Thailand in need of a Bill Gates and a George Lucas | Bangkok Post: opinion

• E - Paper
• SMS
• Print Front Page
• Newswire
• Print subscription
• RSS

• news
• business
• opinion
• travel
• food
• lifestyle
• Arts & Culture
• feature
• learning
• tech
• property
• auto
• multimedia
  • Video
  • Photo
  • Interactive
  • Morning Focus
• Service
  • Archive
  • Directory
  • Search
  • Reader forum
  • Classifieds
  • Event calendar
  • Hotel booking
  • Member setting

Opinion > Opinion

Your comments

• WakeUp

  Discussion 7 : 02/09/2010 at 09:07 AM7

  Education is very easy to fix, if you follow the Japanese, South Korean, or German model, where kids actually learn practical skills that can be immediately applied to the real world, like vocational studies - but last time I checked, vocational studies in the US AND Thailand are looked down upon, and very few attend unless they have no other option.

• Aussie John

  Discussion 6 : 02/09/2010 at 08:30 AM6

  With the nature of social disparity in Thailand you would be hard up finding the wealthy giving any of their money to those less fortunate than themselves as it goes against the very reason why they have become wealthy in the first place. Which is to keep it for themselves and their families only.

• People Power

  Discussion 5 : 01/09/2010 at 11:40 AM5

  I saw the editorial the other day stating that "Thailand is in need of a Mandela". The bottom line is that only Thailand is going to 'fix' and improve itself. External experts can help but the Thai people need to have open dialogs with them and themselves and then have the freedom to make executable plans.
  
  This is never going to happen in Thailand as long as the Thai people are slaves to a system where they have to be thankful for the elite to solve their problems or provide them assistance.
  
  I think what Thailand needs is a few more Thomas Paines.

• noina

  Discussion 4 : 01/09/2010 at 08:53 AM4

  We have many big surnames who are very rich in Thailand. They are owner of CP, PEPSY, COKE, BEERs, Hotels, Lands, Department stores, etc..., where are they? Are they happy with their money.

• Still hoping to assimilate

  Discussion 3 : 01/09/2010 at 08:34 AM3

  @Somboon
  
  As a longtime foreign resident it would be nice to be able to muster some civic spirit.
  
  I have neither a lot of time nor money, but I would be more charitable with both if I didn't still feel like an alien after 17 years.
  
  I have learned the language, built a business that employs 15 people, and paid my taxes.
  
  When I moved from the US to France long ago, I had a 10 year carte de residente after one year in my newly adopted country. After the better part of two decades in Thailand I still have to re-apply every year for a visa just to remain.
  
  I have a Thai daughter, but if I fall on hard times due to bad luck or ill health, I may be kicked out wondering if I will ever see her again, let alone help national efforts to improve the educational system that serves her.
  
  And permanent resident status is prohibitively complex and expensive for most.

• Uraiwan

  Discussion 2 : 01/09/2010 at 04:57 AM2

  More info on the GREEEN School project can be found here http://livinghour.org/blog/thailand-pro-forum/join-the-thailand-greeen-schools-village-initiative/

• Somboon

  Discussion 1 : 01/09/2010 at 03:30 AM1

  A lot of us Thai and foreigners would appreciate and willing to help if more information is given here. GREEN is one, what is the other called? How does one get involved? Where are they located? Who is in-charge of the projects? Email address?
  
  I have also suggested before if the wealthy Thai contribute just 5%, not 50% like the US, of their wealth; Thailand will surely improve a whole lot.