Pheu Thai Reveals Populist Campaign Platform

[webfact]

OPPOSITION

Pheu Thai reveals populist campaign platform

By The Nation

The opposition Pheu Thai Party yesterday unveiled its campaign platform highlighting its past success with populist measures and promising to reinforce its populist strengths to ensure people's dreams come true.

"Unlike the populist policies pushed by the Democrats, Pheu Thai will not rely on borrowing to finance the handouts but gear up to improve people's incomes," policy architect Suchart Thadathamrongvej said.

If it wins the mandate to form the next coalition government, Pheu Thai will strive to hike the minimum wage to Bt300 a day and guarantee a starting salary of Bt15,000 a month for university graduates.

Within six months of taking office, voters will see a drop in the cost of living. The following six months will have the government churning out policies designed to raise incomes.

To break the debt cycle, there will be a five-year moratorium on loans under Bt500,000, while farmers will enjoy a 10-year suspension of loan payments.

The Pheu Thai government would set up a people's bank specialising in solving problems related to non-bank loans.

Among the income-enhancement measures are a cut in the loan interest rate, promotion of smalle and medium-sized enterprises, a boost in tourism earnings, and a debt workout for teachers.

Under Pheu Thai's leadership, the economy is projected to expand at 9 per cent a year.

Tourism is expected to be a main vehicle for earnings growth and Pheu Thai will advocate an open-skies policy to bring in more visitors.

The prime minister dares not call an early election because the Democrats know they cannot compete with Pheu Thai's platform, Suchart said.

-- The Nation 2010-12-22

[teetersb]

<deleted>??

The Pheu Thai government would set up a people's bank specialising in solving problems related to non-bank loans.

I thought the current government is implementing this now!

Under Pheu Thai's leadership, the economy is projected to expand at 9 per cent a year.

9%/yr ! Really?! How?

[siampolee]

Suchart Thadathamrongvej.

If it wins the mandate to form the next coalition government, Pheu Thai will strive to hike the minimum wage to Bt300 a day and guarantee a starting salary of Bt15,000 a month for university graduates.

I seem to remember hearing that those people with the money opposed the recent wage hike, many of those self same people are funding the Pheu Thai party

Within six months of taking office, voters will see a drop in the cost of living. The following six months will have the government churning out policies designed to raise incomes.

Strange that the policies announced need to be formulated to actually be ready to implement.

The Pheu Thai government would set up a people's bank specialising in solving problems related to non-bank loans.

Why do they need a new bank , surely the Government Savings Bank could deal with the above problems?

Under Pheu Thai's leadership, the economy is projected to expand at 9 per cent a year.

These Pheu Thai advisers should indeed be running the worlds economic affairs

Tourism is expected to be a main vehicle for earnings growth and Pheu Thai will advocate an open-skies policy to bring in more visitors.

Ah, now we see the truth of the matter, it is a case of fleece all foreign tourists to finance the coming disaster

The prime minister dares not call an early election because the Democrats know they cannot compete with Pheu Thai's platform, Suchart said.

Any sane and sensible person will realise that no government would like to ''win'' an election using these policies.

One does indeed wonder if Suchart Thadathamrongvej.is taking what he shouldn't be taking, or not taking what he should be taking

[asiawatcher]

There isn't a single shred of ability for any of these policies to work - populist? - try insanity! PTP have no idea of fiscal responsibility and are just sprouting off to their (sadly) low end educated supporters who do not know the difference. This is all vote grabbing and no substance to be able to pay for any of it. Maybe Khun Korn should respond to the actual viability and reality of these 'claims'.

[jonclark]

My own personal favourite is this .."..... while farmers will enjoy a 10-year suspension of loan payments."

Which in theory sounds just dandy, if, and only if the 10 year suspension is interest free, other wise the poor farmer will have a large debt accruing interest for ten years and then could be hit with a much larger debt, if you calculate in inflation and interest.

