank assuming those in power are not happy with things just the way the are? If changes to benefit the country were to be made they would have been already. It isn't rocket science to determine what changes would benefit society as a whole as opposed to maintaining the profitable staus quo.

At any rate good luck to them is raising awareness.

[Martin]

"..restructuring ... in preparation for the changing global economy."

All of us (as individuals, households, communities, regions, or nations) would be sensible to do this.

So much of present structures reflects the easy-energy conditions of the past 200 years, and those aspects of the structures are going to become increasingly unsustainable.

For those seven generations, it has been easy to just be reactive to things getting easier. (That has been a bit like just taking another drink from the tray of a passing waiter at a party).

Now we need to be preactive. (Like realising that the booze is running out, the party is winding down, it's bloddy cold out there, I must get my coat and gloves on before I step through that door.)

Thank you for this clipping, George. I will follow it up.

[farang prince]

In view of all this, why is the baht so strong?

Sorry we'll have to set up a think tank to answer this one. We'll get back to you sometime in December.

It makes me laugh all this think tank nonsense and it's not limited to Thailand. A think tank is just a bunch of mealy mouthed hasbeens and wannabes who sit around for months producing a 350 page report that recommends setting up a committee to produce a road map to solve the problem. The report then disappears into that supergiant black hole we call government and nothing is done.

It is well known in governmental circles in the USA that when you want to kill an idea, you send it to a committee. We probably learned that from the British.

Edited March 29, 2008 by farang prince

[Martin]

"...when you want to kill an idea, you send it to a committee. We probably learned that from the British."

Yes, but the first thought of the London-based Civil Service mandarin was always as to whether the idea might be unobtrusively helped to "sink into the limbo of forgotten things".

Sending it to a committee was always a bit more risky, as the moment that you do that you have made it a matter of official record and that gives some awkward sod the chance to keep asking 'public domain' questions, like "How is the Committee progressing?", or "Will the Government comment on the Report?". If not, "Why not?". Even a buried committee report can be exhumed time and again with: "Is the time now opportune for the question to be reviewed?"

That last one is guaranteed to raise sighs and (sotto voce) observations that "The Civil Servant's lot is not a happy one."

Tam Dalyell MP was a superb awkward sod. Single-handed, he all but raised the Belgrano from the bottom of the South Atlantic.

The question raised by the topic of this 'thread' can be brought up again every time that the price of oil rises 5%.

[Heng]

The problems require changes that the elites simply are unwilling to make.

PB, you make that sound like the "elites" are a unified entity pulling the strings. Kind of like "the man."

Edited March 29, 2008 by Heng

[wintermute]

The problems require changes that the elites simply are unwilling to make.

PB, you make that sound like the "elites" are a unified entity pulling the strings. Kind of like "the man."

Well, that sort of is the case. You have a large class divide of super rich and poor and the former want to maintain their wealth and status anyway possible. This leads to corruption, inequality, and lowers the general living standard of the entire country except for the 1-5% of haves.

I don't necessarily have a problem with a class divide and it appears to me that even with the lackluster economic performance that Thailand's middle class is actually growing. This is a positive thing for the country but more could probably done in that sense. It's just that in Thailand it's really hard to "cross the railroad" tracks so to speak if you're born into the wrong family.

[Heng]

The problems require changes that the elites simply are unwilling to make.

PB, you make that sound like the "elites" are a unified entity pulling the strings. Kind of like "the man."

Well, that sort of is the case. You have a large class divide of super rich and poor and the former want to maintain their wealth and status anyway possible. This leads to corruption, inequality, and lowers the general living standard of the entire country except for the 1-5% of haves.

I don't necessarily have a problem with a class divide and it appears to me that even with the lackluster economic performance that Thailand's middle class is actually growing. This is a positive thing for the country but more could probably done in that sense. It's just that in Thailand it's really hard to "cross the railroad" tracks so to speak if you're born into the wrong family.

