Thailand is classified as a lower middle income developing nation. In southeast Asia it has the second largest economy, surpassed only by Indonesia. The economy is primarily export dependent, with exports accounting for about 60% of the gross domestic product, which is about $230 billion. As of October 26th, 2007, the exchange rate is 37 thai baht to one U.S. dollar. Thailand is the 4th richest nation in the area, following Singapore, Brunei, and Malaysia. Thailand has a strong automotive and electronics manufacturing industry, which comprise the majority of the countries exports. Agriculture is the traditional Thai industry, but the past few decades have shown a decrease in agriculture with the growth of exports. Tourism is a significant contributor to the Thai economy. Economic growth after the recent coup has slowed to about 4% annually, down from 5-7% with the previous administration. This is in part due to a slowing of foreign investment because of the country's political uncertainty. Since the 1970's, the country's economy had grown an average of 9% annually, then slowed in the late 90's. The current growth rate represents a slump in the overall economy.
Bangkok and its surrounding areas are the center of economic activity, with the "infertile" northeast being the poorest part of the country, and the recent insurgency in the south contributing greatly to the decline in economic growth. Currently the transportation, power generation, and communications industries are state-owned, though the government is considering privatizing them in the wake of the current financial crisis.
About 49% of the Thai work force is employed in the agricultural industry, which is dominated by the cultivation of rice. The U.S. is Thailands largest exporter.
Polls discover that only 40% of the population know that the election is scheduled for Dec. 23rd.
Thailand's beloved king has been hospitalized for the past few weeks, but reports say that his condition is improving and he has been able to walk after a period of immobilization.
Sunday, October 28, 2007
Sunday, October 21, 2007
Flooding continues in Thailand this week. A farm in North Thailand flooded realeasing 11 crocodiles into nearby canals. Men armed with shotguns patrol the rivers to account for the missing reptiles.
A survey of Thai citizens found that two out of three individuals were willing to accept bribes for votes in the upcoming election, while 8 of 10 said they would not report corruption if they were asked to accept a bribe. This follows with the probationary governments fears that the election will not be a truly democratic one.
Fact- 7-11 is the largest convenience store chain in Thailand. There are more 7-11's in Bangkok than Starbucks in Seattle, some are even right across the street from each other. This week the chain formerly known as CP 7-Eleven Plc has changed its name to CP All in an effort to expand its market to other retail stores as well as the classic 7-11, though the convenience stores will maintain their original logo. The U.S. based trademark owner is the only 7-Eleven subsidiary that uses 7-Eleven as their corporate name. As an aside, the authorized operator of 7-Eleven in Taiwan goes by the corporate name President Chain, and also operates Starbucks and a courrier buisiness within the country. The Thai CP All is looking to expand its influence in Southeast Asia and hopes to recieve the 7-Eleven operator contract in Veitnam. Now, the company controll about 4,200 7-Eleven's in Thailand, and hopes to increase that number to 7,000 within the next few years.
The economic growth forecast is percieved to be between 4.3 and 4.8%, up from the initially projected 4% after exports exceeded what had been expected.
In area news, Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas is scheduled to meet with Indonesian president this week to discuss the crisis in the Middle East and press the Palestinian cause. Indonesia is the most populous Muslim country in the world, with 235 million people, and more than 95% of whom are Muslim. Indonesia does not recognize Israel as a legitimate nation...
A survey of Thai citizens found that two out of three individuals were willing to accept bribes for votes in the upcoming election, while 8 of 10 said they would not report corruption if they were asked to accept a bribe. This follows with the probationary governments fears that the election will not be a truly democratic one.
