Kingdom a long way from 1997, yet more shocks may loom: Thai analysis

[somtampet]

All this country has is land and a once pristine coastline. It's single biggest export was rice and that has been dommed by an ignorant avaristic bunch of cowboys who refer to themselves as politicians.

Thailand has a large agricultural base which has also gone into decline at least on the internation market owing to the prolific use of agro chemicals of which many are banned in Europe and the US. Many of those used far exceed the maximum concentration levels set by international standards.

The local population consumes a very high level of toxins for vegtable produce.The livestock industries are highly unproductive and also subject to unscrupulous use of chemical agent for growth. The fishing industry also operates in a non sustaianble manner

There is no Oil, Gas, Mineral wealth of any substance. The vast majority of industry and technology here is foreign investment and without that they would all be riding on bullock carts.

The Environmental Agency is a sham has little or no impact on the toxic materials released into soil.water and air, and the list goes on and on.

This country and their culture of ignorance and isolation shoots itself in the foot every time it acts with a nationalistic pride and an intellect that has no real substance outside personal greed

The blame for all of this lies squarely on thier own doorstep propogated by their own actions or lack of same. It is time to turn the finger round and look at themselves and stop blaming others for their own greed and incompotence.

They alone,resulting from a lack of structure, controls, education and sound governance are destroying this country internaly for the benifit of a few parasitic individuals who think that this country is their playground for their own personal wealth and power. Rather pathetic.

I blame the white faced hi-so thai/chinese

[lannarebirth]

Thais are forever buying more land in Thailand. The last time the "foreign owned land" thing came out was about a Saudi land deal with Thaksin for some riceland in Suphan Buri. Then land prices started going up again a year later, about the time Thaksin got the boot. We think prices are high here already but they could go much higher. Don't ask me why. Last time the stock market topped out the local money rotated to land. At least they're not buying derivatives.

[MAJIC]

Correction: A third of all land is owned by Thais who have conned foreigners into parting with them money on the false understanding they are landlords.

So it is never the foreigner's fault for being gullible then?

Since when has gullible been an excuse for ripping someone off? if that were true,it would be a get out of Jail free card,for all the crooks in the world!

OMG being gullible is THE reason for being ripped off.

So no sympathy from you then,and it's Ok for the criminal to steal? because the victim was gullible,I'm glad I don't live in your world!

BTW: THE reason for being ripped off,is because there are slimeballs in the world who will take advantage of others,and have no conscience about it.

[Card]

Since when has gullible been an excuse for ripping someone off? if that were true,it would be a get out of Jail free card,for all the crooks in the world!

OMG being gullible is THE reason for being ripped off.

So no sympathy from you then,and it's Ok for the criminal to steal? because the victim was gullible,I'm glad I don't live in your world!

BTW: THE reason for being ripped off,is because there are slimeballs in the world who will take advantage of others,and have no conscience about it.

It always takes two to tango. Watch your back is one of the first lessons you should learn in Thailand. That and never to blame others for your own mistakes, like many farangs do with Thais.

[MAJIC]

@ Card Post No 34

Reply

Yea sure! when the Boiler room boys get busted they go to prison,Stealing from the gullible is not taken into consideration.

[Cambodger]

"reported that about one-third of land in Thailand amounting to 100 million rai (16 million hectares) was in the hands of foreigners. This posed a risk to Thailand's social security."

Is this for real or some sort of selective reporting? Presumably this is land owned by corporations etc under BOI schemes - but really a third???

First I've heard about it . . . so I can go buy land now? lol

What they really mean probably is that the land was paid for by foreigners, but still owned by Thai's.

You mean leased?

Whatever you want to call it, for most foreigners here, you "can't" buy or own land unless it's through some backdoor fashion or paid off someone to make the paperwork . . . I think they are way exaggerating things to make the uneducated Thai's fear the pesky foreigners coming in and taking over. The same old nationalistic bullshit we hear all the time.

The locals in Krabi are always complaining that Indians own almost all of the land down there and have done for years apparently buying it for a pittance and now charging huge amounts for rents/ leases etc..

I don't know how much truth is really in it but i've heard it repeated numerous times.

[Naam]

"reported that about one-third of land in Thailand amounting to 100 million rai (16 million hectares) was in the hands of foreigners. This posed a risk to Thailand's social security."

Is this for real or some sort of selective reporting? Presumably this is land owned by corporations etc under BOI schemes - but really a third???

First I've heard about it . . . so I can go buy land now? lol

What they really mean probably is that the land was paid for by foreigners, but still owned by Thai's.

Whatever you want to call it, for most foreigners here, you "can't" buy or own land unless it's through some backdoor fashion or paid off someone to make the paperwork . . . I think they are way exaggerating things to make the uneducated Thai's fear the pesky foreigners coming in and taking over. The same old nationalistic bullshit we hear all the time.

