Bank Of Thailand Expresses Concern Over Damages From Red-Shirt Protest

[webfact]

Central Bank Expresses Concern over Damages from Red-Shirt Protest

BANGKOK: -- The Bank of Thailand expresses concerns over monetary damages from a prolonged Red-Shirt rally at the Ratchaprasong commercial area, as Shopping centers around the area have decided to extend closures to protect shoppers from possible danger.

On the fourth day of the red-shirt rally at the Ratchaprasong commercial area, the shopping centers around the area, including Central World, Gaysorn Plaza and Big C remain closed in an effort to protect shoppers from any dangers.

However, luxury hotels in the area such as the Grand Hyatt Erawan, Intercontinental, Four Season and Sofitel Centara Grand are still open, and are providing services for their guests who have been stranded in the hotels since the protest moved to the Ratchaprasong intersection.

Director of the Thailand Convention and Exhibition Bureau, Akapol Sorasuchart revealed that Thailand has lost revenue from those who had planned to attend overseas conventions and seminars in Bangkok in the amount of 700 to 800 million baht a day.

He said reservations at the hotels around Ratchaprasong have been canceled and most of the conventions and seminars have been postponed.

Secretary-General of Thai Bankers' Association, Tawatchai Yongkittikul says the association has kept a close watch on the red-shirt protest and are assessing any risks to their released loans.

Tawatchai claimed that the situation may lead to problems such as a shortage of cash flow to debtors during the ongoing political turmoil.

Regarding loan approvals, Tawatchai says local commercial banks are taking careful measures before approving loans since the anti-government demonstration began last month.

The number of loans approved in the first quarter was quite high, but it is expected to go down in the second quarter due to political uncertainty.

Meanwhile, Bank of Thailand Deputy Governor Kerk Wanikkul voiced concern that the country's overall monetary system will experience severe effects if the ongoing red-shirt rally continues.

He said many commercial bank branches that are located near the red-shirt rally sites, have been closed, which will lead to damages to the economic system.

However, he added that total damages from the red-shirt protest have not been estimated yet, but the topic will be brought up at the monetary policy committee's meeting for discussion on April 21st.

-- Tan Network 2010-04-06

[newsfooter][/newsfooter]

[gotlost]

And this takes a rocket scientist to figure this out.

[givenall]

And this takes a rocket scientist to figure this out.

Right back at you.

All these will impact everyone in the Red Shirt member in coming month. Nothing going to happen to the rich, as they maintain the power and keep their money

[NamKangMan]

And this takes a rocket scientist to figure this out.

Right back at you.

All these will impact everyone in the Red Shirt member in coming month. Nothing going to happen to the rich, as they maintain the power and keep their money

I disagree.

The Red Shirts have a lot less to lose than the wealthy from the south, and Bangkok (yellow shirts). Generally, most Red Shirts are from Issan, and live off the land (farmers). Basically, these people can live off a cup of boiled rice a day, and, with cash coming in from

Mr.T - they can stay in Bangkok, indefinately, or, rotate the protestors. Most have the son, father, nephew or uncle still running the farm back home in Issan, as the protest continues.

However, the wealthy from Bangkok, and further south, the Thai's that actually qualify for a credit card and/or business/home/condo/car loan, they are going to be hurting. No work, no income. No sales, no profits. No income and/or profit - no credit/loan repayments. That leads to loan defaults and then collections.

It's basically the HAVE's versus THE HAVE NOT's and the have not's, have a lot less to worry about, financially, during this prolonged protest, because they have very minimal financial committments. This is further enhanced with Mr.T chipping in baht for logistics for the protest.

This is not going to go away in a hurry. Thailand needs to deal with this issue now, or history will just repeat itself next election when Mr.T installs a puppet government, under his control, from abroad, when he throws money around for votes up north, AGAIN.

It's about time the wealthy, yellow shirt southerners, treat their less wealthy, red shirt northerners, as fellow Thai's and offer them the same opportunities for success in life as they enjoy in the south.

Edited April 6, 2010 by NamKangMan

[changnaam]

And this takes a rocket scientist to figure this out.

Right back at you.

All these will impact everyone in the Red Shirt member in coming month. Nothing going to happen to the rich, as they maintain the power and keep their money

I disagree.