Fact- 7-11 is the largest convenience store chain in Thailand. There are more 7-11's in Bangkok than Starbucks in Seattle, some are even right across the street from each other. This week the chain formerly known as CP 7-Eleven Plc has changed its name to CP All in an effort to expand its market to other retail stores as well as the classic 7-11, though the convenience stores will maintain their original logo. The U.S. based trademark owner is the only 7-Eleven subsidiary that uses 7-Eleven as their corporate name. As an aside, the authorized operator of 7-Eleven in Taiwan goes by the corporate name President Chain, and also operates Starbucks and a courrier buisiness within the country. The Thai CP All is looking to expand its influence in Southeast Asia and hopes to recieve the 7-Eleven operator contract in Veitnam. Now, the company controll about 4,200 7-Eleven's in Thailand, and hopes to increase that number to 7,000 within the next few years.
The economic growth forecast is percieved to be between 4.3 and 4.8%, up from the initially projected 4% after exports exceeded what had been expected.
In area news, Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas is scheduled to meet with Indonesian president this week to discuss the crisis in the Middle East and press the Palestinian cause. Indonesia is the most populous Muslim country in the world, with 235 million people, and more than 95% of whom are Muslim. Indonesia does not recognize Israel as a legitimate nation...
Sunday, October 14, 2007
A cave flood at a park in Southern Thailand claimed the lives of six European tourists and their two Thai guided this week. The cave is located about 400 km south of Bangkok. There was only a single survival of the ordeal, 21 year old Helena Christina Carol of Britain, who had been trapped in the cave for over 20 hours. Among the deceased were both Swiss and German tourists. Water in the cave rose to the cieling after 3 hours of heavy rain. This has been a very bad monsoon season for the country, with many fatalities due to the increase in rain. Scientists have suggested that the increase in precipitation is due in part to global warming, and predict that conditions will worsen over time.
Apichart Sukhakkhanant, chairman of the Thai Election Commission warned political parties to refrain from any form of vote-buying in the upcoming December elections. He continued to say that any such infraction will result in the exclusion of such parties from the election. There are over 80 political parties that will participate in the election, though it is predicted that the majority of votes will be devoted to only two (slightly reminiscent of American elections, only with a bit more noise in the votes, and possibly less corruption).
In other news, the fortune telling buisiness in Thailand is booming due to an increase in availability through internet and telephone services. Fortune telling has been a long-time cultural practice in the face of uncertainty, and with internet fortune tellers, Thai people can access these revelations from the comfort of their own homes- for a price! Shineedotcom, a fortune telling company with over 200 professionally employed fortune tellers has reported an average of over 2 thousand calls a day at 15 baht per minute (this is about 35 cents a minute depending on the current exchange rate). Approximately 30% of calls are from returning clients.
Apichart Sukhakkhanant, chairman of the Thai Election Commission warned political parties to refrain from any form of vote-buying in the upcoming December elections. He continued to say that any such infraction will result in the exclusion of such parties from the election. There are over 80 political parties that will participate in the election, though it is predicted that the majority of votes will be devoted to only two (slightly reminiscent of American elections, only with a bit more noise in the votes, and possibly less corruption).
In other news, the fortune telling buisiness in Thailand is booming due to an increase in availability through internet and telephone services. Fortune telling has been a long-time cultural practice in the face of uncertainty, and with internet fortune tellers, Thai people can access these revelations from the comfort of their own homes- for a price! Shineedotcom, a fortune telling company with over 200 professionally employed fortune tellers has reported an average of over 2 thousand calls a day at 15 baht per minute (this is about 35 cents a minute depending on the current exchange rate). Approximately 30% of calls are from returning clients.
Sunday, October 7, 2007
17 bombs have been recovered in the Songhkla province of Thailand this week, all prior to detonation. Tips have allowed police forces to stop these threats without injury, though the evidence of danger is ever present.
Across Asia there has been a call for democracy in Burma, with the Burmese junta continuing to detain those involved in pro-democratic peace demonstrations in the past weeks.
Flooding in Thailand took the life of a nine year old boy yesterday, as he was swept away near his home. Provinces across the country have been victim to such flooding this year, and the rains continue.
Asian power companies have undertaken a plan investing over 100 million baht into a Phuket power plant that will run entirely off of sewage. This is yet another step towards an eco-friendly Asia.
