Thailand CANNOT ENDURE as a 'mai pen rai' country

[webfact]

THAI TALK
Thailand CANNOT ENDURE as a 'mai pen rai' country

BANGKOK: -- Despite all the hoopla about the 11 areas of "reform" on the official agenda of the National Reform Council (NRC), there is no real hope that any substantial action will be taken after the proposals are tabled in the next few months.

None of the recommendations will address the country's immediate issues - serious ailments requiring urgent corrective action, regardless of when the next election will be held.

The greatest irony is that there is no guarantee that a return to electoral politics will raise the hope of these problems being more effectively tackled. A military coup can't possibly address the country's deep-rooted issues. In fact, a command-and-control political system, no matter how it is brought about, is always disastrous to the attempt to get the country out of an economic coma. All hope is therefore placed on a return to an election that will provide proper checks and balances to national governance. If past experience is any indication, that assurance could be quite elusive as well.

The list of these "serious symptoms" is long and will get longer if not resolved with clear action plans that involve people from all walks of life and political leanings. Some of the items on the "People's National Agenda" include:

 The ageing society: Officially, there is recognition of the issue. A department within the Public Health Ministry is even labelled the Senior Citizens Unit, but there is a lack of a comprehensive programme that can coordinate work across all ministries. Greater health expenditures and fewer young people coming into the workforce are only two of the obvious problems that will sap the nation's resources beyond existing capacities in the economic, social and political spheres.

 Lack of innovation: Government funding of research-and-development remains abysmal. The private sector's R&D activities are uncoordinated. SMEs (small and medium-sized enterprises) get lip service from all the relevant government agencies and the private sector's professional groups. Start-ups suffer from lack of support from anywhere. Thailand's competitiveness in the regional landscape is eroding rapidly without any genuine efforts to boost innovation.

 The bureaucracy continues its downward spiral. Haunted by the populist politics of the past decade, the best and brightest technocrats have shrunk in number and few are left to challenge the status quo. The country's best minds aren't joining officialdom, preferring to work for the private sector, where they can be more independent and innovative, or to pursue their individual dreams of becoming the new generation of entrepreneurs, as opposed to the traditional sense of job security, by joining the bureaucracy.

 Corruption remains rampant despite all the official talk of cracking down on all aspects of "conflict of interests" within the political and bureaucratic agencies. "Knowing who" is still more important than "knowing how" in getting things done in Thai society.

Because of the prevalence of corrupt practices, law enforcement is weak and inconsistent, resulting in double-standard implementation of the law. The principle of rule of law is therefore never taken seriously.

 Education reform remains elusive. There is no shortage of research into how the country should revamp its education system. Hundreds of committees in various forms and shapes have been set up, abolished, reappointed and dissolved. Tonnes of paperwork on recommendations have been compiled, but the main culprit remains the lack of political will to shake things up, which would inevitably put a dent in vested interests.

None of these issues will be addressed in any effective way by the NRC, or the new steering commission that will replace it, as long as the country's political power remains in the hands of a small group of people, be they in military uniform or electoral mafias who can still use money, power and influence to stay in power or win elections.

Unless citizens at all levels get involved in participatory democracy, backed up by an effective and all-embracing civil society, the "mai pen rai" mentality will reign supreme and the country's political and social health will continue to deteriorate. There is no light at the end of the tunnel.

Without real action to reverse the nation's worsening malaise, the decade-old social and political conflicts that have undermined our democratic institutions will not go away, no matter how many coups or elections are staged.

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/opinion/Thailand-CANNOT-ENDURE-as-a-mai-pen-rai-country-30264053.html


-- The Nation 2015-07-09

[Somtamnication]

Well, as they say here: Mai bpen rai!

[harada]

No no, it's fast trains and submarines that Thailand needs, mai pen rai.

[selftaopath]

But the point is: The rich get richer and the poor get poorer.. oh well... my bpen rai.

And as far as country standings....there's 1st and last.... Somebody must be last. Oh well. If ya keep doin what you're doin you'll keep gettin what you're gettin.

