Prayut seeks development based on King's philosophy

[khunpa]

Development will automatically come, once corruption is minimized and taken care of.

[Chaz1819]

We should close this thread.

[MrJohnson]

Very interesting. I suspected from the start that the General not only is very conservative but also a King's follower...and sincerely I like that very much.

I keep reading books about the life and work of the Royal Family..in the times were the King was an active politician and regent. Impressive!

Unfortunately I can see that his philosophy is not implemented anymore, speciallly in the agricultural and social field, probably because is not enough control and support in place. I hope the new Government will do it...and looks like it is. The General is not a career politician and is true that he lacks in diplomacy and pose, but he is acting with strenght and recognizing his mistakes. I may be wrong, because politics is not a easy task, never was, in any country, but he wants positive changes and is working on it. Takes time...and a lot of work.

The King was an example to follow......and still the mentor of old Thai generations that have all the reasons to love him like they do.

You might want to read a little more widely.

[Godfree2]

I am not offering an opinion because it would frankly illegal to do so at this point in time. One of the reasons for promoting it is to cast that net. Read history and the results of these type of things and one will be able to know for themself how they feel about it - well as long as those materials are not yet banned that is.

No it is not illegal, actually it is encouraged. See many speeches of the King. It is encouraged to modify/improve/adjust/discuss or drop these projects. As long as I know there wasn't a single case at court for not agreeing with some projects. Lese Majeste covers something complete different than farmer methods.

Given the post-coup spike in charges, your comments are foolish in the extreme.

Agreed.

Despite the Admins' best attempts to weed out any offensive posts, we should all be aware that all IPs are logged and posts screengrabbed as soon as they are uploaded.

[kriswillems]

I am not offering an opinion because it would frankly illegal to do so at this point in time. One of the reasons for promoting it is to cast that net. Read history and the results of these type of things and one will be able to know for themself how they feel about it - well as long as those materials are not yet banned that is.

No it is not illegal, actually it is encouraged. See many speeches of the King. It is encouraged to modify/improve/adjust/discuss or drop these projects. As long as I know there wasn't a single case at court for not agreeing with some projects. Lese Majeste covers something complete different than farmer methods.

It is illegal. The king encourages it, but the law doesn't allow it.

From wikipedia:

While the original penalty for lèse-majestè was a maximum of 7 years imprisonment, it was toughened to a minimum of 3 years and a maximum of 15 years during the dictatorship of royalist Premier Tanin Kraivixien. Also banned was criticism of any member of the royal family, the royal development projects, the royal institution, the Chakri Dynasty, or any previous Thai King. These harsher provisions have been retained to the present day.[12]

Although the king several times said he opposed the laws, the laws are there and they use used. There are several people in jail for violating them. Foreigners are usually get a royal pardon after serving part of their jail term, but Thai people usually don't.

Edited October 12, 2014 by kriswillems

[kriswillems]

Thanin Kraivichien is a member of the privy council. That mean he's one of the 18 closest advisers for the king. The king selects the members of the privy council.

Edited October 12, 2014 by kriswillems

[2fishin2]

Very interesting. I suspected from the start that the General not only is very conservative but also a King's follower...and sincerely I like that very much.

I keep reading books about the life and work of the Royal Family..in the times were the King was an active politician and regent. Impressive!

Unfortunately I can see that his philosophy is not implemented anymore, speciallly in the agricultural and social field, probably because is not enough control and support in place. I hope the new Government will do it...and looks like it is. The General is not a career politician and is true that he lacks in diplomacy and pose, but he is acting with strenght and recognizing his mistakes. I may be wrong, because politics is not a easy task, never was, in any country, but he wants positive changes and is working on it. Takes time...and a lot of work.

The King was an example to follow......and still the mentor of old Thai generations that have all the reasons to love him like they do.

Blah blah blah are you really that full of it too? Talk about sucking up, what are you getting out of all this suck up talk. Wow!

[sprq]

<script type='text/javascript'>window.mod_pagespeed_start = Number(new Date());</script>

A poor subject to start a thread on. It is illegal to discuss it fully.

Yeah be careful we wouldn't like to upset the elite

Rather, we wouldn't like to go to jail for expressing reasonable and well-considered views that are deemed illegal in this country, views which wouldn't even raise an eyebrow amongst the populace of our own country. One of the prices for living in this country is to be ready to put a sticking plaster over your mouth at regular intervals.