The locals in Krabi are always complaining that Indians own almost all of the land down there and have done for years apparently buying it for a pittance and now charging huge amounts for rents/ leases etc..

I don't know how much truth is really in it but i've heard it repeated numerous times.

they are talking about ethnic Indians possessing Thai citizenship.

[MaiChai]

If it wasn't for those pesky foreigners there would be no Thai economy. That's without the manufacturing and export of goods... Not to mention tourism and the market for Thai rice (unfortunately the Thais have destroyed that market themselves ).

[padeakin]

In my opinion all investment is good for the Thai economy, the nationality of the investor (Thai or foreign) does not make the economy any more or less vulnerable (as the report suggests) in fact the nationality of an individual investor or the original home county of a large International cooperation is hardly relevant. If Thai policies encouraged more International investment, instead of trying to restrict it, Thailand would be a richer and more stable country.

The same can be said about land ownership

[PoodMaiDai]

I think they are way exaggerating things to make the uneducated Thai's fear the pesky foreigners coming in and taking over. The same old nationalistic bullshit we hear all the time.

In theory I agree with you, but The Nation is targeting English readers.

[NeverSure]

Thais are forever buying more land in Thailand. The last time the "foreign owned land" thing came out was about a Saudi land deal with Thaksin for some riceland in Suphan Buri. Then land prices started going up again a year later, about the time Thaksin got the boot. We think prices are high here already but they could go much higher. Don't ask me why. Last time the stock market topped out the local money rotated to land. At least they're not buying derivatives.

Maybe if I were a wealthy Thai, I could buy some farmland and grow some rice. Then maybe I could get the government to buy it at a really high price and let it rot in warehouses all over the country. Maybe I could get them to do that for years on end.

Maybe I could even buy rice from Cambodia and sell it to the Thai government as Thai rice for a really high price.

Maybe if I was really smart, I could sell the same rice to the government two or three times, and make sure that the stockpiles and books on the rice were "secret."

Naw, that fairy tale is just too far fetched, innit.

[Huayrat]

All this country has is land and a once pristine coastline. It's single biggest export was rice and that has been dommed by an ignorant avaristic bunch of cowboys who refer to themselves as politicians.

Thailand has a large agricultural base which has also gone into decline at least on the internation market owing to the prolific use of agro chemicals of which many are banned in Europe and the US. Many of those used far exceed the maximum concentration levels set by international standards.

The local population consumes a very high level of toxins for vegtable produce.The livestock industries are highly unproductive and also subject to unscrupulous use of chemical agent for growth. The fishing industry also operates in a non sustaianble manner

There is no Oil, Gas, Mineral wealth of any substance. The vast majority of industry and technology here is foreign investment and without that they would all be riding on bullock carts.

The Environmental Agency is a sham has little or no impact on the toxic materials released into soil.water and air, and the list goes on and on.

This country and their culture of ignorance and isolation shoots itself in the foot every time it acts with a nationalistic pride and an intellect that has no real substance outside personal greed

The blame for all of this lies squarely on thier own doorstep propogated by their own actions or lack of same. It is time to turn the finger round and look at themselves and stop blaming others for their own greed and incompotence.

They alone,resulting from a lack of structure, controls, education and sound governance are destroying this country internaly for the benifit of a few parasitic individuals who think that this country is their playground for their own personal wealth and power. Rather pathetic.

I cannot begin to tell you in just how many ways you are absolutely incorrect...Your post is the epitome of the ignorant Farang full of rage and blinded in Thailand.

1)The Thai pork and chicken industries are major exporters worldwide.

2)The fishing industry, is maintained by MANY fish farms all over the country.

3)The oil reserves located in the gulf of Thailand are VERY large, they are in pockets.

4) US pork imports to Thailand are being challenged do to use of hormones that are banned in Thailand.

5) Environmental agencies are a sham worldwide, they're just there to suggest things...look at oil producers worldwide, they often pay fines because they know its worth it to pay them and keep operations going.

There is no culture of ignorance in Thailand, education is revered, but the world language is English so of course English speaking countries have an advantage since most of the worlds science, history and so forth are mainly documented in English. But you take these same Thai students and you put them in an environment where they can understand everything being taught to them in a native language and they will run circles around Western kids,. Thailand has a culture of respect for elders and respect for those around them, even rude Farangs that they have had to come to put up with also.

Personal greed as you say, you grow up with nothing but literally the dirt under your feet and you try to make it like a lot of these poor Thai people. You will struggle and will get a taste of how hard life really is for them.

Politicians are the same the world over, in Thailand you call it corruption in the West it's called a political donation.

The inability to perceive another's lack of opportunity, misfortune and circumstances is indeed 'rather pathetic'...and a blatant example of Western Ethnocentrism.

Sorry I started laughing at the Thai students would run rings around western kids and never finished reading the rest..