'Populist policies' seems to be translation for 'free stuff' and unfortunatly nothing in life is free - who is going to pay for this and how on earth does PTP intend to garantee a 15'000 baht minimum wage (which is a fair wage IMHO) for uni graduates in the private sector?? Or is it only for public sector uni graduates Is PTP going to tell private industry how to structure its' pay scale?? Who will enforce this??

A lot of spin with very little substance how will this free stuff be financed?? Answers please PTP?? Or is the answer Tourism - If only life were so simple.

Edited December 22, 2010 by jonclark

[Emptyset]

There isn't a single shred of ability for any of these policies to work - populist? - try insanity! PTP have no idea of fiscal responsibility and are just sprouting off to their (sadly) low end educated supporters who do not know the difference. This is all vote grabbing and no substance to be able to pay for any of it. Maybe Khun Korn should respond to the actual viability and reality of these 'claims'.

Maybe Khun Korn should work out how to pay for his own schemes first.

[AleG]

I think we already have an idea of how much the Red Shirts/PTP care about boosting tourism.

They should also promise a pony for everyone.

[hyperdimension]

Yes, the big question is where the money is going to come from... surely not Thaksin.

Raising minimum wages reduces the profits of businesses, which would hurt businesses with already low profit margins, leading to job losses or business closures.

I wonder how much research and analysis went into coming up with the numbers 300, 15000... they seem to have been plucked out of the air.

[jdinasia]

To break the debt cycle, there will be a five-year moratorium on loans under Bt500,000, while farmers will enjoy a 10-year suspension of loan payments.

In other words ---- our friends are loan sharks and since there will be no way for you to get a short term loan from the banks or the government to cover the incidentals of your children going to school. They will either have to drop-out, or you will have to use the loan sharks. (It works for the leaders of the opposition to have a large number of poorly educated people relying on their largesse!)

[jdinasia]

Yes, the big question is where the money is going to come from... surely not Thaksin.

Raising minimum wages reduces the profits of businesses, which would hurt businesses with already low profit margins, leading to job losses or business closures.

I wonder how much research and analysis went into coming up with the numbers 300, 15000... they seem to have been plucked out of the air.

Roughly I am pretty sure they WERE plucked out of the air. If you look at GDP for the past 10 years and adjust it for inflation, the GDP went up 50% whilst wages went up approximately 2%. The new minimum wages were announced by the government last week so to be practical as a vote garnering scheme the PTP must (and i mean MUST) come in way over the top on it. Minimum wages must go up at least in line with the cost of living, but remember MANY of the PTP followers don't even make minimum wage. The debt relief for farmers is simply going to create the situation that works best for PTP. No loan payments = more money to spend = more debt = more need for PTP. It is simply the patronage system that the reds decry but certainly love when it goes into their pockets.

I am sure the Finance Minister will explain how none of these guarantees will be able to be put into practice. I am also sure that PTP will attempt to call the explanations "partisan."

[jayboy]

Maybe Khun Korn should respond to the actual viability and reality of these 'claims'.

Well perhaps that would be problematic given that he is energetically promoting very similar programmes - and for the same reasons.

[Emptyset]

Yes, the big question is where the money is going to come from... surely not Thaksin.

Raising minimum wages reduces the profits of businesses, which would hurt businesses with already low profit margins, leading to job losses or business closures.

I wonder how much research and analysis went into coming up with the numbers 300, 15000... they seem to have been plucked out of the air.

Roughly I am pretty sure they WERE plucked out of the air. If you look at GDP for the past 10 years and adjust it for inflation, the GDP went up 50% whilst wages went up approximately 2%. The new minimum wages were announced by the government last week so to be practical as a vote garnering scheme the PTP must (and i mean MUST) come in way over the top on it. Minimum wages must go up at least in line with the cost of living, but remember MANY of the PTP followers don't even make minimum wage. The debt relief for farmers is simply going to create the situation that works best for PTP. No loan payments = more money to spend = more debt = more need for PTP. It is simply the patronage system that the reds decry but certainly love when it goes into their pockets.

