A few random thoughts following my trip to Thailand to round off. Usual disclaimer - these are my own thoughts based on limited exposure - I have probably only scratched the surface - they might not be right - ha!
Thailand is a country with a lot going for it and an exceptionally good place to visit - but of course this is hardly original news!
It sounds clichéd but my overwhelming thought is the Thai people are genuinely lovely - almost without exception. They are a happy lot - always gossiping and laughing - and of course polite and deferential as is their nature. Generally they are small - light boned people and not as extreme oriental looking as say the Chinese (just an observation not a negative judgement). It is impossible not to like them.
As I have just said my impression was Thailand is doing well and people are happy. However there are under currents and there is more happening that is revealed if you probe deeper.
The main issue is in 2014 the democratically elected government was overthrown by a military junta. (this has happened before in Thailand - in fact the 13th time since 1932). The military said the coup was necessary to restore stability and to end the risk of violence between the supporters of the two main political parties. Those parties were characterised to me as the party of the north and the party of the south. However what I have read the party of the middle class and wealthy and the party of the poor.
We in the UK might recognise the name Thaksin Shinawatra - he bought control of Liverpool Football Club ! He was the Thai Prime Minister but forced out on corruption charges - but loved by the poor because they claim he was the only politician who ever did anything for them. When it was clear he could not return his brother stood as leader of the party and he was elected as Prime Minister. It was he who was forced out in the coup.
The coup military leaders promised a return to democracy in 2017 (after they have drafted and agreed a new constitution) but commentators and analysts are very doubtful. In fact what they see is a tightening of power, severe treatment of their detractors and increasingly human rights abuses. The assessment is the poor are not going to take this lying down because the main beneficiaries of the junta policies are claimed to be the already monied - the establishment. This state of affairs - the instability - has had a negative effect on the Thai economy - and international investment (in what was perceived as a bit of an economic jewel) - is now drying up and this is hurting Thailand - particularly as it faces such tough competition from its various well performing neighbours - such as Malaysia and Singapore. The global down turn has not helped either. Fortunately for the Thais tourists continue to pour in and this is crucial to their economic performance.
(whereever I have been it is the word corruption you hear - and the corrosive effect it has on the people, their institutions and morale. This week it has been Iceland and South Korea in the news. Not long ago it was Brazil. I wonder if those guilty politicians have always been corrupt, or have had to make corrupt promises to get elected, or is it power that corrupts and greed takes over, or is it politicians are paid badly, or is it they know it is going to have a bad end and the mindset is “make hay why the sun shines” or is it just sheer megalomania? Whichever it is it is a cancer when it gets hold. I have just been to Singapore and they have built their strong economy on the base of transparency. I think it is why the UK is a good place to do business too. We are tough on corruption.)
Back to Thailand. One amazing feat they have pulled off which I believe stands them in very good stead is they have managed to keep people working on the land. I am not really sure how it has been achieved but Sinawatra seems to have been behind the policy and they have invested in agriculture. Thailand has the advantage of being a fertile place to grow things - which helps of course! What it has meant is food is cheap which helps the poor. It means unlike most countries in the world it produces a massive surplus of food - 4 to 5 times it's own needs. This forms a valuable export income. But for me the best part is people have not descended on the cities to get away from rural poverty and deprivation as they have in many countries in the world. This is a thoroughly depressing sight (rural populations) living in - urban shanty towns - urban squalor - people living in terrible unhygienic conditions (in a vain attempt to betterment by moving to the city). And of course however inefficient the farming, a fall off in food production. Thailand has not made this mistake and as worldwide food shortages increase they have a good plan in place and I think they are happier and better off for it as a nation with a thriving rural farming community.