[belg]

how old is "the program" ?

has it been adapted to 2014 or even the 21st century ?

[Dogmatix]

Sufficiency economy - way to go.

Arrest all military and police officers who insult this wise philosophy by accumulating assets way in excess of their official emoluments immediately.

[Robespiere]

If that philosophy leads to more education and less reliance on rice growing it would be a great stop gap measure while Thailand tackles the real problems confronting it in 2014.

At the moment Thailand is like a teenager amongst adults with an arcane simplistic unfair and biased set of laws and legal system, a society based on injustice and greed disgustingly favoring the rich and connected, and disgracefully racist and nationalistic to boot.

There is no place for the philosophy in education that is immediately apparent. For that to be tackled Thailand needs to examine the western systems and experience. In fact it would do well to examine them across the board and using the best of them in each field as a model for itself to benefit from the experiences of a history of various ideas both successes and failures.

I stress that Thailand should learn from the mistakes of various ideologies and experiments of the west - many are hugely successful but equally there is immense enlightenment to be gained by the spectacular failures too. Thailand has simply not tried very much preferring the stays quo. However the world is developing and most of the world is not in the Stone Age any more. Even those tribes traded!

But like a teenager Thailand and Thais think they know it all when actually they are still very immature. I hope they grow up soon.

Sent from my iPad using ThaiVisa app

If that philosophy leads to more education and less reliance on rice growing it would be a great stop gap measure while Thailand tackles the real problems confronting it in 2014.

The "sufficiency" philosophy is quite the opposite.

Be happy with what you've got and yearn for nothing more.

The "sufficiency" philosophy actually promotes less education and more rice growing.

The true measure of a good life is not money but happiness - at least thats what they're trying to sell to the poor of this land that has one of the highest levels of wealth disparity of any nation on earth.

Do you think the masses will readily give up their iPhones?

It is inevitable that the juntas days are numbered.

Edited October 12, 2014 by Robespiere

[SiggiCM]

Is this the revival of that OTOP system?

No that is much more......There are excellent ideas which also allows to make good money. Decades ago the King had the ideas of organic farming and knew that the prices will be much higher.

Just an example: farming rice without pesticides, by having fishes in the water and ducks. Both eats the pest, are excellent sources of protein, can be sold and the rice is organic and gets much higher prices.

On top of this some farmer should make groups and buy together a rice mill (or however this machine is called) so they can produce a complete finished product and don't need the middle man and have minimal costs themself.

Just one example of hundreds.

oh yes, everybody buys organic rice from his 4000 baht he earns per month, how much rice he can buy?

no project every will work, if peopel are not educated, and in Thailand 99% of the peopel have not the educational standart of western countrys, they can think by their own, so how they can run any project?

[boomerangutang]

What's next? Perhaps a Rodney King type insight; "Why can't we all just get along."

The self-appointed PM is taking the safest ride, with a seat cushioned by 1,000 pillows.

[rickirs]

<script type='text/javascript'>window.mod_pagespeed_start = Number(new Date());</script>

Is this the revival of that OTOP system?

No that is much more......There are excellent ideas which also allows to make good money. Decades ago the King had the ideas of organic farming and knew that the prices will be much higher.

Just an example: farming rice without pesticides, by having fishes in the water and ducks. Both eats the pest, are excellent sources of protein, can be sold and the rice is organic and gets much higher prices.

On top of this some farmer should make groups and buy together a rice mill (or however this machine is called) so they can produce a complete finished product and don't need the middle man and have minimal costs themself.

Just one example of hundreds.

This is called "vertical integration of smallholders through contract farming" first developed in Europe in the 19th century. Thailand's dairy cooperatives operate a form of this strategy. It levels both risks and income stream; provides for business insurance coverage against known and unforeseen weather impacts that minimizes business losses over the long term. The government's principle contribution is to provide education, technology, and capital. But the profit motive must remain as the main driver for success through an open and free market. But if the government chooses to sidestep basic business principles with a basket of subsidies, which it has to date, the principle of profit will be replaced with an unmitigated government support system that will burden the nation with debt possible greater than the Yingluck rice pledge program.