I am sure the Finance Minister will explain how none of these guarantees will be able to be put into practice. I am also sure that PTP will attempt to call the explanations "partisan."

Yeah, but has the Finance Minister explained how he's going to pay for his own populist programs? Public debt according to Abhisit is set to rise to 59% to GDP by 2012 and he said that before these policies were announced. It was 41% when Thaksin left office. And how are his programs not "patronage" if PT's are? I've seen a lot about new types of taxes the past few years, but I read the other day that tax revenues are lower than they were five or six years ago. Not sure if that's true and I can't find the source now, but getting people to pay their existing taxes is probably more crucial than thinking up new taxes. Also, when your current social welfare schemes are underfunded (see the thread about public hospitals), should you really be adding more schemes without making clear where the money's going to come from?

Anyway, raising the minimum wage is a good idea, of course. Like you say, I'm not sure how it can be enforced when many don't earn the current minimum. But there's no reason why 7-Eleven and the likes shouldn't be paying more. Also, you say freezing their repayments will increase their debt? How so?

[jdinasia]

Yes, the big question is where the money is going to come from... surely not Thaksin.

Raising minimum wages reduces the profits of businesses, which would hurt businesses with already low profit margins, leading to job losses or business closures.

I wonder how much research and analysis went into coming up with the numbers 300, 15000... they seem to have been plucked out of the air.

Roughly I am pretty sure they WERE plucked out of the air. If you look at GDP for the past 10 years and adjust it for inflation, the GDP went up 50% whilst wages went up approximately 2%. The new minimum wages were announced by the government last week so to be practical as a vote garnering scheme the PTP must (and i mean MUST) come in way over the top on it. Minimum wages must go up at least in line with the cost of living, but remember MANY of the PTP followers don't even make minimum wage. The debt relief for farmers is simply going to create the situation that works best for PTP. No loan payments = more money to spend = more debt = more need for PTP. It is simply the patronage system that the reds decry but certainly love when it goes into their pockets.

I am sure the Finance Minister will explain how none of these guarantees will be able to be put into practice. I am also sure that PTP will attempt to call the explanations "partisan."

Yeah, but has the Finance Minister explained how he's going to pay for his own populist programs? Public debt according to Abhisit is set to rise to 59% to GDP by 2012 and he said that before these policies were announced. It was 41% when Thaksin left office. And how are his programs not "patronage" if PT's are? I've seen a lot about new types of taxes the past few years, but I read the other day that tax revenues are lower than they were five or six years ago. Not sure if that's true and I can't find the source now, but getting people to pay their existing taxes is probably more crucial than thinking up new taxes. Also, when your current social welfare schemes are underfunded (see the thread about public hospitals), should you really be adding more schemes without making clear where the money's going to come from?

Anyway, raising the minimum wage is a good idea, of course. Like you say, I'm not sure how it can be enforced when many don't earn the current minimum. But there's no reason why 7-Eleven and the likes shouldn't be paying more. Also, you say freezing their repayments will increase their debt? How so?

Freeing up cash that should actually be used (at least in part) to service debt allows for "more of the same" that occurred under Thaksin. (Debt relief for farmers is the continuation of that scheme) It allows for purchases of unneeded (not unwanted) materialistic things. (Free up 800 baht a month via debt relief and suddenly there is a new motorcycle at the house and more debt ....)

When Thaksin left office the world wasn't in a global recession. You will have to show me where it says tax income is lower now than in the past. Taxing unused land amongst other taxes devised by the Dems, hits folks who hold large tracts of undeveloped land (the people that many on the board choose to call "elite".)

How are these programs not "patronage" when Thaksin's clearly were? These programs work for all Thais and not just a select group in Isaan and the North.

[Cuchulainn]

Someone had blunder'd:

Theirs not to make reply,

Theirs not to reason why,

Theirs but to do and die:

Into the valley of greed, lies and deceit

Rode the PTP fodder.