Again, it doesn't mean there is an active effort to keep people down. I'd say it's more of a side effect of people acting in their own interest, and that's from the very bottom of society to the top. Combine that with varying levels of work ethic, you get a "naturally" uneven playing field that becomes irreversibly more so over generations.

Class divide, yes. As for standard of living and how difficult one feels the challenges are here, that's all relative. For me, I'd say only 80% of the country lives in conditions that I would find unbearable/substandard. As for crossing those tracks, it depends on your mindset. I'd say in a lot of ways, it's much easier to get a startup off the ground here than in an environment that isn't very tax, labor, and general overhead friendly.

[PeaceBlondie]

Bless you, Heng. You often give us the voice of the elitist. Such as writing, "For me, I'd say only 80% of the country lives in conditions that I would find unbearable/substandard." Only a very small % of Thais are in control, and it ain't the poor Thais, or two Belgians in Chiang Rai. I agree that they don't hold meets of khunying or poo-yai and actually say, "the natives are restless; we must keep them in their place." The system and its apparatus are there, to keep the natives poor, barefoot, and ignorant, if not pregnant. The cultural adjustments will not be made willingly by those who reap the profits and legislate laws.

[wintermute]

The problems require changes that the elites simply are unwilling to make.

PB, you make that sound like the "elites" are a unified entity pulling the strings. Kind of like "the man."

Well, that sort of is the case. You have a large class divide of super rich and poor and the former want to maintain their wealth and status anyway possible. This leads to corruption, inequality, and lowers the general living standard of the entire country except for the 1-5% of haves.

I don't necessarily have a problem with a class divide and it appears to me that even with the lackluster economic performance that Thailand's middle class is actually growing. This is a positive thing for the country but more could probably done in that sense. It's just that in Thailand it's really hard to "cross the railroad" tracks so to speak if you're born into the wrong family.

Again, it doesn't mean there is an active effort to keep people down. I'd say it's more of a side effect of people acting in their own interest, and that's from the very bottom of society to the top. Combine that with varying levels of work ethic, you get a "naturally" uneven playing field that becomes irreversibly more so over generations.

Class divide, yes. As for standard of living and how difficult one feels the challenges are here, that's all relative. For me, I'd say only 80% of the country lives in conditions that I would find unbearable/substandard. As for crossing those tracks, it depends on your mindset. I'd say in a lot of ways, it's much easier to get a startup off the ground here than in an environment that isn't very tax, labor, and general overhead friendly.

It's already been stated but i'll reiterate that I don't think there's a vast conspiracy of the Thai elite either. However, inequality and social barriers are certainly not discouraged here. I'd say you see the same problems in countries like the U.S. but the class divisions are magnified greatly here. For example it's much easier for a poor immigrant to the U.S. or a poor person in general to use available government aid programs to go to school, learn new skills, and leapfrog up the ladder to middle class and beyond. A good majority of the fortune 500 companies in the U.S. did not originate from old money connections.

I really can't say the same for Thailand. It seems like old money families just pad up old money connections for their offspring and if there is competition the old money initiates various laws and corrupt practices as protectionism. I'm sure some entrepeneurs can find a nice niche here and there but i'm talking big business and networking beyond that niche. For example it's pretty impossible in Thailand to start up something like google from nothing and being able to run with it without being born in the right circles to finance your whole deal or jump through appropriate corporate channels without having your idea ripped off by a "big" person.

[Heng]

Bless you, Heng. You often give us the voice of the elitist. Such as writing, "For me, I'd say only 80% of the country lives in conditions that I would find unbearable/substandard." Only a very small % of Thais are in control, and it ain't the poor Thais, or two Belgians in Chiang Rai. I agree that they don't hold meets of khunying or poo-yai and actually say, "the natives are restless; we must keep them in their place." The system and its apparatus are there, to keep the natives poor, barefoot, and ignorant, if not pregnant. The cultural adjustments will not be made willingly by those who reap the profits and legislate laws.

