Move Over Thailand, the Philippines is Southeast Asia's Strong Man

[elgordo38]

Bloomberg is talking out of their butt hole.

That poor archipelago is a basket case filled with poor people who were just admonished by the pope to "stop breeding like rabbits".

Half the country's population can barely scrape up enough income to feed their families a bit of rice every day.

One of the best paying jobs for college grads is call center agent making less than the equivalent of 10K baht a month.

There is so much globalist propaganda being published these days that I nearly vomit every day from things I read that I know are blatant l

I wonder what percentage of the rich control half or more of the country??

[Monkeyrobot]

"Thai economy has since floundered because of military coups, floods and persistent political uncertainty"

All things of the past.

The future is bright.

Stability is back and the Government is taking care of that.

Thailand will flourish again in the coming years.

The longer they govern the better for Thailand and it's people.

God or Buddha forbid we go back to the previous political situation and turmoil.

[arrowsdawdle]

Bloomberg is talking out of their butt hole.

That poor archipelago is a basket case filled with poor people who were just admonished by the pope to "stop breeding like rabbits".

Half the country's population can barely scrape up enough income to feed their families a bit of rice every day.

One of the best paying jobs for college grads is call center agent making less than the equivalent of 10K baht a month.

There is so much globalist propaganda being published these days that I nearly vomit every day from things I read that I know are blatant lies.

What kind of masochist are you...quit reading.

[Monkeyrobot]

"Thai economy has since floundered because of military coups, floods and persistent political uncertainty"

All things of the past.

The future is bright.

Stability is back and the Government is taking care of that.

Thailand will flourish again in the coming years.

The longer they govern the better for Thailand and it's people.

God or Buddha forbid we go back to the previous political situation and turmoil.

What Goverment ? You mean the Junta that calls people in for attitude adjustment , they are not a goverment . I wonder where the general accumulated all his wealth?

[phrisco17]

"Thai economy has since floundered because of military coups, floods and persistent political uncertainty

All things of the past.

The future is bright.

Stability is back and the Government is taking care of that.

Thailand will flourish again in the coming years.

The longer they govern the better for Thailand and it's people.

God or Buddha forbid we go back to the previous political situation and turmoil.

Beware history repeats especially in LOS!

[phrisco17]

Bloomberg is talking out of their butt hole.

That poor archipelago is a basket case filled with poor people who were just admonished by the pope to "stop breeding like rabbits".

Half the country's population can barely scrape up enough income to feed their families a bit of rice every day.

One of the best paying jobs for college grads is call center agent making less than the equivalent of 10K baht a month.

There is so much globalist propaganda being published these days that I nearly vomit every day from things I read that I know are blatant lies.

And just what percentage of the 68 million little smilleys make 10k Baht or more per month? Not very many!

[phrisco17]

"Thai economy has since floundered because of military coups, floods and persistent political uncertainty"

All things of the past.

The future is bright.

Stability is back and the Government is taking care of that.

Thailand will flourish again in the coming years.

The longer they govern the better for Thailand and it's people.

God or Buddha forbid we go back to the previous political situation and turmoil.

Coups are all things of the past, huh? You don't understand that businesses don't want to invest where there is instability including coups.

The Phils have a huge labor pool in the needed age group due to higher birth rates. It's hard to find Thais who will really work.

The US has just reached agreement to move back into Subic Bay and Clark Air Force Base which will give the Phil's economy an even greater boost.

Thailand is starting to suck air with falling tourism and falling exports. The Phils are growing.

You may not like what you read but the numbers are there. Thailand is yesterday's rising star.

And tomorrow's sinking ship!

[sojourner007]

Is this why so many from the Philippines have come to Thailand seeking a much higher wage than they can get at home?

Wages in Thailand are not high compared to most places, but much higher than in the Philippines.

The following is from wiki and 2014 statistics:

Just for a good comparison, the minimum wage for the Philippines is $1 per day in the non-plantation agricultural sector for the countryside. When working in the national capital, the minimum wage increases to about $2 per day. Unfortunately, when these minimum wages per day are quote for the non-agricultural sector, the agriculture wages are probably much lower and calculated based on the crop.