Apologies to Alfred, Lord Tennyson.

[Emptyset]

Yes, the big question is where the money is going to come from... surely not Thaksin.

Raising minimum wages reduces the profits of businesses, which would hurt businesses with already low profit margins, leading to job losses or business closures.

I wonder how much research and analysis went into coming up with the numbers 300, 15000... they seem to have been plucked out of the air.

Roughly I am pretty sure they WERE plucked out of the air. If you look at GDP for the past 10 years and adjust it for inflation, the GDP went up 50% whilst wages went up approximately 2%. The new minimum wages were announced by the government last week so to be practical as a vote garnering scheme the PTP must (and i mean MUST) come in way over the top on it. Minimum wages must go up at least in line with the cost of living, but remember MANY of the PTP followers don't even make minimum wage. The debt relief for farmers is simply going to create the situation that works best for PTP. No loan payments = more money to spend = more debt = more need for PTP. It is simply the patronage system that the reds decry but certainly love when it goes into their pockets.

I am sure the Finance Minister will explain how none of these guarantees will be able to be put into practice. I am also sure that PTP will attempt to call the explanations "partisan."

Yeah, but has the Finance Minister explained how he's going to pay for his own populist programs? Public debt according to Abhisit is set to rise to 59% to GDP by 2012 and he said that before these policies were announced. It was 41% when Thaksin left office. And how are his programs not "patronage" if PT's are? I've seen a lot about new types of taxes the past few years, but I read the other day that tax revenues are lower than they were five or six years ago. Not sure if that's true and I can't find the source now, but getting people to pay their existing taxes is probably more crucial than thinking up new taxes. Also, when your current social welfare schemes are underfunded (see the thread about public hospitals), should you really be adding more schemes without making clear where the money's going to come from?

Anyway, raising the minimum wage is a good idea, of course. Like you say, I'm not sure how it can be enforced when many don't earn the current minimum. But there's no reason why 7-Eleven and the likes shouldn't be paying more. Also, you say freezing their repayments will increase their debt? How so?

Freeing up cash that should actually be used (at least in part) to service debt allows for "more of the same" that occurred under Thaksin. (Debt relief for farmers is the continuation of that scheme) It allows for purchases of unneeded (not unwanted) materialistic things. (Free up 800 baht a month via debt relief and suddenly there is a new motorcycle at the house and more debt ....)

When Thaksin left office the world wasn't in a global recession. You will have to show me where it says tax income is lower now than in the past. Taxing unused land amongst other taxes devised by the Dems, hits folks who hold large tracts of undeveloped land (the people that many on the board choose to call "elite".)

How are these programs not "patronage" when Thaksin's clearly were? These programs work for all Thais and not just a select group in Isaan and the North.

We don't know if these programs work yet or who they'll work for. It sounds good on paper though. The scheme in practice will give people greater access to micro-credit, I fail to see how that works any differently (or is any better) than freezing their debts. Many take loans to pay the loan that they already have off. Anyway, I'll have a look for the source for tax revenues, but if it's true, it's probably due to the downturn more than anything else.

Korn's land tax idea is a good one, but has it been implemented yet? I said these ideas have been discussed a lot in the past few years, but little seems to have been done in practice. I mean Surapong - PPP's finance minister had a similar plan: http://bangkokpundit.blogspot.com/2008/08/tax-reform-part-deux.html

[hoaker]

ALL TALK!!!!

[rubl]

We don't know if these programs work yet or who they'll work for. It sounds good on paper though. The scheme in practice will give people greater access to micro-credit, I fail to see how that works any differently (or is any better) than freezing their debts. Many take loans to pay the loan that they already have off. Anyway, I'll have a look for the source for tax revenues, but if it's true, it's probably due to the downturn more than anything else.

