Thailand And United States: Reducing Mutual Distrust

[Nisa]

According to the Political and Economic Risk Consultancy, Thailand is the second riskiest country (of the big players) to invest in (leaving out Lao, Cambodia, and Burma, of course). You might want to do a little research.

No need, just read the OP.

Their (USA Thai) friendship particularly the security cooperation has suffered greatly followed the 2006 coup.

It's not only the relation between Thailand and the USA that suffered following the coup, but also the relation with the world big players. Thailand returned to democracy only one year ago and confidence is only slowly rebuilt. Just check the number of posters in this forum who are still calling for a coup.

The current government is doing a good job but it will still take some time before full confidence resumes.

What are they doing a good job at?

I think unless you have radicals in power, regardless of the country, things pretty much just keep tinkering along. I am a full supporter of Abhiset but I really don't believe anything would be all that much different now if he won the election. Bottom line is it is rare for anything radical to ever change even when you have radical changes such as a coup ... as long as there are not extremists. I think what is more important and what keeps things balanced is having a changing government among the parties.

As for the US, they don't ever want to lose their relationship with Thailand but they need to always come off as being in favor of a democracy rule ... which will be interesting with the election results in Egypt.

[h90]

It's not just the US, the whole world looks on at the political turmoil in Thailand and shakes it's head. The politicians have no idea how much damage they are doing to the country, and Cambodia, Vietnam, Malaysia and Burma are ready to sweep up.

The politicians are causing Thailand to losing more and more every day. Shame

Thailand is still way ahead of all other countries you mention.

In countries like Cambodia for instance where whole groups of people are being evicted from their land by land grabbing army people and politicians, nobody complains because they get shot on the spot.

Same in Burma.

Thailand has a lot to improve but is doing much better, even politically, then everybody on this forum is willing to admit.

Look at the U.S. and the yearly political bickering that goes on down there every year.

That's just politics !

Actually, hate to take the wind out of your sails but Thailand is NOT ahead of Malaysia in really any regard. Thailand is behind Vietnam, Indonesia, Malaysia, and the Philippines in a lot of areas, especially education. See the World Economic Forum's global competitiveness report for proof of this. Give Indonesia, Malaysia and some of these other countries another 10 years too; Indonesia especially has seen GDP growth rates that have astounded everyone. Thailand currently has better infrastructure than many ASEAN countries but where those other countries are, in many cases, working hard to develop and make progress, Thailand is mostly content to stay just the way it is. According to the Political and Economic Risk Consultancy, Thailand is the second riskiest country (of the big players) to invest in (leaving out Lao, Cambodia, and Burma, of course). You might want to do a little research.

Indo and Malaysia: look at the internal problems. The GDP is made by the Chinese ethnic that does not mix with the Muslims.

If you are somewhere outside in Malaysia, there are area where you can't use the population for anything, extreme lazy without motivation. All the GDP grow is only in a few areas.

That problems may explode or partially are exploding already, such things can set them easily back 10 years back again.

[brianP]

"Washington refused to help bail out Bangkok during the financial crisis back in 1997 and that inflicted a deep wound on the Thai psyche."

I remember 1997 and Thailand's plea to USA, Stupid American politicians could have helped out, but decided to fund third world illegal immigrants to have more babies free and bring in more votes and build up the catholic church to boot! After the Vietnam disgrace who will count on American political idiocy?

[chotthee]

For the first time, Thailand also raised the issue of visa waiver to facilitate the visits of Thai tourists and visitors to the US.

*FACEPALM*

Within a week all the pattaya'girl gonna move to US... permanently

I call this a win-win.

Thai get employed.

American get cheap sex.

[chotthee]

It's not just the US, the whole world looks on at the political turmoil in Thailand and shakes it's head. The politicians have no idea how much damage they are doing to the country, and Cambodia, Vietnam, Malaysia and Burma are ready to sweep up.

The politicians are causing Thailand to losing more and more every day. Shame

Thailand is still way ahead of all other countries you mention.

In countries like Cambodia for instance where whole groups of people are being evicted from their land by land grabbing army people and politicians, nobody complains because they get shot on the spot.

Same in Burma.

Thailand has a lot to improve but is doing much better, even politically, then everybody on this forum is willing to admit.

Look at the U.S. and the yearly political bickering that goes on down there every year.

That's just politics !

Actually, hate to take the wind out of your sails but Thailand is NOT ahead of Malaysia in really any regard. Thailand is behind Vietnam, Indonesia, Malaysia, and the Philippines in a lot of areas, especially education. See the World Economic Forum's global competitiveness report for proof of this. Give Indonesia, Malaysia and some of these other countries another 10 years too; Indonesia especially has seen GDP growth rates that have astounded everyone. Thailand currently has better infrastructure than many ASEAN countries but where those other countries are, in many cases, working hard to develop and make progress, Thailand is mostly content to stay just the way it is. According to the Political and Economic Risk Consultancy, Thailand is the second riskiest country (of the big players) to invest in (leaving out Lao, Cambodia, and Burma, of course). You might want to do a little research.