The Red Shirts have a lot less to lose than the wealthy from the south, and Bangkok (yellow shirts). Generally, most Red Shirts are from Issan, and live off the land (farmers). Basically, these people can live off a cup of boiled rice a day, and, with cash coming in from

Mr.T - they can stay in Bangkok, indefinately, or, rotate the protestors. Most have the son, father, nephew or uncle still running the farm back home in Issan, as the protest continues.

However, the wealthy from Bangkok, and further south, the Thai's that actually qualify for a credit card and/or business/home/condo/car loan, they are going to be hurting. No work, no income. No sales, no profits. No income and/or profit - no credit/loan repayments. That leads to loan defaults and then collections.

It's basically the HAVE's versus THE HAVE NOT's and the have not's, have a lot less to worry about, financially, during this prolonged protest, because they have very minimal financial committments. This is further enhanced with Mr.T chipping in baht for logistics for the protest.

This is not going to go away in a hurry. Thailand needs to deal with this issue now, or history will just repeat itself next election when Mr.T installs a puppet government, under his control, from abroad, when he throws money around for votes up north, AGAIN.

It's about time the wealthy, yellow shirt southerners, treat their less wealthy, red shirt northerners, as fellow Thai's and offer them the same opportunities for success in life as they enjoy in the south.

Do you have any understanding on how other uncivilised and undeveloped nations have developed in the past? Through giving opportunities to those who don't have the privileges?

Education

Healthcare

Welfare

Do you not think the current government have shown their colours and started to put plans in place for the future improvement of the whole nation.

Some people here are showing about as much insight as these "poor" and I mean that in the sense that they are being led up the gardern path rather than in monetary terms. Do you have any idea how a county can move forward?

If the reds win, Thailand WILL go back 10 years and the income in the north will go down and these people will suffer more.

FACT

[Deez]

And this takes a rocket scientist to figure this out.

Right back at you.

All these will impact everyone in the Red Shirt member in coming month. Nothing going to happen to the rich, as they maintain the power and keep their money

I disagree.

The Red Shirts have a lot less to lose than the wealthy from the south, and Bangkok (yellow shirts). Generally, most Red Shirts are from Issan, and live off the land (farmers). Basically, these people can live off a cup of boiled rice a day, and, with cash coming in from

Mr.T - they can stay in Bangkok, indefinately, or, rotate the protestors. Most have the son, father, nephew or uncle still running the farm back home in Issan, as the protest continues.

However, the wealthy from Bangkok, and further south, the Thai's that actually qualify for a credit card and/or business/home/condo/car loan, they are going to be hurting. No work, no income. No sales, no profits. No income and/or profit - no credit/loan repayments. That leads to loan defaults and then collections.

It's basically the HAVE's versus THE HAVE NOT's and the have not's, have a lot less to worry about, financially, during this prolonged protest, because they have very minimal financial committments. This is further enhanced with Mr.T chipping in baht for logistics for the protest.

This is not going to go away in a hurry. Thailand needs to deal with this issue now, or history will just repeat itself next election when Mr.T installs a puppet government, under his control, from abroad, when he throws money around for votes up north, AGAIN.

It's about time the wealthy, yellow shirt southerners, treat their less wealthy, red shirt northerners, as fellow Thai's and offer them the same opportunities for success in life as they enjoy in the south.

Spot on. Couldnt agree more. Give the poor a chance to become "middle class" and all of thailand benefits.

[NamKangMan]

And this takes a rocket scientist to figure this out.

Right back at you.

All these will impact everyone in the Red Shirt member in coming month. Nothing going to happen to the rich, as they maintain the power and keep their money

I disagree.

The Red Shirts have a lot less to lose than the wealthy from the south, and Bangkok (yellow shirts). Generally, most Red Shirts are from Issan, and live off the land (farmers). Basically, these people can live off a cup of boiled rice a day, and, with cash coming in from

Mr.T - they can stay in Bangkok, indefinately, or, rotate the protestors. Most have the son, father, nephew or uncle still running the farm back home in Issan, as the protest continues.

However, the wealthy from Bangkok, and further south, the Thai's that actually qualify for a credit card and/or business/home/condo/car loan, they are going to be hurting. No work, no income. No sales, no profits. No income and/or profit - no credit/loan repayments. That leads to loan defaults and then collections.

It's basically the HAVE's versus THE HAVE NOT's and the have not's, have a lot less to worry about, financially, during this prolonged protest, because they have very minimal financial committments. This is further enhanced with Mr.T chipping in baht for logistics for the protest.