[rickirs]

It's nice to see that Gen. Prayut is not wasting government resources to duplicate the King's Suffficiency strategy embraced by the Yingluck administration in 2011 to move the country's economy forward. Hopefully, there won't be another coup in the immediate future that would bring it to a halt again.

[rubl]

It's nice to see that Gen. Prayut is not wasting government resources to duplicate the King's Suffficiency strategy embraced by the Yingluck administration in 2011 to move the country's economy forward. Hopefully, there won't be another coup in the immediate future that would bring it to a halt again.

Uhm, the picture you posted is about the four strategies PM Yingluck talked about in January, 2013.

At that time it was just

"She met with provincial governors and senior officials to confer the government's policy and work on budget allocations for the 2014 fiscal year, Thai News Agency reported."

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/613663-yingluck-outlines-thailands-strategies/

Officially we had on 2013-01-23

"Four National Strategies to Be Used to Move Thailand Forward"

http://thailand.prd.go.th/view_news.php?id=6614&a=2

Of course reading those strategies again one may wonder what Ms. Yingluck really meant and why nothing seem to have come of it. Maybe just to busy with the amnesty bill?

BTW a bit earlier in October, 2012 PM Yingluck announced eight key strategies to Thailand's readiness for the AEC. I fear that most stratigies Ms. Yingluck has announced have come to near nothing

[Strangebrew]

It can be a sound goal by spreading the different types of crops farmers make livable wage. If one crop fails the other picks up loss.

[Thai at Heart]

Not to be cynical, but at a point hasn't every Prime Minister supported sufficiency economy since the King floated the idea.

How is it coming along? Was it Thaksin or Abhsiit who was in power when it was first floated.

I wonder what sufficiency economy has to say about global rice or rubber prices?

[umbanda]

Very interesting. I suspected from the start that the General not only is very conservative but also a King's follower...and sincerely I like that very much.

I keep reading books about the life and work of the Royal Family..in the times were the King was an active politician and regent. Impressive!

Unfortunately I can see that his philosophy is not implemented anymore, speciallly in the agricultural and social field, probably because is not enough control and support in place. I hope the new Government will do it...and looks like it is. The General is not a career politician and is true that he lacks in diplomacy and pose, but he is acting with strenght and recognizing his mistakes. I may be wrong, because politics is not a easy task, never was, in any country, but he wants positive changes and is working on it. Takes time...and a lot of work.

The King was an example to follow......and still the mentor of old Thai generations that have all the reasons to love him like they do.

You might want to read a little more widely.

I was more than reading all my life about land and agricultural reform...I am from South America. The called mid class or professional class keep talking about "opportunities" and "education" with full belly...Talk about that to people in misery.....and they will ask you to teach them to put food on the table first....Look if other countries Royalties are doing the work that Thailand's King did during his active life....and let me know, because I only can find them in tabloids and high life magazines, or posing of Army heroes...

[Zooheekock]

^ You are deeply wrong but given the Thai legal system and the eagerness with which these matters are policed, I obviously can't explain why. All I can suggest is that you follow the advice which you have already been given.

[BSJ]

The concept is already partly implemented in our village. Almost every house has chickens, most have a vege garden, many grow mushrooms.....we are halfway there!

[h90]

Is this the revival of that OTOP system?

No that is much more......There are excellent ideas which also allows to make good money. Decades ago the King had the ideas of organic farming and knew that the prices will be much higher.

Just an example: farming rice without pesticides, by having fishes in the water and ducks. Both eats the pest, are excellent sources of protein, can be sold and the rice is organic and gets much higher prices.

On top of this some farmer should make groups and buy together a rice mill (or however this machine is called) so they can produce a complete finished product and don't need the middle man and have minimal costs themself.

Just one example of hundreds.

oh yes, everybody buys organic rice from his 4000 baht he earns per month, how much rice he can buy?

no project every will work, if peopel are not educated, and in Thailand 99% of the peopel have not the educational standart of western countrys, they can think by their own, so how they can run any project?

On this planet are a lot people who earn more than 4000 Baht........

[billd766]

The leader of the country does not have the best interests of the people at heart... They say he does, but he doesn't really. History will be the judge.

Can you tell me which leader in Thailand has EVER had the best interests of the Thai people at heart?

[LivinLOS]

The rich telling the poor to be happy with less.. Ironic huh ??

Much of a sufficiency economy going on around paragon lately ?? I mean Bangkokians love their king right ??