Korn's land tax idea is a good one, but has it been implemented yet? I said these ideas have been discussed a lot in the past few years, but little seems to have been done in practice. I mean Surapong - PPP's finance minister had a similar plan: http://bangkokpundit.blogspot.com/2008/08/tax-reform-part-deux.html

A bit more recent on the 'land tax' (August 2010):

[Emptyset]

We don't know if these programs work yet or who they'll work for. It sounds good on paper though. The scheme in practice will give people greater access to micro-credit, I fail to see how that works any differently (or is any better) than freezing their debts. Many take loans to pay the loan that they already have off. Anyway, I'll have a look for the source for tax revenues, but if it's true, it's probably due to the downturn more than anything else.

Korn's land tax idea is a good one, but has it been implemented yet? I said these ideas have been discussed a lot in the past few years, but little seems to have been done in practice. I mean Surapong - PPP's finance minister had a similar plan: http://bangkokpundit...-part-deux.html

A bit more recent on the 'land tax' (August 2010):

http://www.thaivisa....-land-tax-laws/

Excellent, thanks.

[rubl]

We don't know if these programs work yet or who they'll work for. It sounds good on paper though. The scheme in practice will give people greater access to micro-credit, I fail to see how that works any differently (or is any better) than freezing their debts. Many take loans to pay the loan that they already have off. Anyway, I'll have a look for the source for tax revenues, but if it's true, it's probably due to the downturn more than anything else.

Korn's land tax idea is a good one, but has it been implemented yet? I said these ideas have been discussed a lot in the past few years, but little seems to have been done in practice. I mean Surapong - PPP's finance minister had a similar plan: http://bangkokpundit...-part-deux.html

A bit more recent on the 'land tax' (August 2010):

http://www.thaivisa....-land-tax-laws/

Excellent, thanks.

As for tax revenues, check the official source

http://www2.mof.go.th/index.php

Mind you, personally I find such data indigestible, from whatever country them come

[Emptyset]

We don't know if these programs work yet or who they'll work for. It sounds good on paper though. The scheme in practice will give people greater access to micro-credit, I fail to see how that works any differently (or is any better) than freezing their debts. Many take loans to pay the loan that they already have off. Anyway, I'll have a look for the source for tax revenues, but if it's true, it's probably due to the downturn more than anything else.

Korn's land tax idea is a good one, but has it been implemented yet? I said these ideas have been discussed a lot in the past few years, but little seems to have been done in practice. I mean Surapong - PPP's finance minister had a similar plan: http://bangkokpundit...-part-deux.html

A bit more recent on the 'land tax' (August 2010):

http://www.thaivisa....-land-tax-laws/

Excellent, thanks.

As for tax revenues, check the official source

http://www2.mof.go.th/index.php

Mind you, personally I find such data indigestible, from whatever country them come

Thanks, revenues were slightly higher in 2005, but not too much difference. Attributable to the downturn, I'd assume. So I assume Surapong's bill didn't pass: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/home/New-tax-law-may-give-better-control-30081380.html - as this suggests the proposed measures are similar to the ones proposed in 2008: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/home/Land-building-taxes-draft-bill-not-true-reform-cri-30136657.html

Anyway, whatever the case, it's a step in the right direction.

[Emptyset]

Thanks, revenues were slightly higher in 2005, but not too much difference. Attributable to the downturn, I'd assume. So I assume Surapong's bill didn't pass: http://www.nationmul...l-30081380.html - as this suggests the proposed measures are similar to the ones proposed in 2008: http://www.nationmul...i-30136657.html

Anyway, whatever the case, it's a step in the right direction.

Managed to read the statistics the wrong way actually. Tax revenues are slightly higher now but comparing monetary values doesn't work that well. In GDP terms it's the same, 17%.

[scorecard]

Suchart Thadathamrongvej.

If it wins the mandate to form the next coalition government, Pheu Thai will strive to hike the minimum wage to Bt300 a day and guarantee a starting salary of Bt15,000 a month for university graduates.