That is somewhere around 35-70 THB per day!

I would call the Philippines a "not so strong man"!!!

I think at the end of 2015 when ASEAN kicks into gear we will see a flood of people from the Philippines in Thailand seeking employment.

Unlike Thais, most Philippine people speak fairly good English..a requirement for ASEAN.

Just saying...

Bar ladies in the Philippines earn practically the same money as their Thai counterparts. Also unlike Thais, something like 10% of Filipinos work overseas and earn much higher salaries than Thais do at home. So overall I think Filipinos make more money per person than Thais.

Filipinos working over seas earn much higher salaries than Thaisa do at home"

Ummm...errrr, excuse me, This is about what they earn in the Philippines, not overseas.

Did we get lost somewhere?

Thais who go overseas to work can make pretty high salaries as well.

In fact, just about anyone from SE Asia who has the ways and means to get to the U.S can probably earn more in one hour than they can in a day or even a week in their home country.

I don't follow your logic, is there any?

Actually the topic is about the Philippines growing faster economically than Thailand. And while Filippinos employed in agriculture do perhaps earn less than Thai counterparts, salaries of Filippinos in other industries, like entertainment, are the same as Thais'. And yet another large part of the population, much larger relative to total population than in Thailand, works overseas earning much more than workers in Thailand do. Income of bar girls and overseas workers won't even show up in average salary figures in the country's statistics. It's entirely possible that when the grey economy and overseas income are taken into account, the statistical average earnings would be much close to Thai level. Thais are much worse than Filippinos at exporting their skills, partly due to lack of English language skills but also because of lack of interest in other countries.

[phrisco17]

Is this why so many from the Philippines have come to Thailand seeking a much higher wage than they can get at home?

Wages in Thailand are not high compared to most places, but much higher than in the Philippines.

The following is from wiki and 2014 statistics:

Just for a good comparison, the minimum wage for the Philippines is $1 per day in the non-plantation agricultural sector for the countryside. When working in the national capital, the minimum wage increases to about $2 per day. Unfortunately, when these minimum wages per day are quote for the non-agricultural sector, the agriculture wages are probably much lower and calculated based on the crop.

That is somewhere around 35-70 THB per day!

I would call the Philippines a "not so strong man"!!!

I think at the end of 2015 when ASEAN kicks into gear we will see a flood of people from the Philippines in Thailand seeking employment.

Unlike Thais, most Philippine people speak fairly good English..a requirement for ASEAN.

Just saying...

What you're saying is correct. They're hungrier and will set their sites on the tourism industry where English is an asset. And, going based what I've read and been told they'll work cheaper.

And probably harder, more responsible and more customer service oriented!

[rickirs]

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"Thai economy has since floundered because of military coups, floods and persistent political uncertainty"

All things of the past.

The future is bright.

Stability is back and the Government is taking care of that.

Thailand will flourish again in the coming years.

The longer they govern the better for Thailand and it's people.

God or Buddha forbid we go back to the previous political situation and turmoil.

Too bad Buddha can't forbid future military coups.But then Buddhists can't vote.

[aboctok]

"Thai economy has since floundered because of military coups, floods and persistent political uncertainty"

All things of the past.

The future is bright.

Stability is back and the Government is taking care of that.

Thailand will flourish again in the coming years.

The longer they govern the better for Thailand and it's people.

God or Buddha forbid we go back to the previous political situation and turmoil.

Yes, I went to a tarot card reader yesterday, and she said that floods and coups are indeed things of the past.

So, that takes care of that. I'm very relieved I'll never have to worry about either of those things ever again.

Wait a sec... o_O

[Suffinator]

"Thai economy has since floundered because of military coups, floods and persistent political uncertainty"

All things of the past.

The future is bright.

Stability is back and the Government is taking care of that.

Thailand will flourish again in the coming years.

The longer they govern the better for Thailand and it's people.

God or Buddha forbid we go back to the previous political situation and turmoil.