Bangkok and its suburbs amass an estimated population of over 10 million people. The city proper is primarily a buisiness district. We can compare it to modern american cities with the center or hub being the financial area, and its surrounding suburbs being predominantly housing areas. There are a few exceptions to this design. Downtown housing is limited primarily to apartment buildings, with some quarters near the palace and other government buildings especially for the workers and/or politicians/royalty employed therein. The center of the city is comprised of numerous commercial markets as well as tourist malls, sometimes in excess of 8 above ground floors. In addition to commercial centers, universities and service related industries (primarily food, entertainment, and night life) exist at the hub. The suburbs are dominated by factories and the production of goods, with less emphasis on the obvious creation and hoarding of capital. In other words, the center (if one truly exists) is where you can find enormous skyscrapers, modern architecture, advanced transportation, and the basis of the urban tourism industry. Outside the city limits there is what seems to be endless urban sprawl, with the majority of buildings less than 5 stories. Here, bars and textile based shopping centers have been replaced by food markets (nearly all outdoor), factories, construction companies, etc. In both the metropolitan and outlying areas there is constant construction. A glance across the skyline from any elevated position will give a view of numerous cranes and frames of buildings high above the city canopy. Bridges and highways are constantly in construction to compensate for the increasing excess of traffic. Downtown, there are subways and skytrains to handle the urban traffic, while the ever-growing suburbs are limited to automotive traffic alone. From my perspective, there is no real break between Bangkok and its surrounding suburban cities, only a sea of humans and concrete.
Across Asia there has been a call for democracy in Burma, with the Burmese junta continuing to detain those involved in pro-democratic peace demonstrations in the past weeks.
Flooding in Thailand took the life of a nine year old boy yesterday, as he was swept away near his home. Provinces across the country have been victim to such flooding this year, and the rains continue.
Asian power companies have undertaken a plan investing over 100 million baht into a Phuket power plant that will run entirely off of sewage. This is yet another step towards an eco-friendly Asia.
Bangkok and its suburbs amass an estimated population of over 10 million people. The city proper is primarily a buisiness district. We can compare it to modern american cities with the center or hub being the financial area, and its surrounding suburbs being predominantly housing areas. There are a few exceptions to this design. Downtown housing is limited primarily to apartment buildings, with some quarters near the palace and other government buildings especially for the workers and/or politicians/royalty employed therein. The center of the city is comprised of numerous commercial markets as well as tourist malls, sometimes in excess of 8 above ground floors. In addition to commercial centers, universities and service related industries (primarily food, entertainment, and night life) exist at the hub. The suburbs are dominated by factories and the production of goods, with less emphasis on the obvious creation and hoarding of capital. In other words, the center (if one truly exists) is where you can find enormous skyscrapers, modern architecture, advanced transportation, and the basis of the urban tourism industry. Outside the city limits there is what seems to be endless urban sprawl, with the majority of buildings less than 5 stories. Here, bars and textile based shopping centers have been replaced by food markets (nearly all outdoor), factories, construction companies, etc. In both the metropolitan and outlying areas there is constant construction. A glance across the skyline from any elevated position will give a view of numerous cranes and frames of buildings high above the city canopy. Bridges and highways are constantly in construction to compensate for the increasing excess of traffic. Downtown, there are subways and skytrains to handle the urban traffic, while the ever-growing suburbs are limited to automotive traffic alone. From my perspective, there is no real break between Bangkok and its surrounding suburban cities, only a sea of humans and concrete.
Sunday, September 30, 2007
More violence in southern Thailand this week. Two bombs have been found and diffused in the past two days. The bombs were planted in shopping centers in accordance with a recently discovered terrorist plot. Both bombs were reported prior to explosion and no one was injured.