This is not going to go away in a hurry. Thailand needs to deal with this issue now, or history will just repeat itself next election when Mr.T installs a puppet government, under his control, from abroad, when he throws money around for votes up north, AGAIN.

It's about time the wealthy, yellow shirt southerners, treat their less wealthy, red shirt northerners, as fellow Thai's and offer them the same opportunities for success in life as they enjoy in the south.

Do you have any understanding on how other uncivilised and undeveloped nations have developed in the past? Through giving opportunities to those who don't have the privileges?

Education

Healthcare

Welfare

Do you not think the current government have shown their colours and started to put plans in place for the future improvement of the whole nation.

Some people here are showing about as much insight as these "poor" and I mean that in the sense that they are being led up the gardern path rather than in monetary terms. Do you have any idea how a county can move forward?

If the reds win, Thailand WILL go back 10 years and the income in the north will go down and these people will suffer more.

FACT

I can see you are a true capitalist. Have you ever visited the "villages" in Issan???? Have you seen the complete lack of infastructure up there?

Thailand has two, very defined, classes. The wealthy south, and the poorer north. Ever wondered why all the bar girls, cleaners, labourers etc (all the minimum wage jobs) are performed by people from Issan (the north). A lot of the labouring jobs are on construction sites with little or no safety standands, with many lives lost.

Why would a yellow shirt government raise the standard of living in the north? They would lose all that cheap labour and cheap "female adult entertainment" in the tourism industry, most of which is owned by the wealthy southerners.

I favour neither side of politics in Thailand, however, for the same country to have such extreme wealth, and extreme poverty, that's what I am against. The rich are getting richer on the blood, sweat and tears of the northerners.

The two classes were always going to collide, sooner, or later.

In the past, if Thailand offered more equality, and equal opportunity, to the north, they wouldn't have the problem they have now.

Edited April 6, 2010 by NamKangMan

[Thaihog]

The govt. only have themselves to blame at times.

If they had made a better effort of blocking a certain Mr T's satellite feeds and website postings (block tweeter) they could have nipped some the problems from day one. A convicted felon on the run should not be allowed freedom of speech.

[NamKangMan]

The govt. only have themselves to blame at times.

If they had made a better effort of blocking a certain Mr T's satellite feeds and website postings (block tweeter) they could have nipped some the problems from day one. A convicted felon on the run should not be allowed freedom of speech.

Mr.T aside, are you saying the poor northerners shouldn't have a voice and should just continue to "cop it sweet" like they have been for years????

[Teddy3943]

Slowly but shurely Thailand is turning into an anarchistic state.

The country runs on divided powers, not managed by a central power which controls the general behavior of the Thai society. More and more I see around me behavior of people neglecting the law. Many institutes and individuals create there own kingdom in which they do what they like. The central government is not the manager, but the follower of processes which take place. Police and army show very reluctant behavior and sometimes a rejecting attitude. The "Old boys network" of powerful tycoons and politicians have things done their own way. Local politicians and high officers don't execute or delay central directions and guidelines. And there is no sharp investigating press to reveal all this misbehaving.

In an atmosphere like this it is well understood that the present behavior of the red-group and past behavior of the yellow-group can develope to gigantic damaging proportions without any interference by the government, who should be in power. If this government is unable to interfere and brings an end to the increasing madness of this red-group then this government creates an even better atmosphere for anarchistic behavior. All next governments will have more problems to keep peace and welfare for this beatyful country.

[khunjamespittman]

The govt. only have themselves to blame at times.

If they had made a better effort of blocking a certain Mr T's satellite feeds and website postings (block tweeter) they could have nipped some the problems from day one. A convicted felon on the run should not be allowed freedom of speech.

You can not help solve Thailand's problems if your major goal is to solve your personal problems.

Get over your personal hatred and work to find an acceptable solution for all segments of the Thailand population.

How about some trying to emulate some successful parlimentary governments for a beginning.

[jazzbo]

Anybody who wants to use the the generalization 'poor' NE Isaan should take a visit to the new Central Plaza in Khon Kaen.

[yoshiwara]

I can see you are a true capitalist. Have you ever visited the "villages" in Issan???? Have you seen the complete lack of infastructure up there?