Whatever you are on I'd like a pint of it then I too could take a trip to the clouds.

[Suffinator]

I wonder who in the US gov gave Bloomberg a push to publish such rubbish. Certainly it's a good way to have a dig

[Just1Voice]

I wonder who in the US gov gave Bloomberg a push to publish such rubbish. Certainly it's a good way to have a dig

Did you ever stop to consider that Bloomberg did it all on their own, without any "push"? Nah, that wouldn't fit into your yellow thinking, now would it?

[mike2011]

+1

Nice to read that there is less corruption now. These claims come up once in a while, Ms Arroyo made the same statement that was before she was arrested - for corruption.

The elites question the peace deal in the South and Mr president has an abyssmal record. But then relief work in Visayas was a huge success. Many fortunes were made and other got bigger. Zero accountability means no corruption detected.

Millions still sitting in the accounts of government agencies and gaining interest while the poor suffer

I wonder how much of the applauded growth is due to the rabbit phenomenon, rebuilding after disaster, increased value of transfer due to the devaluation of Peso to USD (about 8-10%) while the transfers of OFW are in USD.

The Philippines are a rich country with a poor population.

[wowfactor10]

Philipines Its clearly a much better choice.

much nicer and way more polite citizens there and 95 % is fluent in English..

Hello...

And no dumb stupid Visa rules ...just pay and in and out u go...

[Alwyn]

Bloomberg is talking out of their butt hole.

That poor archipelago is a basket case filled with poor people who were just admonished by the pope to "stop breeding like rabbits".

Half the country's population can barely scrape up enough income to feed their families a bit of rice every day.

One of the best paying jobs for college grads is call center agent making less than the equivalent of 10K baht a month.

There is so much globalist propaganda being published these days that I nearly vomit every day from things I read that I know are blatant lies.

and yet growth is at 6.0% last quarter. If the Philippines are that useless, what does that say for Thailand?

[Asia2000]

Source: http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-01-30/move-over-thailand-the-philippines-is-southeast-asia-s-strong-man

[steveG]

I think a few here talk about experience way back in time, or rumors only.

How many of you have actually spent some times in the Philippines the last 3 years ?

It's unfair to compare Thailand vs Philippines, as people always tend to do. If one want to compare, compare two countries that are more equal like Cambodia vs Philippines.

It's not like it was 5-10 years ago. I lived here only 2 years but in that time, I seen a remarkable change. More people find employment. people have more money to spend, foreign companies are investing here. Salaries are increasing.

Some says the high population growth is negative, is it really?

Today more families can afford to give their children a good education. And in the future more Filipinos will work overseas, and send money home, improving their families life, and increasing Philippines USD reserve found.

Like it or not, Philippines sees a good growth in many fields, and tourist numbers has doubled last 10 year.

Wages in the Philippines

http://www.payscale.com/research/PH/Industry=Call_Center/Salary

Edit; Minimum wages in 2015 is 340 peso per day = 7,90 USD per day

1. Of course huge families causing huge population is negative. Im guessing you have never been outside your ivory towers there to visit families with 4, 5, 6 and many with more kids struggling to survive and eat....there are many, open your eyes and see.

2. Sending kids to work abroad is NEGATIVE as only the educated ones leave to work abroad (often on less than the salary of the people in the country they move to) and send money back which has been a huge problem in RP for years and is a self perpetuating spiral of trouble. Phils needs to encourage its people to stay and build their own economy with their talents NOT go abroad and help someone elses economy by providing a cheap labour force. Until wages increase significantly, this will always be a restraint on RPs growth.

Minimum wage ?? hahahahahahham get real, yes on paper, NO in reality.

Yes, foreign companies are investing there, and yes tourism is increasing as the govt is finally working hard to push the tourist industry as they realise at last that it is a great way to boost the economy, but the infrastructure is still as terrible as it's always been.

In the 12 years Ive been travelling to, working and living in Phils Ive seen small improvements, but the problem is, the improved economy is benefitting the already rich greatly, and the very poor only slightly.