A form of poisonous seaweed has been discovered on the coast of Thailand. In the past three months, five people have fallen ill from the consumption of seabass that are known to feed on the seaweed. The seaweed has been found to contain the ciguatera toxin, which is very harmful to humans. The species is known to thrive in warm waters, and scientists have inferred that the increase in ocean temperature due to global warming has caused its population to skyrocket. This is the first time such a problem has presented itself. The intergovernmental panel on climate change expects ocean acid levels to increase dramatically within the next 40 years due to an increase in carbon dioxide. Meteorologists have predicted that flooding in Thailand will become an even greater problem, and the Thai government has estimated that 7oo million (U.S.) dollars will be needed annualy to deal with climate change problems.
A Thai editorial discussed the possibility of U.S. intervention in Burma with a tone of severe disgust for the current administration. The piece cited the Bush administrations lack of international credibility and respect, and called for China to rise as a new leader in global crisis intervention.
A form of poisonous seaweed has been discovered on the coast of Thailand. In the past three months, five people have fallen ill from the consumption of seabass that are known to feed on the seaweed. The seaweed has been found to contain the ciguatera toxin, which is very harmful to humans. The species is known to thrive in warm waters, and scientists have inferred that the increase in ocean temperature due to global warming has caused its population to skyrocket. This is the first time such a problem has presented itself. The intergovernmental panel on climate change expects ocean acid levels to increase dramatically within the next 40 years due to an increase in carbon dioxide. Meteorologists have predicted that flooding in Thailand will become an even greater problem, and the Thai government has estimated that 7oo million (U.S.) dollars will be needed annualy to deal with climate change problems.
A Thai editorial discussed the possibility of U.S. intervention in Burma with a tone of severe disgust for the current administration. The piece cited the Bush administrations lack of international credibility and respect, and called for China to rise as a new leader in global crisis intervention.
Wednesday, September 19, 2007
Nuon Chean, the highest ranking survivor of the Khmer Rouge regime in Cambodia, has been arrested for genocide today at his home near the cambodian-thai border. From 1975 to 1979, Khmer Rouge was responsible for the brutal murder, torture, and enslavement of at least 1 million cambodians. Chean was flown to Cambodia's capital, Phnom Penh for trial as the road from the thai border to the capital is dirt, and littered with land mine craters, bandits, and the constant reminder of the atrocities commited by the regime. As a personal aside, Cambodia is one of the most emotionally devastating places to visit that i can even imagine. The border is packed with land mine victims, disfigured and poor, asking for change from travellers that pass. Throughout the country glass towers have been erected containing the bones of the dead that fell casualty to Khmer Rhouge. I suggest everyone visit at least once in their life time only to understand the necessity to never allow this to happen again... anywhere.
General Anupong has promised to return the thai army to their barracks and keep the military "out of politics". Though the pre-coup political officials may return to the political arena in the upcoming december elections, the government has decided to make the establishment of government democratic and will have no need for an army to be present. The general has said that even if the old officials are to be voted into the new administration, thus dominating the house and regaining control of the country, "we must accept the public's decision."
General Anupong has promised to return the thai army to their barracks and keep the military "out of politics". Though the pre-coup political officials may return to the political arena in the upcoming december elections, the government has decided to make the establishment of government democratic and will have no need for an army to be present. The general has said that even if the old officials are to be voted into the new administration, thus dominating the house and regaining control of the country, "we must accept the public's decision."
On September 19 of 2006, the thai military led by their general carried out a military coup overthrowing the regime of the former prime minister. The coup was to propel thailand towards a true democracy, though one year later, little progress has been made. Democratic elections have been set for this december, and are expected to be carried out as scheduled. Supporters believe that once the elections have been held, stability can be returned to the country. Since the coup, economic problems have grown, with factories closing and unemployment increasing. Violence in southern thailand has also increased. The Bangkok post cites the increase in killings of non-combatants, whereas prior to the coup targets were limited to security officers, government officials and buddhists. (If you were unaware, as i was before i entered thai borders, southern thailand is involved in an informal civil war in which thai islamic fundamentalists are attempting to take over southern thailand under islamic rule) Stopping this violence, as one can imagine, is a primary focus of the dishevelled thai government at this time.
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