Thailand has two, very defined, classes. The wealthy south, and the poorer north. Ever wondered why all the bar girls, cleaners, labourers etc (all the minimum wage jobs) are performed by people from Issan (the north). A lot of the labouring jobs are on construction sites with little or no safety standands, with many lives lost.

Why would a yellow shirt government raise the standard of living in the north? They would lose all that cheap labour and cheap "female adult entertainment" in the tourism industry, most of which is owned by the wealthy southerners.

I favour neither side of politics in Thailand, however, for the same country to have such extreme wealth, and extreme poverty, that's what I am against. The rich are getting richer on the blood, sweat and tears of the northerners.

The two classes were always going to collide, sooner, or later.

In the past, if Thailand offered more equality, and equal opportunity, to the north, they wouldn't have the problem they have now.

Clearly you have no understanding of the meaning of the term 'class'

Red apologists want to confuse region with class so they can excuse the northern landowners who support Thaksin.

And oppose the southern working class who don't.

the current situation is not a collision of classes as classes.

Do you see any strikes or class demands?

No.

What you do see is paid for elements of the unemployed and lumpens demonstrating to action Thaksin's plan to seize army control, a target which he tried once before and failed.

Don't be so naive.

[seanocasey]

And this takes a rocket scientist to figure this out.

it is as it it is sad to say I have witnessed this in Thailand,

Everybody invents facts, comments on facts, disfigures facts; everybody worms his way into the councils and cabinets of ministers, into the secrets of the courts; everybody pumps the ambassadors, disposes of war and peace, and stirs up and misleads public opinion, which is so eager for news and for lies, especially in Thailand, that the more a man deceives it the more he is believed. And this scandalous influence is exerted not only by that crowd of adventurers known as speculators: even the stockbrokers, who are debarred from speculating on their own account, abuse their positions and make deals for their own profit. Often they act against the interests of those they call their clients. If for no other motive but the good of public morality, this abuse must be stopped; and there are many other motives. The rights of freedom cease where abuses begin.

[siampolee]

[/code[b]The Red Shirts have a lot less to lose than the wealthy from the south, and Bangkok (yellow shirts). Generally, most Red Shirts are from Issan, and live off the land (farmers). Basically, these people can live off a cup of boiled rice a day, and, with cash coming in from Mr.T - they can stay in Bangkok, indefinately, or, rotate the protestors. Most have the son, father, nephew or uncle still running the farm back home in Issan, as the protest continues. [/b]

Rather a sweeping comment to the point of pomposity.

I spend a fair part of my time in Surin province and I assure that ''These people'' as you so delightfully term them actually live on far more than ''a cup of boiled rice a day."

Many of them in fact the greater majority do not like Thaksin or are indeed pro Red Shirt Brigade people either, many of them do not have family working in Bangkok, the agricultural community is the main employer.

Strange as it may seem these people actually sell their produce and hence have the finance to buy farm equipment and hire such equipment as they may need at special times.

They pool their labour and assist each other, why they even have electricity, telephones , televisions and believe it or not schools. There are the large retail outlets in most cities and major towns, there is a medical system with doctors and nurses dentists too. Ye gods these people are actually civilised.

They also have a deep distrust of foreigners who seem to think that the Isaan people are some sort of freak show.They also have little or no interest in the activities of ''city folk'' as well. Surprisingly there are also a rather large amount of well to do people in the Isaan region, never classify a person by birth , dress or occupation you may well be and often are wrong in your assumption.

Perhaps if the person who wrote the comment #4 got in touch with reality by climbing out of their insulated lifestyle to see what life is like in the northern regions of Thailand they may well get a pleasant surprise, believe you me the lifestyle beats the rat race of Bangkok as the laid back lifestyle shows.

Edited April 6, 2010 by siampolee

[BKKJohn]

When Thanksin's people won their third election and Samak became PM, I asked a friend's Thai gilfriend (originally from Chainat but a Bangkokian for many years) who she voted for, and why. She said she voted for Samak's party because they were "real Thai". She didn't like the Democrats because they "were supported by the Muslims, not real Thais."

Here in Pathum Thani, some vendors have been closing their stands to attend the rally downtown. Nobody is paying them.

[otherstuff1957]

You can not help solve Thailand's problems if your major goal is to solve your personal problems.

Get over your personal hatred and work to find an acceptable solution for all segments of the Thailand population.

How about some trying to emulate some successful parlimentary governments for a beginning.