I see no less street kids and homeless on the city streets, i see NO improvement in my friends lives who live in the shanties of MM, and only a tiny improvement to the lives of friends out in the provinces. For the huge majority it's still an extremely difficult and impoverished existence and its p1sses me off when people paint it out to be anything other than that.

I live in Thailand now, as i cant afford to live there anymore until I retire and of course, it's nigh on impossible to get paid work in Phils, but still visit often. RP is the most amazing beautiful place in the world and the people simply the best. Thailand could learn a lot.

My friend, Im glad youve set up home ther and are happy, but ID suggest you look outside your comfort zone a little to learn a lot, your experience and enjoyment will improve even more.

Everybody has focused on Thailand and Pi.

WRT the those nationals travelling abroad to make money - please look at India nationals - they are in every country in the world. In places like the Middle East making very good business. I see no reason why Pi people will not do the same.

Thais to not tend to travel very well. With the level population growth will do well internally but will remain insular.

[tlcwaterfall]

"Thai economy has since floundered because of military coups, floods and persistent political uncertainty"

All things of the past.

The future is bright.

Stability is back and the Government is taking care of that.

Thailand will flourish again in the coming years.

The longer they govern the better for Thailand and it's people.

God or Buddha forbid we go back to the previous political situation and turmoil.

Nice Thought,but only that I'm afraid. Wait till 2016. The Philippines and its people will show the rest of South East Asia how investing in its education system in the past is about to pay off in its future. The Philippines will become the Hub of South East Asia,inviting more and more outside investment.The Americans are already seeing the possibilities and reopening their bases there. Thailand's economy is on the slide and most major investment subject to review. Cozying up to China is going to be Thailand's downfall.

The US are seeing the "possibilities"...Sure....Its will need military bases there in a new War..and the Phillis will regret that "friendship"...

The Americans going back will not only greatly boost the economy it will also help prevent a future war. The Philippines are in a strategic position and will allow the Americans greater flexibility to stop the incessant march and influence of the Chinese.

[tlcwaterfall]

"Thai economy has since floundered because of military coups, floods and persistent political uncertainty"

All things of the past.

The future is bright.

Stability is back and the Government is taking care of that.

Thailand will flourish again in the coming years.

The longer they govern the better for Thailand and it's people.

God or Buddha forbid we go back to the previous political situation and turmoil.

Whatever you are on I'd like a pint of it then I too could take a trip to the clouds.

I want some too. Wait till the present unelected government are removed. Only then will we see how fair, honest and incorruptible they have been during their illegal reign.

Remember power corrupts and and absolute power corrupts absolutely. So far the country is applauding the governments many good actions. Time will tell if these actions are merely a smoke screen for other less savoury actions.

[gk10002000]

"Thai economy has since floundered because of military coups, floods and persistent political uncertainty"

All things of the past.

The future is bright.

Stability is back and the Government is taking care of that.

Thailand will flourish again in the coming years.

The longer they govern the better for Thailand and it's people.

God or Buddha forbid we go back to the previous political situation and turmoil.

Stability is back until the next junta or coup takes over. This is not the definition of stable when a constitution is ignored or suspended at will, when most officials are not elected, when the civilian police does not get involved and the military always comes in when there are disputes.

[NeverSure]

"Thai economy has since floundered because of military coups, floods and persistent political uncertainty"

All things of the past.

The future is bright.

Stability is back and the Government is taking care of that.

Thailand will flourish again in the coming years.

The longer they govern the better for Thailand and it's people.

God or Buddha forbid we go back to the previous political situation and turmoil.

Nice Thought,but only that I'm afraid. Wait till 2016. The Philippines and its people will show the rest of South East Asia how investing in its education system in the past is about to pay off in its future. The Philippines will become the Hub of South East Asia,inviting more and more outside investment.The Americans are already seeing the possibilities and reopening their bases there. Thailand's economy is on the slide and most major investment subject to review. Cozying up to China is going to be Thailand's downfall.