Indo and Malaysia: look at the internal problems. The GDP is made by the Chinese ethnic that does not mix with the Muslims.

If you are somewhere outside in Malaysia, there are area where you can't use the population for anything, extreme lazy without motivation. All the GDP grow is only in a few areas.

That problems may explode or partially are exploding already, such things can set them easily back 10 years back again.

USA is the police of the world, and have man kind remove a lot of problems.

First, the Hitler & Japanese problem

Than the Jew problem

Follow by the communist problem

And the central america & middle east problem

Now working on the Muslim problem.

[Unkomoncents]

It's not just the US, the whole world looks on at the political turmoil in Thailand and shakes it's head. The politicians have no idea how much damage they are doing to the country, and Cambodia, Vietnam, Malaysia and Burma are ready to sweep up.

The politicians are causing Thailand to losing more and more every day. Shame

Thailand is still way ahead of all other countries you mention.

In countries like Cambodia for instance where whole groups of people are being evicted from their land by land grabbing army people and politicians, nobody complains because they get shot on the spot.

Same in Burma.

Thailand has a lot to improve but is doing much better, even politically, then everybody on this forum is willing to admit.

Look at the U.S. and the yearly political bickering that goes on down there every year.

That's just politics !

Actually, hate to take the wind out of your sails but Thailand is NOT ahead of Malaysia in really any regard. Thailand is behind Vietnam, Indonesia, Malaysia, and the Philippines in a lot of areas, especially education. See the World Economic Forum's global competitiveness report for proof of this. Give Indonesia, Malaysia and some of these other countries another 10 years too; Indonesia especially has seen GDP growth rates that have astounded everyone. Thailand currently has better infrastructure than many ASEAN countries but where those other countries are, in many cases, working hard to develop and make progress, Thailand is mostly content to stay just the way it is. According to the Political and Economic Risk Consultancy, Thailand is the second riskiest country (of the big players) to invest in (leaving out Lao, Cambodia, and Burma, of course). You might want to do a little research.

Indo and Malaysia: look at the internal problems. The GDP is made by the Chinese ethnic that does not mix with the Muslims.

If you are somewhere outside in Malaysia, there are area where you can't use the population for anything, extreme lazy without motivation. All the GDP grow is only in a few areas.

That problems may explode or partially are exploding already, such things can set them easily back 10 years back again.

That may be, but Malaysia fares better than Thailand in terms of corruption, according to Transparency International. Malaysia is much more politically stable (I'm not just talking about the red shirts and yellow shirts, I'm talking about a lingering issue that everyone knows is hanging in the background but cannot be spoken of freely). Kuala Lumpur is slotted to expand its public transportation infrastructure in the next decade in huge ways. It took Bangkok half a decade to add a five-station extension to its two-line light rail system. Also, Malaysia doesn't have the same flooding problems as Thailand does. With the advent of climate change, Bangkok is set to suffer repeated blows without serious efforts (in Thailand, ha!) to manage water in the Kingdom.

As for Indonesia, it's GDP has grown far faster than projected over the last decade and the country is not set to slow down. It has a massive, relatively young population that ensures future growth for decades to come as China and other current favorite manufacturing locations become more and more expensive (like Thailand just did when it instituted the minimum wage hike).

[LomSak27]

Washington refused to help bail out Bangkok during the financial crisis back in 1997 and that inflicted a deep wound on the Thai psyche."

I remember 1997 and Thailand's plea to USA, Stupid American politicians could have helped out, but decided to fund third world illegal immigrants to have more babies free and bring in more votes and build up the catholic church to boot! After the Vietnam disgrace who will count on American political idiocy?

Excellent nothing I like better than ignorance to be displayed publicly on a pedastel - Thanks BrianP

Edited June 26, 2012 by LomSak27

[tzthib]

Thai GDP: 318 Billion USD (2010)

Total Trade with the US: 35 billion (2010)

So thats what, 11% of the total economy is involved with direct trade with the US.

US foreign direct investment in 2010 was 12.7 billion dollars. That's 3% of the total economy.

Thailand's military budget was around 500 million in 2010, while they were eligable to recieve close to 2 million dollars in military aid from the US.

It seems to me the Thai's are having no problem trusting the US...when it comes to signing checks.

Maybe it's time for the US to move on to greener pastures. Apparently the Thais miss being a Chinese tributary. They shouldn't worry, soon they will be the ones writing the checks to please their northern masters.

Edited June 26, 2012 by tzthib