I mention happiness again - this is just a theory - I have nothing to back it up other than my own observation and supposition. Thailand is a Buddhist country - you see many shaven head oranged robed monks going about their business - it is part of daily life. There are plenty of Buddhist temples too and every home has its own small shrine. But the Thais are not weighed down by religion as people are in so many other countries. Their religion forms part of their society (small s) it does not dominate or run it it seems to me. The Thai people willingly support their monks with gifts - with sustenance - and the monks pray for them and support and guide them in Buddhist terms. And in my view Buddhist terms are the best of terms. They are good people. Quiet, thoughtful, humble - but practical and with a sense of humour too at times - they have a lot of answers. Most people recognise the Dalai Lama is a special man. Of course our western life style is generally increasingly secularised and materialistic and maybe we are all the worse for that. The Thais have the balance about right and in the main and generally speaking - are trying to live the good life Buddhism points to. As I have said - they are nice people.
The final thing I want to say that makes Thailand a good place is they have done well at lifting a very large proportion of their people out of true poverty despite its per capita GDP being decent without being exceptional as it is with some other countries in SE Asia. Of course there are massive gaps in wealth but some of the wealth created at least seems to have trickled down towards the bottom end and they are a better society for it. Again I am not sure how this has been achieved but is certainly not the case in many countries.
Below is a few more observations but nothing to do with Thailand as such - but I am tacking them on as they came from the trip.
Thailand is a country with a lot going for it and an exceptionally good place to visit - but of course this is hardly original news!
It sounds clichéd but my overwhelming thought is the Thai people are genuinely lovely - almost without exception. They are a happy lot - always gossiping and laughing - and of course polite and deferential as is their nature. Generally they are small - light boned people and not as extreme oriental looking as say the Chinese (just an observation not a negative judgement). It is impossible not to like them.
As I have just said my impression was Thailand is doing well and people are happy. However there are under currents and there is more happening that is revealed if you probe deeper.
The main issue is in 2014 the democratically elected government was overthrown by a military junta. (this has happened before in Thailand - in fact the 13th time since 1932). The military said the coup was necessary to restore stability and to end the risk of violence between the supporters of the two main political parties. Those parties were characterised to me as the party of the north and the party of the south. However what I have read the party of the middle class and wealthy and the party of the poor.
We in the UK might recognise the name Thaksin Shinawatra - he bought control of Liverpool Football Club ! He was the Thai Prime Minister but forced out on corruption charges - but loved by the poor because they claim he was the only politician who ever did anything for them. When it was clear he could not return his brother stood as leader of the party and he was elected as Prime Minister. It was he who was forced out in the coup.
The coup military leaders promised a return to democracy in 2017 (after they have drafted and agreed a new constitution) but commentators and analysts are very doubtful. In fact what they see is a tightening of power, severe treatment of their detractors and increasingly human rights abuses. The assessment is the poor are not going to take this lying down because the main beneficiaries of the junta policies are claimed to be the already monied - the establishment. This state of affairs - the instability - has had a negative effect on the Thai economy - and international investment (in what was perceived as a bit of an economic jewel) - is now drying up and this is hurting Thailand - particularly as it faces such tough competition from its various well performing neighbours - such as Malaysia and Singapore. The global down turn has not helped either. Fortunately for the Thais tourists continue to pour in and this is crucial to their economic performance.
(whereever I have been it is the word corruption you hear - and the corrosive effect it has on the people, their institutions and morale. This week it has been Iceland and South Korea in the news. Not long ago it was Brazil. I wonder if those guilty politicians have always been corrupt, or have had to make corrupt promises to get elected, or is it power that corrupts and greed takes over, or is it politicians are paid badly, or is it they know it is going to have a bad end and the mindset is “make hay why the sun shines” or is it just sheer megalomania? Whichever it is it is a cancer when it gets hold. I have just been to Singapore and they have built their strong economy on the base of transparency. I think it is why the UK is a good place to do business too. We are tough on corruption.)
Back to Thailand. One amazing feat they have pulled off which I believe stands them in very good stead is they have managed to keep people working on the land. I am not really sure how it has been achieved but Sinawatra seems to have been behind the policy and they have invested in agriculture. Thailand has the advantage of being a fertile place to grow things - which helps of course! What it has meant is food is cheap which helps the poor. It means unlike most countries in the world it produces a massive surplus of food - 4 to 5 times it's own needs. This forms a valuable export income. But for me the best part is people have not descended on the cities to get away from rural poverty and deprivation as they have in many countries in the world. This is a thoroughly depressing sight (rural populations) living in - urban shanty towns - urban squalor - people living in terrible unhygienic conditions (in a vain attempt to betterment by moving to the city). And of course however inefficient the farming, a fall off in food production. Thailand has not made this mistake and as worldwide food shortages increase they have a good plan in place and I think they are happier and better off for it as a nation with a thriving rural farming community.
