2023-09-22 06:00:00
22/09/2023
Thailand, a country in search of lost time.- Isidre Ambrós
Thailand belongs to that group of countries in the Indo-Pacific region that are almost never talked about because it is assumed that nothing ever happens and, furthermore, it is a magnificent country to go on vacation. The reality, however, is very different. Thailand is a country of strong contrasts. It is the second economic power in Southeast Asia, but it is also the country with the largest economic gap in the region, where the richest 1 percent own 67 percent of the country’s wealth. Historically, it enjoyed one of the longest monarchies in the world, under the reign of Bhumibol Adulyadej, who ruled the country for 70 years, but it is no less true that during his reign the country suffered a dozen coups d’état, the last in 2014. Now Thailand, which is the world’s largest producer of rubber and the third largest producer of rice, intends to shake off military tutelage and make up for lost time under a democratically voted coalition government. Time and results will tell if Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin has achieved his objectives.
Document prepared by Isidre Ambrós. Journalist, analyst specialized in Asia-Pacific.
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