[Thanet]

Interpreting what 'Sufficiency Economy' means and how to apply it are highly subjective given that the philosophy itself is vague and has never been fully explicated. Also, it assumes class stratification is to be preserved. But, how to determine one's 'place' in society?

'One's place' is to do as you're told, be happy to be poor, put up and shut up.

[beautifulthailand99]

Here is the philoophy outlined in detail on HM The Kings official organization devoted to propagating the suffiency economy.

http://www.chaipat.or.th/chaipat_english/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=4103&Itemid=293

Philosophy of Sufficiency Economy

“Economic development must be done step by step. It should begin with the strengthening of our economic foundation, by assuring that the majority if our population has enough to live on…Once reasonable progress has been achieved, we should then embark on the next steps, by pursuing more advanced levels of economic development.”

“Being a tiger is not important. The important thing is for us to have a sufficient economy. A sufficient economy means to have enough to support ourselves…we have to take a careful step backward…each village or district must have relative self-sufficient.”

His Majesty King Bhumibol Adulyadej

[Krataiboy]

For some reason, I keep having this fantasy image of a small, middle-aged man sitting in a chair facing the sea, ordering the tide not to come in.

[tonbridgebrit]

Obviously, a 'sufficient economy' would be a massive step in the right direction. And it must be done on a national level.

Any nation that imports a lot more than it exports will surely go into decline. Thailand must reduce imports, and this can be done by restricting imports using taxes and tariffs. Thailand has already got imported cars that are sometimes more expensive than the cars in Europe, Thailand should tax all the other imported goods as well. Instead of importing, there should be a giant effort to manufacture the stuff in Thailand itself.

As for Thailand's neighbours, there's no need for Thailand to worry about what Burma, Laos, Cambodia and Vietnam might do if Thailand partially blocks their goods entering Thailand. Them four countries need Thailand more than Thailand needs them.
Cambodia will certainly be scared if Thailand partly blocks Cambodian goods moving onto Burma, Cambodia and Burma need Thailand for the transit of their trade.

If we look at other countries, surely, countries that export more than they import are the successfull countries. Thailand recieves far more tourists than it sends out. So that's tourism sorted. And food. It's not exactly difficult for Thailand to import almost zero food, all food eaten in Thailand will be produced in Thailand, and hey, Thailand can also export some of it's own food production, as in rice.

How about Thailand encourages/demands that foreign companies have got to set up factories to produce goods in Thailand for the Thai market, as in Thailand is going to partly block the goods if they are to be imported into Thailand ??

[Fab5BKK]

1. Back to basics and, more important, economics basics...

I don't want to offend you but there are a good number of solid books about it, and, I'm pretty sure, you'll learn a number of fondamentals...

2. Respect of treaties. Thailand signed a number of them. AEC does come to my mind...

Just my 2 cents

Edited October 15, 2014 by Fab5BKK

[Robespiere]

Obviously, a 'sufficient economy' would be a massive step in the right direction. And it must be done on a national level.

Any nation that imports a lot more than it exports will surely go into decline. Thailand must reduce imports, and this can be done by restricting imports using taxes and tariffs. Thailand has already got imported cars that are sometimes more expensive than the cars in Europe, Thailand should tax all the other imported goods as well. Instead of importing, there should be a giant effort to manufacture the stuff in Thailand itself.

As for Thailand's neighbours, there's no need for Thailand to worry about what Burma, Laos, Cambodia and Vietnam might do if Thailand partially blocks their goods entering Thailand. Them four countries need Thailand more than Thailand needs them.

Cambodia will certainly be scared if Thailand partly blocks Cambodian goods moving onto Burma, Cambodia and Burma need Thailand for the transit of their trade.

If we look at other countries, surely, countries that export more than they import are the successfull countries. Thailand recieves far more tourists than it sends out. So that's tourism sorted. And food. It's not exactly difficult for Thailand to import almost zero food, all food eaten in Thailand will be produced in Thailand, and hey, Thailand can also export some of it's own food production, as in rice.

How about Thailand encourages/demands that foreign companies have got to set up factories to produce goods in Thailand for the Thai market, as in Thailand is going to partly block the goods if they are to be imported into Thailand ??

Your grasp of economics is not quite there yet.

Many of your cures are worse than the disease.