I mention happiness again - this is just a theory - I have nothing to back it up other than my own observation and supposition. Thailand is a Buddhist country - you see many shaven head oranged robed monks going about their business - it is part of daily life. There are plenty of Buddhist temples too and every home has its own small shrine. But the Thais are not weighed down by religion as people are in so many other countries. Their religion forms part of their society (small s) it does not dominate or run it it seems to me. The Thai people willingly support their monks with gifts - with sustenance - and the monks pray for them and support and guide them in Buddhist terms. And in my view Buddhist terms are the best of terms. They are good people. Quiet, thoughtful, humble - but practical and with a sense of humour too at times - they have a lot of answers. Most people recognise the Dalai Lama is a special man. Of course our western life style is generally increasingly secularised and materialistic and maybe we are all the worse for that. The Thais have the balance about right and in the main and generally speaking - are trying to live the good life Buddhism points to. As I have said - they are nice people.
The final thing I want to say that makes Thailand a good place is they have done well at lifting a very large proportion of their people out of true poverty despite its per capita GDP being decent without being exceptional as it is with some other countries in SE Asia. Of course there are massive gaps in wealth but some of the wealth created at least seems to have trickled down towards the bottom end and they are a better society for it. Again I am not sure how this has been achieved but is certainly not the case in many countries.
Below is a few more observations but nothing to do with Thailand as such - but I am tacking them on as they came from the trip.
- I met an earnest young Japanese man in Beijing Airport and we had a chat for a while as I had been to Japan a long time ago and have always been intrigued by it. He had just graduated with a degree in "population demographics". Japan is a country almost not part of this world. It has so many things that it struggles with - no natural resources - earthquakes and instability - the terrible tsunami a few years ago. It is very densely populated - but of course has phenomenal mature economy (much they produce is household quality names) - was the world's China 3 or 4 decades ago. Anyway what he explained - like many western countries - there is a massive demographic issue as the population is ageing. What is extreme in Japan is young people just do not want children. In his words the country is dying out. I asked him why. He said children are seen as just too much responsibility and cost given the uncertainty of what they see as Japans precarious hold in the world. (see their attitude to personal saving as they are so worried about the future). I asked him about immigration - bringing young foreigners in. He was sure this was no acceptable solution and having been there I can understand where their attitude comes from. Basically after 3 or 4 years of study his conclusion is there is no solution - no answer. Japan is dying out!
- A long time ago I had a holiday in Gambia with my daughter and one of my sons. It was a real insight. While there we met an earnest young man called Abdul Gaye who was our guide on a trip to Senegal. Basically he was trying to secure a future for himself and young family in Gambia - but there were so many barriers. He wanted to breed chickens to eat as a business and we corresponded for a while to see if there was a way I could help. Gambia is the smallest country in Africa and one of the most impoverished. It was all so difficult. This week in the news their President - a man with a most bizarre personality and life style seems to have agreed to stand down after 22 years of mad and calamitous leadership. So maybe there is hope at last. Maybe Gambia will start to make progress and deserving people like Abdul Gaye and family might have more of a future. I really hope so.
- Finally coincidences happen when travelling. I was on the Singapore MST (their underground) travelling from the airport to the city. I talk to a fellow backpacker - a young woman with a bit of an Aussie accent. She asks me where I am from - the UK. She says she is from the UK but has been in Oz for 2 years hence the accent. She asks where from in the UK - the westcountry - she says she is from the west country - whereabouts? Exeter - she is from Exeter too. I say I have a brother in Exmouth and one in Uffculme.( a very small place). She says she went to school in Uffculme! Does she know my brother and family - yes she played netball in the same team as my niece Amber - a small world indeed!
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