If this post were addressed to Thaksin, I would agree with it 100%.

[Neurath]

I can see you are a true capitalist. Have you ever visited the "villages" in Issan???? Have you seen the complete lack of infastructure up there?

Thailand has two, very defined, classes. The wealthy south, and the poorer north. Ever wondered why all the bar girls, cleaners, labourers etc (all the minimum wage jobs) are performed by people from Issan (the north). A lot of the labouring jobs are on construction sites with little or no safety standands, with many lives lost.

Why would a yellow shirt government raise the standard of living in the north? They would lose all that cheap labour and cheap "female adult entertainment" in the tourism industry, most of which is owned by the wealthy southerners.

I favour neither side of politics in Thailand, however, for the same country to have such extreme wealth, and extreme poverty, that's what I am against. The rich are getting richer on the blood, sweat and tears of the northerners.

The two classes were always going to collide, sooner, or later.

In the past, if Thailand offered more equality, and equal opportunity, to the north, they wouldn't have the problem they have now.

Clearly you have no understanding of the meaning of the term 'class'

Red apologists want to confuse region with class so they can excuse the northern landowners who support Thaksin.

And oppose the southern working class who don't.

the current situation is not a collision of classes as classes.

Do you see any strikes or class demands?

No.

What you do see is paid for elements of the unemployed and lumpens demonstrating to action Thaksin's plan to seize army control, a target which he tried once before and failed.

Don't be so naive.

"the current situation is not a collision of classes as classes."

Now that is a very useful phrase in the current circumstances. Of course Mor Weng and others are doing all they can to make a collision of classes as classes. However, to use a favorite phrase of the dialectician, the attempt is riddled and rotted with contradiction.

[invex]

This government is so weak... of course, because half of them are still good friends to Mr.Takki. This government will wait until Thai people starts to kill each other. Then, only then, they will say, we are not to blame, we did everything we could to end the protests in a non-violent way.

This has NOTHING to do with poor/rich but all with the money/power of Takki. Unfortunately these "poor" see not clear because they are PAID to do what they do. They cannot go home as the leaders took their ID's and refuses to give it back. While on the streets in the heat, there leaders flying around in private jets from one exotic hotel to another. The other leaders, while not on stage, stay at their suites at on of the best hotels in Bangkok (Hyatt Regency). On stage and from abroad they tell the "poor" how they feel with them and are part of them.

Get real, this is just pathetic and shame full for those paid sheep's whom not want to think for one minute about what they are doing. They just, brainwashed, keep on following the most ridiculous "orders" from the perverts and asking for their 'salary"

Shame shame to all. The "poor", the "rich" the government, the farang media not telling the truth.

[Xonax]

Spot on. Couldnt agree more. Give the poor a chance to become "middle class" and all of thailand benefits.

To have a middle class, it requires to have both an upper-class and a lower-class as well! If the poor people from the north should now be the middle-class, who should then be the new lower-class?

[Thanh-BKK]

Hi.

Why not do away with all that "class" BS together? Why not have a one-class society? A good person to start with would be Thaksin himself, lover of democracy and representative of the poor (and multi-billionaire to boot).

Take away ALL his money and re-distribute it evenly to the farmers in the north and north-east. He himself can come back and get farming, too.

However problem is that he wouldn't know how to live an honest person's life, without private jet, chauffeur-driven Benz and 5-star accomodation. His view of democracy is "me first, then my wallet, then my bank account and then nothing else". Thaksin himself should be made directly responsible for all monetary damages to the shopping malls respectively the people that run the smaller shops inside who, no doubt, still have to pay a full month's rent but losing day after day of income (including one "first weekend of the month" which is the highest income period in any given month for shop keepers). And the rent at such places is NOT cheap! They should be re-imbursed straight from Thaksin's account, because it is Thaksin who commands and controls the crowd outside.

Best regards.....

Thanh

[Jonathanpattaya]

This is hardly a surprise, is it?

[changnaam]

If the reds win, Thailand WILL go back 10 years and the income in the north will go down and these people will suffer more.

FACT

I can see you are a true capitalist. Have you ever visited the "villages" in Issan???? Have you seen the complete lack of infastructure up there?

Thailand has two, very defined, classes. The wealthy south, and the poorer north. Ever wondered why all the bar girls, cleaners, labourers etc (all the minimum wage jobs) are performed by people from Issan (the north). A lot of the labouring jobs are on construction sites with little or no safety standands, with many lives lost.