[PatOngo]

Thailand CANNOT ENDURE as a 'mai pen rai' country..............but they will.

[NongKhaiKid]

Thailand CANNOT ENDURE as a 'mai pen rai' country..............but they will.

Yes because it's part of Thainess and as everyone from the PM down tells us only Thais understand.

[clockman]

Good article, but nothing changes!

[Bellringer]

It is said that civilisation creates poverty, and often sees problems that aren't there.

Let's assume they do manage to make a lot of these changes. Let's assume that Thailand does modernise and achieve the status of a true first world nation. And in fact they should! How dare so many Thais not struggle with mortgages, car repayments, runaway political correctness and women who talk back and take half your stuff. They should be working towards all these things until they're as miserable as the rest of us and start to develop a thousand and one quasi existential problems. That's what the Land of Smiles needs!

[trogers]

Many problems that have arose and will be coming to Thailand are the constructs of trying to be a first world nation - money.

If you can't get it by legal means, do it by illegal means, or take on more debts.

[LennyW]

Until they get rid of the corruption from the top down, get counselling for the loss of face syndrome and dispense with the mai pen rai attitude then for sure nothing will change.

[piersbeckett]

Thailand CANNOT ENDURE as a 'mai pen rai' country..............but they will.

Indeed, TIT - whilst watching the tennis on Fox sport, I noted with interest that Thainess was defined in an ad' for Amazing Thailand, the underlying tone being mai pben rai; perhaps I'm wrong but I've not been aware previously of any serious attempt by advertisers or Thai officialdom to actually define it; it was followed by a completely inaccurate BS ad' for Thai Airways!

It might, generally, signify the beginning of the end when a country attempts to define it's collective personality to encourage foreigners to visit but this is Thailand!

Edited July 9, 2015 by piersbeckett

[Loptr]

But the point is: The rich get richer and the poor get poorer.. oh well... my bpen rai.

And as far as country standings....there's 1st and last.... Somebody must be last. Oh well. If ya keep doin what you're doin you'll keep gettin what you're gettin.

Thailand is doing something right if we are to believe the employment statistics... Thailand has the lowest unemployment rate of any nation on the planet... Perhaps more countries should adopt the mai pen rai attitude...

http://data.worldbank.org/indicator/SL.UEM.TOTL.ZS

[HiSoLowSoNoSo]

Will be a hard landing for the 'mai pen rai' country' when they have follow the same rules as the rest of the world.

[clockman]

But the point is: The rich get richer and the poor get poorer.. oh well... my bpen rai.

And as far as country standings....there's 1st and last.... Somebody must be last. Oh well. If ya keep doin what you're doin you'll keep gettin what you're gettin.

Thailand is doing something right if we are to believe the employment statistics... Thailand has the lowest unemployment rate of any nation on the planet... Perhaps more countries should adopt the mai pen rai attitude...

http://data.worldbank.org/indicator/SL.UEM.TOTL.ZS

But as there is no transparency in any sector. This is just talk!

[Manbing]

I don't understand the thrust of this story?

The writer suggests that there are a raft of problems that the current government isn't addressing. R and D, aging society, SME support,corruption, education and innovation reforms.

Sure, I will go further and complain that the government haven't supplied us with flying cars or managed to cure cancer.

They must therefore have failed.

Its a 1 yrs old military government with the intended purpose of settling the populace and beginning on a course of reconciliation. They need to address other issues that are impediments to then supplying a workable constitution that tries to enable future governments to not break down and facilitate government to serve the interests of a divided nation.

Name one other country that has managed to address the list of isses stated in the article.

Every single 1st world western developed nation will make the same criticisms of their own countries.

1 government and 1 constitution can't fix everything. Its naive to think it can.

.

Edited July 9, 2015 by Manbing

[ezzra]

It's like saying Thais can't eat rice any longer or wait for a government's hand outs...