I seem to remember hearing that those people with the money opposed the recent wage hike, many of those self same people are funding the Pheu Thai party

Within six months of taking office, voters will see a drop in the cost of living. The following six months will have the government churning out policies designed to raise incomes.

Strange that the policies announced need to be formulated to actually be ready to implement.

The Pheu Thai government would set up a people's bank specialising in solving problems related to non-bank loans.

Why do they need a new bank , surely the Government Savings Bank could deal with the above problems?

Under Pheu Thai's leadership, the economy is projected to expand at 9 per cent a year.

These Pheu Thai advisers should indeed be running the worlds economic affairs

Tourism is expected to be a main vehicle for earnings growth and Pheu Thai will advocate an open-skies policy to bring in more visitors.

Ah, now we see the truth of the matter, it is a case of fleece all foreign tourists to finance the coming disaster

The prime minister dares not call an early election because the Democrats know they cannot compete with Pheu Thai's platform, Suchart said.

Any sane and sensible person will realise that no government would like to ''win'' an election using these policies.

One does indeed wonder if Suchart Thadathamrongvej.is taking what he shouldn't be taking, or not taking what he should be taking

PTP still missing the main points:

- 300Baht minimum daily wage. All very nice but seems to be little recognition that this would be highly inflationary and push the price of goods up. On the other hand PTP says prices will reduce. Seems they need a new economics advisor, one with at least basic arithmetic skills.

- Tourism as a key platform. Still no recognition that the core of any sound economy is productivity linked to trade, either domestic and/or international trade and linked to the development and reinforcement of value added knowledge and skills. Tourism is a nice top up but cannot be a core of any strong value added and consistent economy.

Further, tourism can of course provide many jobs, jobs mostly needing quite limited education levels / limited skills. But focus mainly on tourism is not helping to push Thailand to be a much more capable nation in terms of knowldge and advanced skiils, some of the pillars needed to produce innovation & , creativity skills.

- Still no mention of improvement to education, the anchor to much of the changes needed in Thailand. Education which ultimately provides more opportunities for a lot more people to gain a better quality of life thrrough their own productivity.

[scorecard]

There isn't a single shred of ability for any of these policies to work - populist? - try insanity! PTP have no idea of fiscal responsibility and are just sprouting off to their (sadly) low end educated supporters who do not know the difference. This is all vote grabbing and no substance to be able to pay for any of it. Maybe Khun Korn should respond to the actual viability and reality of these 'claims'.

Maybe Khun Korn should work out how to pay for his own schemes first.

There is another point which needs to be understood about '15,000Baht minimum starting salary for universiy graduates'.

Modern approaches to reward management and to balancing organization cost/value efficiieny recognize strongly that all jobs should be rewarded on the basis of what the job contributes directly to achieving the bottom line of the organization and by recognizing the levels of knowledge, skill, and experience needed to produce that output.

Competitive industries need to be very cost conscious, paying a 15,000Baht salary to a basic office worker who contributes nothing whatever directly to the bottom line is simply too costly.

I know very well that higher start salary for university graduates is already common in Thailand and is strongly connected to salary to recognize social status, but it is way out of touch with cost / output efficiencies.

[TAWP]

Within six months of taking office, voters will see a drop in the cost of living.

By their use of a magic wand one might presume...

[asiawatcher]

Maybe Khun Korn should respond to the actual viability and reality of these 'claims'.

Well perhaps that would be problematic given that he is energetically promoting very similar programmes - and for the same reasons.

Sorry - I missed getting it across - it was a sarcastic comment! But you are right. Birds of a feather - politicians all...

[hyperdimension]

Within six months of taking office, voters will see a drop in the cost of living.

By their use of a magic wand one might presume...

I was thinking what they meant from that is that the higher wages will make workers feel that living costs are cheaper. I couldn't think of any other explanation of why they predict that "voters will see a drop in the cost of living". As already mentioned, higher wages is more likely to cause a rise in prices because businesses need to try to make higher profits in order to pay their workers more. If prices can't be raised (e.g. due to competition), then it could lead to job losses or business closure.