Why would a yellow shirt government raise the standard of living in the north? They would lose all that cheap labour and cheap "female adult entertainment" in the tourism industry, most of which is owned by the wealthy southerners.

I favour neither side of politics in Thailand, however, for the same country to have such extreme wealth, and extreme poverty, that's what I am against. The rich are getting richer on the blood, sweat and tears of the northerners.

The two classes were always going to collide, sooner, or later.

In the past, if Thailand offered more equality, and equal opportunity, to the north, they wouldn't have the problem they have now.

In response to your questions:

i) I have spent a fair amount of time in Issan. My better half is from Issan and her family are definitely at the bottom of your class system so I see it first hand. What I do see is the amount of large companies and facilities which are growing there. How many jobs do you think Tesco Lotus / Big C et al have created in the region?

ii) Do you really not see more equality and equal opportunity coming in the North? From my understanding the current govt have started putting new plans in place to address this. It has to start somewhere and saying if x hadn't happened before you would not have y now. past cannot be changed.

[Nuchanart]

What damage?

Please look at Thai stock market www.set.or.th

The more violence, the higher it climb.

The more disrubtion, the faster it climb.

This must have hurt the Bahts.

[anotherpeter]

What damage?

Please look at Thai stock market www.set.or.th

The more violence, the higher it climb.

The more disrubtion, the faster it climb.

This must have hurt the Bahts.

"monetary damages from a prolonged Red-Shirt rally at the Ratchaprasong commercial area"

Are you suggesting that none of the department stores and smaller stores in the Ratchaprasong area have not been damaged?

[OzMick]

Heading back north tomorrow, and don't expect to see much change. Last year, same time was in Tesco, Sakhon Nakhon. Every checkout running hot with at least 5 min wait. Gf's family bin was close to B10,000 of which I contributed B4,000 only, and this was before we hit the bottle shop.

Family's standard of living appeared average for area; pick up, multiple bikes, housing a bit rougher than I'm used to but adeqate and being improved. If I tried to lift gf's mother I'd end up with a hernia, amazing really when she lives on a cup of rice per day. Must be the luxury fish sauce.

Try to take the heart-string tugging rhetoric with a pinch of reality.

[moresomekl]

That Thaksin has done good things for the upcountry people after 50 years of neglect is undeniable .

What has THailand done to the poors that they are willing to follow a billionaire of murky morality ?

But then that Thaksin was the first does not mean he is the only one .

Things might never be the same in Thailand as before , most probably they wont

the pandora box is open .

But then why there cant be any honest leaders which implement good policies for all thais

minus the corruption , abuse of power , and violation of human rights ?

Good leaders that do travel upcountry to discuss the problems

[earthpig]

"Why would a yellow shirt government raise the standard of living in the north? They would lose all that cheap labour and cheap "female adult entertainment" in the tourism industry, most of which is owned by the wealthy southerners.

I favour neither side of politics in Thailand, however, for the same country to have such extreme wealth, and extreme poverty, that's what I am against. The rich are getting richer on the blood, sweat and tears of the northerners.

The two classes were always going to collide, sooner, or later.

In the past, if Thailand offered more equality, and equal opportunity, to the north, they wouldn't have the problem they have now."

[anotherpeter]

"Why would a yellow shirt government raise the standard of living in the north? They would lose all that cheap labour and cheap "female adult entertainment" in the tourism industry, most of which is owned by the wealthy southerners.

I favour neither side of politics in Thailand, however, for the same country to have such extreme wealth, and extreme poverty, that's what I am against. The rich are getting richer on the blood, sweat and tears of the northerners.

The two classes were always going to collide, sooner, or later.

In the past, if Thailand offered more equality, and equal opportunity, to the north, they wouldn't have the problem they have now."

I don't think you can really separate the rich/poor by bangkok/north.

There are plenty of rich people in the north getting richer by exploiting the poor. Maybe the poor need to look in their own backyards before they come to Bangkok.

[shawndoc]

This idea of a huge disparity between the rich and the poor in Thailand isn't backed up by the facts. Thailand has a Gini index of 43 which is better than America's 45. So in other words, wealth is more evenly distributed in Thailand than it is in the United States.

Source:

https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/th...&rank=51#th

So could it be better? Sure. But its much better than most African or South American countries, and even better than the US.