Turnover is vanity, profit is sanity.

Strikes me that Thailand is increasingly reliant on GDP growth via high turnover industries while big employment/profit sectors like agriculture and tourism are failing badly. Dare say a few are profiting greatly while the rank and file continue to suffer. At least in other countries the poor can be consoled with decent social welfare. They'll be out on the streets again soon for sure.

It does pain me to see hard working people so terribly let down.

America is in the same situation, it's just on a much larger scale. there are only 3 companies that own and run everything.

It just strikes me as a very dangerous situation. Attention is now being paid to it in the Thai media, and the Chancellor has stated that something has to be done. But it strikes me that there are now in effect millions of people being made unemployed or on severely curtailed wages in a country that has a poor social welfare system, and price inflation. Meanwhile we visin;ly see a select bunch getting richer and richer and creating pollution too. It's surely a recipe for disaster. In this situation, there will sooner or later be a trigger point for mass riots, a trigger point could be a rice shortage for instance.

Tourism contributes 10.4% of jobs in Thailand and is 13.9 % of GDP according to the World Travel & Tourism Council

http://www.wttc.org/eng/Tourism_Research/Economic_Research/Country_Reports/Thailand/

According the US State dept Fact sheet, agriculture is 8.2% of the GDP and yet roughly 40% of the labor force is in agriculture.

Industry and manufacturing contribute 44% of the GDP and employ 14%.

This information has been gleaned from sources such as the World Bank, the US State dept and the above mentioned travel and tourism council.

Tourism contributes 10.4% of jobs in Thailand and is 13.9 % of GDP according to the World Travel & Tourism Council

http://www.wttc.org/...ports/Thailand/

According the US State dept Fact sheet, agriculture is 8.2% of the GDP and yet roughly 40% of the labor force is in agriculture.

Industry and manufacturing contribute 44% of the GDP and employ 14%.

This information has been gleaned from sources such as the World Bank, the US State dept and the above mentioned travel and tourism council.

Which supports the basis of my argument, right?

while big employment/profit sectors like agriculture and tourism are failing badly.

Well, if you cut out the part about tourism being a high employment sector and the bit about agriculture being a high profit sector then I guess you are right.....

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while big employment/profit sectors like agriculture and tourism are failing badly.

<br><br><br>Well, if you cut out the part about tourism being a high employment sector and the bit about agriculture being a high profit sector then I guess you are right.....<br>

<br><br>No. I don't quite understand the point you are making at all, any chance of an explanation?<br>

Thailand is like other third world countries slowly on its way towards democracy and better social coverage of its people. This will take many years before a satisfactory level is reached. A good thing is they have free medicine. This has removed one of the biggest problems for the poor. Before illness in a poor family really brought them severe problems, and the only way to pay the medic bills was to borrow money at sky high interest rates at the money lenders.

Well, you claim tourism and agriculture are high employment/high profit sectors. 10% is not high, IMO. 8.2%% is not high. So, I guess I don't understand your point.

Yes manufacture is polluting, esp in 3rd world countries, which is why the big manufacturers move to these kinds of countries, the laws are more lax and the labor is cheap. Way back when it was the same in the UK and the US. Its the nature of the beast. They will move on as Thailand becomes more stringent and labor prices climb as the populace becomes more skilled and educated.

while big employment/profit sectors like agriculture and tourism are failing badly.

Well, if you cut out the part about tourism being a high employment sector and the bit about agriculture being a high profit sector then I guess you are right.....

America is in the same situation, it's just on a much larger scale. there are only 3 companies that own and run everything.

Care to list them?

Well, you claim tourism and agriculture are high employment/high profit sectors. 10% is not high, IMO. 8.2%% is not high. So, I guess I don't understand your point.

Yes manufacture is polluting, esp in 3rd world countries, which is why the big manufacturers move to these kinds of countries, the laws are more lax and the labor is cheap. Way back when it was the same in the UK and the US. Its the nature of the beast. They will move on as Thailand becomes more stringent and labor prices climb as the populace becomes more skilled and educated.

I assume no one doubts there is a crisis amongst the poor and a great disparity of wealth distribution.

I think I was saying/asking whether- Thailand is in the grips of socio-economic crisis, whereby the poor of the country are suffering considerably from the decline in agriculture and tourism. And that the growth in manuafacturing flatters to deceive as it appears not to be offsetting the problems in terms of profit/employment.

In many ways the figures posted really prove this, I suppose it's a question of interpretation.

I think sbk that you do not appear to underestimate the scale of the problem completely.

Sorry to have a go at you again sbk especially if I am wrong, but GDP is like turnover (not profit), and that was the initial reason for my title too.

while big employment/profit sectors like agriculture and tourism are failing badly.

Well, if you cut out the part about tourism being a high employment sector and the bit about agriculture being a high profit sector then I guess you are right.....

Oh shut up Heng, for a start it misses the point completely, and you of all posters having a go!

while big employment/profit sectors like agriculture and tourism are failing badly.

Well, if you cut out the part about tourism being a high employment sector and the bit about agriculture being a high profit sector then I guess you are right.....

Oh shut up Heng, for a start it misses the point completely, and you of all posters having a go!

Nah, I think I'll continue to LOL when someone makes a funny comment like that.

*so you're agreeing with me?*

**yeah pretty much, just not your two main points.**

*okay!*

Whatever do you mean me of all posters?

I don't see that there was anything in my posting that in any way deserved ridicule! And it was a crass attack by sbk that completely derailed the argument, I don't know what gets in to people!

Do you seriously expect a pat on the back from me then for having a good laugh at my expense then. for no good reason too.

I don't like being set up for a fool. Who does?

I think sbk that you do not appear to underestimate the scale of the problem completely.

Who is setting up whom?

I think sbk that you do not appear to underestimate the scale of the problem completely.

Who is setting up whom?

Is this about one small typo error?

Why did you make this posting?

Anything constructive to say about the posting- serious subject!

I don't see that there was anything in my posting that in any way deserved ridicule! And it was a crass attack by sbk that completely derailed the argument, I don't know what gets in to people!

Do you seriously expect a pat on the back from me then for having a good laugh at my expense then. for no good reason too.

I don't like being set up for a fool. Who does?

No ridicule involved, just a good hearty chuckle.

SBK hardly made a 'crass' attack either. She simply stated a few issues that weren't congruent to your original thesis.

It's amusing that you presumably wanted to originally talk economics but apparently couldn't comprehend a few basic figures thrown on the table.

As for your response to Mahtin, I think that deserves a as well. You set yourself up from the beginning and you hardly made a 'typo,' more like a few multiple 'post-po's