Good post. More: Filipinos, for the large part, are fluent in English. Filipinos have a stronger work ethic. Due to higher birth rates, the Phils have the labor force in the needed age group looking for work. The Phils have a leader who is determined to see commerce grow. The Phils, having been colonized, are not nearly as xenophobic as is Thailand. The Phils don't have the Thai sense of entitlement. The Phils have a lower wage and fewer demands. The Phils have (now) a more stable government.

I could go on...

[Baerboxer]

Move Over Thailand, the Philippines is Southeast Asia's Strong Man

That is a Joke, right? For instant: Try to "Google" > Manila Port Conjunction.

Note the comment comes from a Philippine government spokes person. Wishful thinking.

Rife with corruption, a more virulent terrorist issue, vast poverty, poor infrastructure and a government that controls the free movement of its people. I feel much safer going out somewhere in Thailand than I do in Philippines.

[Baerboxer]

"Thai economy has since floundered because of military coups, floods and persistent political uncertainty"

All things of the past.

The future is bright.

Stability is back and the Government is taking care of that.

Thailand will flourish again in the coming years.

The longer they govern the better for Thailand and it's people.

God or Buddha forbid we go back to the previous political situation and turmoil.

Nice Thought,but only that I'm afraid. Wait till 2016. The Philippines and its people will show the rest of South East Asia how investing in its education system in the past is about to pay off in its future. The Philippines will become the Hub of South East Asia,inviting more and more outside investment.The Americans are already seeing the possibilities and reopening their bases there. Thailand's economy is on the slide and most major investment subject to review. Cozying up to China is going to be Thailand's downfall.

Good post. More: Filipinos, for the large part, are fluent in English. Filipinos have a stronger work ethic. Due to higher birth rates, the Phils have the labor force in the needed age group looking for work. The Phils have a leader who is determined to see commerce grow. The Phils, having been colonized, are not nearly as xenophobic as is Thailand. The Phils don't have the Thai sense of entitlement. The Phils have a lower wage and fewer demands. The Phils have (now) a more stable government.

I could go on...

Not IME. Whilst it's true English is much more widely spoken the levels of fluency are very variable. Many do not have a very good command of English.

The work ethic is also variable. I've been to Korean owned factories where the workforce were not self motivated and would do as little as possible. I've been to a development bank HQ where many well 'qualified" young Filipino graduates struggle with basic concepts, levels of English and are not the most productive.

Over 20 years, IME, they have certainly progressed. But they are still very much a developing country, with massive challenges in education, poverty reduction, corruption, law enforcement and elimination control by a the usual Asian rich fat cat family syndrome.

There are more educated Filipinos now, and a huge number choose to work overseas due to zero or very restricted opportunity at home. But they have a long long way to go - and no way are they the strong man of Asia, ASEAN or anywhere else.

[josuede]

I think much of SEA's future wealth is heading towards the Philippines

http://bisean.blogspot.se/2007/10/southeast-asias-richest-cities-by-2020.html

[kiagarci]

If the US bases are officially opening again (since they never really closed...where Subic, for example, is in pristine condition) that will add at least 1-2 million new jobs. The number of Koreans traveling and investing in the PI is growing at an astonishing rate. There are several million Filipino born Americans that are now reaching retirement age and plan to bring their pensions and other accumulated wealth with them. In Japan there is what is known as the "Big Push" to relocate a large number of their elderly population to the Asian equivalent of South Florida with the Philippines being one of the top choices due to the huge numbers of unemployed nurses and other care givers who will work for a fraction of what it costs to hire an RN in Japan, especially for 24 hour care. This is becoming an increasingly attractive option for Japanese companies who simply will not be able to afford their pension obligations without said option. The value of the Peso is artificially surpressed for several reasons. This is no secret and the potential for a currency appreciation of 20-30% over the next few years has lured a steady flow of foreign capital. Those who came in when the Peso was 57 and bought real estate and turned around a few years later and sold it at 40 to the dollar did very well. If all of the trends that I've mentioned above continue my prediction is 30:1 Peso to Dollar by 2020. I'm not saying that it will stay at 30:1....probably settle at 35:1 where it probably already should be valued if the markets were not so globally controlled and manipulated by exotic instruments of finance like derivatives. In other words there is opportunity everywhere, especially for those with a long-term perspective.