I keep hearing that word, but no one has sent me a membership packet yet. Bless you too, PB. The system and apparatus are indeed in place (I assume there are "systems" in place everywhere), but again it's one that everyone is a part of, including the poor.

[PeaceBlondie]

Bless you, Heng. You often give us the voice of the elitist. Such as writing, "For me, I'd say only 80% of the country lives in conditions that I would find unbearable/substandard." Only a very small % of Thais are in control, and it ain't the poor Thais, or two Belgians in Chiang Rai. I agree that they don't hold meets of khunying or poo-yai and actually say, "the natives are restless; we must keep them in their place." The system and its apparatus are there, to keep the natives poor, barefoot, and ignorant, if not pregnant. The cultural adjustments will not be made willingly by those who reap the profits and legislate laws.

I keep hearing that word, but no one has sent me a membership packet yet. Bless you too, PB. The system and apparatus are indeed in place (I assume there are "systems" in place everywhere), but again it's one that everyone is a part of, including the poor.

The elite do not send out membership packets for joiners. The fact there is a social or cultural system that benefits only the top few percent, and keeps eighty percent unbearable, does not make it right or comfortable.

[Heng]

It's already been stated but i'll reiterate that I don't think there's a vast conspiracy of the Thai elite either. However, inequality and social barriers are certainly not discouraged here. I'd say you see the same problems in countries like the U.S. but the class divisions are magnified greatly here. For example it's much easier for a poor immigrant to the U.S. or a poor person in general to use available government aid programs to go to school, learn new skills, and leapfrog up the ladder to middle class and beyond. A good majority of the fortune 500 companies in the U.S. did not originate from old money connections.

I really can't say the same for Thailand. It seems like old money families just pad up old money connections for their offspring and if there is competition the old money initiates various laws and corrupt practices as protectionism. I'm sure some entrepeneurs can find a nice niche here and there but i'm talking big business and networking beyond that niche. For example it's pretty impossible in Thailand to start up something like google from nothing and being able to run with it without being born in the right circles to finance your whole deal or jump through appropriate corporate channels without having your idea ripped off by a "big" person.

Glad to hear someone say that. The conspiracy theme seems to be rather prevalent here. Even normally clear thinkers like PB can't help but say something like: there's no secret meetings, but the system and apparatus are already in place (so there's no need for meetings I guess). There aren't too many government aid programs here, but there are indeed tools and advantages, as mentioned, that startups have that they don't have elsewhere. I think it just another case -talking about people who think the poor have no way to move up- where people are having difficulty in adjusting their mindset to the different set of tools available.

Old and new money is relative. It also almost sounds like you have something against intra-generational wealth (that's another common theme on these webforums... folks often suggesting that its something inherently bad or at least unfair). Just 2-3 generations ago, many of the top SET 'Fortune 500 type' companies were indeed startups by poor people. What is now CP Group was then just an average middle aged couple packing seeds in their shophouse for retail resale. Local business is littered with large businesses built from virtually nothing (just like anywhere else in the world), it's just that it usually takes longer... and when that's the case, people like to whinge or make excuses because their own associates/acquaintences/inlaws weren't able to do something similar (it hurts more in a way perhaps because it's like saying not only did you not make something of your life, apparently you guys have been static for a few generations now).

[Heng]

Bless you, Heng. You often give us the voice of the elitist. Such as writing, "For me, I'd say only 80% of the country lives in conditions that I would find unbearable/substandard." Only a very small % of Thais are in control, and it ain't the poor Thais, or two Belgians in Chiang Rai. I agree that they don't hold meets of khunying or poo-yai and actually say, "the natives are restless; we must keep them in their place." The system and its apparatus are there, to keep the natives poor, barefoot, and ignorant, if not pregnant. The cultural adjustments will not be made willingly by those who reap the profits and legislate laws.