Near impossible to achieve, to change the mind's set of many generations not easy

to do, everything thing in this country is based on the Mai pen rai ideology and

teachings, from the top of the top to the lowly person in the street......

[jlwilliamsjr18]

Thailand's long road to doom has been at play for a long time, perhaps since WW2. A country who wants the whole world to worship all they stand for, yet doesn't like interference. Sure... it's the same all over the world, but that's no excuse. The very essence of it's character will rapidly dissipate in the Globalization game of same-same but different. The different is a mirage.

[hgma]

The mai pen rai attitude, a cult created with intend,is responsible for the current situation, while the General,want a game changer .....everything PEN RAI!!

[Seastallion]

The People's Agenda points are good.

There is one other major setback to progress; Face.

As long as mai pen rai and face are a part of the fabric of society, Thailand will not advance, but regress.

[sammygood]

TIT

what do you expect? good education ? people who actually live by the precepts of buddah, or replaced it all by greed ?

[Yunla]

I think the OP raises a few good points, but with a few loose-ends, and several of the problems listed would apply equally well to many developed western nations. Mai pen rai obviously is used in positive and negative ways, it can be used positively as a way to cope with the hardships of working life, brushing off problems with a shrug. Similar phrases are used to cope with problems and to laugh-off injustices in working-class communities around the world. Obviously the same phrases can also be used negatively after a person has done shoddy work or doesn't care about something important, and in this aspect I agree with the OP.

On the "cannot endure" part I am less concurring. Most Thais I know work very hard and have strong survival traits, which is a form of intelligence that even the best schools cannot teach. So in that sense I see this nation as more resilient than many developed western nations. As I type this, the sweepers are in the street outside, as they are in even the worst heatwaves, working hard and sharing jokes and being positive about their work. When I talk to them they always share a smile with me, and it is not a fake smile either, they are tough old girls who are happy sweeping and take great pride in their work. I had my bathroom repaired recently, the workman showed up early, I thanked him for his promptness and he said "mai pen rai" and proceeded to do an outstanding job on re-bricking and tiling a large area. I paid him the small sum he asked for and tipped him, he refused the tip shyly, three times, and in the end I had to almost force the tip into his hand. He was very polite and friendly. I compare that to back home, the guys who did similar bathroom work in Leeds tried to charge me an 'arrival fee' just for showing up at my door, late, charged a fortune for the work, which was shoddy, and just scowled the whole time and spat in the yard as they left. Obviously there are good and bad workers in all nations, and I'm not stereotyping, only that in my experience Thailand should be rightly proud of its working people, who are hardworking and resilient enough to "endure" many of the issues listed in the OP. And that mai pen rai and similar phrases around the world can be used as a way to downsize huge problems and enable working people to cope with those smaller problems in their daily lives.

I do agree with the OP on the education issues, that is a whole huge topic in itself and most experts say that reforms are urgently needed in education here. I also agree with the OP on corruption etc. and the need for everyone to engage in positive consensus-seeking discussions on politics more in future. But I am slower to share the downward trend pictured here, and I don't share the views of mai pen rai as being a constant negative factor in this trend.

Edited July 9, 2015 by Yunla

[does]

Well said, Manbing! Look at the EU countries, where inequality is growing and social welfare is gutted.

Make a list of the top 10 problems that faced the US when Obama was elected and tell me which of these problems were solved.

A recent report said Thailand has the lowest unemploment rate in the world. I known, stats can lie (hidden unemployment, under-employment, etc.), but I have yet to see "bread lines" or soup kitchens in Thailand, which are common in the "advanced" countries in the EU, even in the so-called rich north.

I don't understand the thrust of this story?

The writer suggests that there are a raft of problems that the current government isn't addressing. R and D, aging society, SME support,corruption, education and innovation reforms.

Sure, I will go further and complain that the government haven't supplied us with flying cars or managed to cure cancer.

They must therefore have failed.

