Thai editorial: Businessmen can't escape politics' gravitational pull

[webfact]

EDITORIAL
Businessmen can't escape politics' gravitational pull
The Nation

The days of company bosses sitting on the sidelines may have to end, as our economy spirals down with the crisis

BANGKOK: -- Executives of luxurious hotels meeting security officials enforcing a state of emergency could never be a comfortable sight. More disturbing is the fact that businesses supporting anti-government protests and subsequently facing threats of a clampdown has become a recurring theme. Most unsettling of all is probably the fact that you can deem some people "terrorists" on one day and work for them on another.

Names have been leaked and released. Corporates have joined movie stars and education institutions in being a lot more open about their political leanings. To deem business firms' moves as the most significant would be playing down the courage of the artists, who rely a lot on public perception and exposure on free TV, and tough decisions by academics or heads of higher education. However, what we are seeing is a phenomenon.

Thailand may have come to a great turning point, when politics is no longer limited to politicians, their lobbyists or hardcore activists. Or the situation has become worrying. It depends on how we look at it. However, it's one thing to back a political course and it's another to face deportation or a state crackdown in the process.

It was the same in 2010. Government authorities back then threatened to cut off the financial "lifeline" of the red shirts' months-long protest. Violence on May 19 that year was deplorable, but it brought the curtain down on what could have been a lengthy showdown between the authorities and certain big-money people. The subsequent general election turned the tide and led to a role reversal for many, or whatever you want to call it when Tarit Pengdit is concerned.

He lambasted red shirts' "sponsors" and gave them all kinds of threats in 2010. Now, he's doing the same against "sponsors" of protesters seeking to overthrow a government backed by the red shirts. What a complex legal case it could be if a current business target of Tarit went to court with video clips featuring the official's remarks in 2010. Of course, Tarit can always claim he's a bureaucrat who is supposed to follow any government instruction, but will that argument hold up in court?

One thing has to be made clear, though. It's politics that is dragging businesses toward it, not the other way round. Businesses used to sit on the sidelines praying that what politicians did would not affect them too much. But business people simply can't do that any longer. Politics has weakened Thailand's competitiveness and preoccupied political players with expediency and survival, at the expense of key economic foundations.

Warnings have been sounded, with perhaps the most remarkable coming from ex-prime minister Anand Panyarachun. Somehow, someone has got to pull an emergency brake and put an end to the turmoil, he said. According to Anand, the political crisis is stirring economic turbulence and soon the two will feed off each other. He doesn't have the complete answer, but insisted that everyone involved must act very quickly.

For years, the Thai economy has made do in spite of politics, not because of it. But that is getting harder and harder now, and the controversies surrounding attempts to deport an Indian businessman and or crack down on corporates backing Suthep Thaugsuban do not help. The business community used to ask how it all was going to end, but that might be considered the good old days now. With businesses getting more and more involved in politics, questions have abounded and got increasingly complex.


-- The Nation 2014-02-17

[Thai at Heart]

I bought a book in 1996 which stated clearly that in no other Asian country was the connection between business and politics so complete as in Thailand.

And finally in 2014, the nation admits that possibly corporates have allegiances in politics in Thailand?

[MaiChai]

You can talk about politics and being on one side or the other. However my view is more about having an accountable, uncorrupt government, who don't lie or hide the state of the rice pledging scheme, respect democratic debating in parliament, and don't try to run a parliamentary dictatorship because they have a majority in parliament. Also the case of family nepotism by putting your sister, who was not an MP and who had no experience of politics, in charge of running the country. She was so inexperienced that she would not attend debates in parliament because she didn't understand the issues and could not debate and stand her own ground. I support the middle classes, who see what a sham of a government this is, and who on the whole, broadly support the protestors. Nuff said. Use you brain and side with who you think is right.

[Robby nz]

For years, the Thai economy has made do in spite of politics, not because of it.

A key phrase, in spite of government Thailand still does well.

And the business people are the so called BKK elite that keep getting slammed.

[noitom]

You can talk about politics and being on one side or the other. However my view is more about having an accountable, uncorrupt government, who don't lie or hide the state of the rice pledging scheme, respect democratic debating in parliament, and don't try to run a parliamentary dictatorship because they have a majority in parliament. Also the case of family nepotism by putting your sister, who was not an MP and who had no experience of politics, in charge of running the country. She was so inexperienced that she would not attend debates in parliament because she didn't understand the issues and could not debate and stand her own ground. I support the middle classes, who see what a sham of a government this is, and who on the whole, broadly support the protestors. Nuff said. Use you brain and side with who you think is right.

Accountability. Something Thailand lacks for over 80 years.

[EricBerg]

That "gravitational pull" could be explained in the attitude of Chalerm and others from the fading regime: If you're not with us you're against us. And then the guy's firing at random targets "at will". Even a businessman who died before the protests started was accused of sponsoring. And with him the company.

Thus it seems easy for any company to take sides.

[englishoak]

Ooo a begging letter to business how quaint.

Done that already, it has got nobody anywhere but a blackhole on the balance sheet.... apart from the marketing trash they've been selling to all the mugs, that has made a LOT of money and atm its t shirts again wooohooo

[jpeg]

I bought a book in 1996 which stated clearly that in no other Asian country was the connection between business and politics so complete as in Thailand.

And finally in 2014, the nation admits that possibly corporates have allegiances in politics in Thailand?

From my observations here after many years, just another thing Thailand has in common with the USA then.

[Blackmirage2013]

This article is awful.

Business has always been involved with politics....

Thaksin's entire term as PM was about business involved in politics!

[Blackmirage2013]

Whoever wrote this article was out to lunch when he thought about it. You need to engage your brain and ask around a bit before putting pencil to paper.

[kerrysum]

I bought a book in 1996 which stated clearly that in no other Asian country was the connection between business and politics so complete as in Thailand.

And finally in 2014, the nation admits that possibly corporates have allegiances in politics in Thailand?

I'm with you brother.....

Hope for the best,

but I do have my doubts.......

[PhilipCook]

symbols of neutrality like the ex thai pm anand(clean, really?) and the anti corruption pramont(on toyota and scg boards) are hilarious if mentioned in a comedy show. but they are just two examples of the hypocracy here. the system is filthy, it has been filthy and just think for one moment if you were, thaksin, why on earth would you admit any wrongdoing when you realize that corruption, minimal good governance and faint rule of law, entitlement, cronyism are now and have been imbedded in the entire society here. thaksin would say he just plays the game better than anyone in recent time, why should he be the scapegoat for everyone else.