I keep hearing that word, but no one has sent me a membership packet yet. Bless you too, PB. The system and apparatus are indeed in place (I assume there are "systems" in place everywhere), but again it's one that everyone is a part of, including the poor.

The elite do not send out membership packets for joiners. The fact there is a social or cultural system that benefits only the top few percent, and keeps eighty percent unbearable, does not make it right or comfortable.

Yeah, it's called business. I've heard that most fail along those same percentages. It is indeed right and comfortable for those who succeed. Like any other game, there are going to be winners and losers.

[LaoPo]

. Currently, Japan allocates

40 per cent of its budget to look after the elderly.

Japan spends 40% of its health budget on the elderly, not its entire budget.

Why do people write such nonsense.

Apart from the %, Japan has an enormous problem and that's NEGATIVE POPULATION GROWTH... something like -0.088% and expected to decrease more.

Minus....no more babies....population is decreasing, and fast.

The budget for the elderly is therefore rising and will consume huge amounts in the decades to come.

Thailand has still a +0.663% population growth.

LaoPo

[howtoescape]

Apart from the %, Japan has an enormous problem and that's NEGATIVE POPULATION GROWTH... something like -0.088% and expected to decrease more.

Minus....no more babies....population is decreasing, and fast.

The budget for the elderly is therefore rising and will consume huge amounts in the decades to come.

Thailand has still a +0.663% population growth.

LaoPo

All it means is that the elderley in Japan will have to work a few more years, its happenning in most developed countries due to people living longer.

[LaoPo]

Apart from the %, Japan has an enormous problem and that's NEGATIVE POPULATION GROWTH... something like -0.088% and expected to decrease more.

Minus....no more babies....population is decreasing, and fast.

The budget for the elderly is therefore rising and will consume huge amounts in the decades to come.

Thailand has still a +0.663% population growth.

LaoPo

All it means is that the elderley in Japan will have to work a few more years, its happenning in most developed countries due to people living longer.

"Japan is the only non-European country in the list and it has a 0% natural birth increase and is expected to lose 21% of its population by 2050 (shrinking from 127.8 million to a mere 100.6 million in 2050). The streets of Tokyo won’t be as crowded in a few decades as they are today!

Here's the list of the countries with negative natural increase or zero negative increase in population...

Ukraine: 0.8% natural decrease annually; 28% total population decrease by 2050

Russia: -0.6%; -22%

Belarus -0.6%; -12%

Bulgaria -0.5%; -34%

Latvia -0.5%; -23%

Lithuania -0.4%; -15%

Hungary -0.3%; -11%

Romania -0.2%; -29%

Estonia -0.2%; -23%

Moldova -0.2%; -21%

Croatia -0.2%; -14%

Germany -0.2%; -9%

Czech Republic -0.1%; -8%

Japan 0%; -21%

Poland 0%; -17%

Slovakia 0%; -12%

Austria 0%; 8% increase

Italy 0%; -5%

Slovenia 0%; -5%

Greece 0%; -4% "

From: http://geography.about.com/od/populationgeography/a/zero.htm

LaoPo

[Robski]

The problems require changes that the elites simply are unwilling to make.

PB, you make that sound like the "elites" are a unified entity pulling the strings. Kind of like "the man."

You mean... ..they don't know each other...

[wrecker]

. Currently, Japan allocates

40 per cent of its budget to look after the elderly.

Japan spends 40% of its health budget on the elderly, not its entire budget.

Why do people write such nonsense.

Because it is a think thank, and Thai people have trouble calculating. You will notice particularly in the Nation that they misuse opinion polls to prove things (manly against the TRT and PPP) which makes no sense either. Opinion polls held in a few provinces around Bangkok are stated as proof that Izan does not like something> margin of errors are left out. Even the questions are put in a certain way, which makes the opinion poll worthless. And those polls are conducted by universities. It says a lot about the integrity of the press and universities alike.