Its a 1 yrs old military government with the intended purpose of settling the populace and beginning on a course of reconciliation. They need to address other issues that are impediments to then supplying a workable constitution that tries to enable future governments to not break down and facilitate government to serve the interests of a divided nation.

Name one other country that has managed to address the list of isses stated in the article.

Every single 1st world western developed nation will make the same criticisms of their own countries.

1 government and 1 constitution can't fix everything. Its naive to think it can.

.

[noahvail]

Well said, Manbing! Look at the EU countries, where inequality is growing and social welfare is gutted.

Make a list of the top 10 problems that faced the US when Obama was elected and tell me which of these problems were solved.

A recent report said Thailand has the lowest unemploment rate in the world. I known, stats can lie (hidden unemployment, under-employment, etc.), but I have yet to see "bread lines" or soup kitchens in Thailand, which are common in the "advanced" countries in the EU, even in the so-called rich north.

I'll just address your last paragraph. In my province in Issan, the employment rate is about 25% and it doubles to 50% twice a year - at planting and harvesting times. The rest of the time, the unemployed at home with their families. The pawn shops do a brisk business between those times.

You don't see bread lines or soup kitchens for three reasons, I think. The first is face - but that's everywhere in the world. The second is family which provides for them, often by means of a family member working in Bangkok and sending money back. The third is friends. My wife often brings a stack of meals to friends when she hears through the grapevine that they are out of food and money. She won't give them money, but will have them do some of the chores I'm no longer able to do and pay them more than the job is worth, because Face.

It's a different culture here, you have to dig deeper.

[Guest]

Been here since the 12th century ... mai pen rai.

[BuddhistVirus]

Been here since the 12th century ... mai pen rai.

Wow! You must be very very old...

[soalbundy]

Mai pen rai is everywhere, in Australia, ''she'll be alright'', in England, ''that'll do'' in Germany ''passt schon''. Perfection is the prerogative of the firing squad.

[Thaddeus]

Mai pen rai works up until the point when there is no beer in the fridge and no food on the table.

What then?

''oops, didn't see that coming''

[tigermoth]

I agree with Yunia concerning the average Thai worker. They try very hard and the only failing is what is the root cause of Thailand's problem, EDUCATION. The minority in power do not want the average Thai to be educated otherwise their elitist and corrupt regime will crumble. Education leads to innovation and innovation is what has created all advanced civilisation since we swung in the trees. The recent and ongoing student debacle is an example of the terror education holds for the powerbrokers of this country which will ultimately destroy their cosy world. Actually I'm not sure if they even understand what education even means.

[does]

Agreed, Noahvail. There is a lot of hidden poverty which is softened by family bonds and community spirit.

I would argue that many western countries could benefit from (re)developed a similar communal/sharing culture.

Well said, Manbing! Look at the EU countries, where inequality is growing and social welfare is gutted.

Make a list of the top 10 problems that faced the US when Obama was elected and tell me which of these problems were solved.

A recent report said Thailand has the lowest unemploment rate in the world. I known, stats can lie (hidden unemployment, under-employment, etc.), but I have yet to see "bread lines" or soup kitchens in Thailand, which are common in the "advanced" countries in the EU, even in the so-called rich north.

I'll just address your last paragraph. In my province in Issan, the employment rate is about 25% and it doubles to 50% twice a year - at planting and harvesting times. The rest of the time, the unemployed at home with their families. The pawn shops do a brisk business between those times.

You don't see bread lines or soup kitchens for three reasons, I think. The first is face - but that's everywhere in the world. The second is family which provides for them, often by means of a family member working in Bangkok and sending money back. The third is friends. My wife often brings a stack of meals to friends when she hears through the grapevine that they are out of food and money. She won't give them money, but will have them do some of the chores I'm no longer able to do and pay them more than the job is worth, because Face.

It's a different culture here, you have to dig deeper.

[Mister Fixit]

Good article, but nothing changes!

As the French say, 'Plus ca change, plus ca meme chose'.

'The more things change, the more they stay the same'.

Could have been written for Thailand, all those centuries ago ...