Raising minimum wages to the proposed levels is quite a large jump and would be such a big shock to the system, as business wage expenses could immediatley jump by somewhere between 20% to 50%. Would there be any businesses who would actually support such policies? It makes more sense to introduce gradual rises so as not to shock the system, and that's just what the Abhisit government is doing.

Also, is the 300 and 15000 baht applicable to the entire country? Average salaries vary depending on location, with Bangkok wages being quite a bit higher than other parts of Thailand.

Who in Pheu Thai actually came up with these policies and what is their educational background and work history?

Also, why do they refer specifically to "voters" and not "people of Thailand" when they say "Within six months of taking office, voters will see a drop in the cost of living."? To con people into thinking that the policy would not be applicable to non-voters?

In the absence of an explanation of how these policies are going to be implementable and sustainable, I think these policies should be dismissed.

Edited December 22, 2010 by hyperdimension

[Buchholz]

Tourism is expected to be a main vehicle for earnings growth

It's deja vu all over again. The driving force for funding the government in 2003 was going to be.... tourism...

To the tune of One Trillion Baht that was just going to come pouring into the National Treasury to fund all sorts of programs....

The Nation - October 20, 2003

Elite Cards launch tonight

The TAT hopes to earn Bt100 billion from sales in the first year, and increase this to Bt1 trillion within five years.

----------------------

and a few months later on New Year's Eve, it was mo' money, mo' money that was going to just fund about every program imaginable as the flood of cash snatching up Elite Cards was huge.... cause heck, these cards are so in demand, we's gonna double da price....

The Nation - December 31, 2003

THAILAND Elite CARDS: Price for privileges will double in 2004

The Thailand Elite card, the brainchild of Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra

---------------------

Brainchild, indeed.

Any way, this must have been what PTP policy makers meant when it was said

Pheu Thai Party yesterday unveiled its campaign platform highlighting its past success

it's the same past as TRT saying Happy New Year 2004 Thailand... anybody wanna buy an Elite Card?

.

Edited December 22, 2010 by Buchholz

[animatic]

PTP past success?????

When, where, how, who.

So far they have an impressive track record of 'Nil'.

[rubl]

Within six months of taking office, voters will see a drop in the cost of living.

By their use of a magic wand one might presume...

I was thinking what they meant from that is that the higher wages will make workers feel that living costs are cheaper. I couldn't think of any other explanation of why they predict that "voters will see a drop in the cost of living". As already mentioned, higher wages is more likely to cause a rise in prices because businesses need to try to make higher profits in order to pay their workers more. If prices can't be raised (e.g. due to competition), then it could lead to job losses or business closure.

Raising minimum wages to the proposed levels is quite a large jump and would be such a big shock to the system, as business wage expenses could immediatley jump by somewhere between 20% to 50%. Would there be any businesses who would actually support such policies? It makes more sense to introduce gradual rises so as not to shock the system, and that's just what the Abhisit government is doing.

Also, is the 300 and 15000 baht applicable to the entire country? Average salaries vary depending on location, with Bangkok wages being quite a bit higher than other parts of Thailand.

Who in Pheu Thai actually came up with these policies and what is their educational background and work history?

Also, why do they refer specifically to "voters" and not "people of Thailand" when they say "Within six months of taking office, voters will see a drop in the cost of living."? To con people into thinking that the policy would not be applicable to non-voters?

In the absence of an explanation of how these policies are going to be implementable and sustainable, I think these policies should be dismissed.

My dear chap, you forget, the master himself has said something like 'I'll make you rich'. Would you doubt the one who has billions himself ?

[siampolee]

There is of course always a chance of, ''rediscovering '' the Japanese guest occupation army's gold cache again as was done some 8-9 year ago by a senator.

Thaksin boasted of how he would indeed clear all the debts that Thailand had, the the good senator went back on his medication and Thaksin forgot the matter

Edited December 23, 2010 by siampolee