This leads me to the attitude of the average Filipino....they are of the attitude that is "to see is to believe". In other words they live for the day and on faith that food will somehow find its way into their bellies...and the reason they breed like rabbits is because children are seen as a guaranteed pension and retirement package. Do the math...if a couple have 10 children who send, on average, $100 per month of their wages to their parents, that's $1000...an amount that goes a long way for a couple in their 50's living in the province. The result is a cycle of poverty, apathy, and exploitation that starts and is reinforced by the fundamental culture of the lower 90%. I have had conversations with many foreigners who genuinely wanted to start companies or other projects that paid their staff on an incentive basis...where the potential for a non college graduate to earn $1000-$2000 US per month was very doable based on their commitment to standards of quality and consistency. What was the result? Mutiny and failure each and every time even if there were staff who put in a solid 8-10 hour work day and acted like a consumate professional resulting in even better than $2000 per month. The other staff dismissed the example while expecting to be paid competitively even if they produced relatively nothing. It's what is locally known as the "crab mentality"....where if you put a bunch of crabs in a bucket those at the bottom will spend their energy pulling the escaping crabs back down rather than working together to build a bridge or ladder so that all the crabs may rise up together. Another example...go shopping anywhere and wait for someone to tell you that something is "out of stock". Then test them to see if they are either too lazy to do their job or were even listening to you to know exactly what you are talking about. I bust people all the time in these scenarios.

In conclusion the Philippines has all of the raw potential to be the capstone of a global pyramid of sorts. But until the raw damaged culture of the basic family unit is corrected, conditions for the average citizen will remain relatively unchanged. As others have said English proficiency is good for women (who make up most of the educated workforce) and gay men. But for most other Filipino males, unless they went to private schools their entire youth, they cannot speak it and have a very hard time understanding basic English. While it's true that Filipinos are "renowned" as being hospitable and friendly, get them behind closed doors and they talk as much trash, spit in food, and steal shamelessly from their employers...all with a big smile and a humble handshake. In conclusion, people are people and these attitudes are global, just in differing variations and flavors. I just had to add this little piece of balance to dispell all of the crap that I hear whenever it comes up...and more often than not its people telling you how they "are". With a little patience and attention to detail, the truth will quickly be revealed.

Unfortunately I can't give the same kind of analysis on Thailand.

[MrWorldwide]

Let's cut to the chase - is it correct that when ASEAN comes into play Filipinas will be able to work in Thailand legally without the current bureaucratic nightmare ? I think the writing is on the wall for a large chunk of the existing Farang bar industry anyway, but the old fatties currently embedded on various barstools around this town might like to consider getting back on the bus to Isaan sooner rather than later. On a more serious note, I dont want to see the same situation as Johor where Indonesian workers who came to Malaysia to take advantage of the building boom found themselves unemployed and promptly took to theft to survive. Interesting times ahead for everyone.

[willyumiii]

I know many Philippine people who live and work in Thailand.

When I ask them why they come to Thailand to work for a relatively low wage, they laugh and reply,

" In the Philippines we work for about 30 baht per day..Thailand pays much better than that!"

[ding]

"Thai economy has since floundered because of military coups, floods and persistent political uncertainty"

All things of the past.

The future is bright.

Stability is back and the Government is taking care of that.

Thailand will flourish again in the coming years.

The longer they govern the better for Thailand and it's people.

God or Buddha forbid we go back to the previous political situation and turmoil.

Coups are all things of the past, huh? You don't understand that businesses don't want to invest where there is instability including coups.

...

Not so. US corporations have fostered coups and even assasinations throughout modern history vis-a-vis governemnt agency or military action. Please do your homework.This is no state secret. What they do favor is a corporatist regime controlling the country - assuring a favorable climate for the interests of multi national corporations. No worries, just how it is in real life. You can be sure of that NeverSure.

Where do you get your information?