Stop the BoI's hurtful plans right now!

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Opinion » Opinion

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Report objectionable comments click here. Include: discussion #, commenter name, comment date / time as it looks on the page. Example: discussion 15: 09/01/2009 at 10:00 AM.

• Kon Thai

  Discussion 20 : 03/12/2009 at 10:40 AM20

  With all my respect, most of you reading this article are foreigner and investor. Thais welcome foreigner, however, please respect and treat our natural resources well too. Most of you come to join hand with the Thai bussiness man, take benefit then go, left us only deteriorated resources and the local people who have to stay with it and be blamed of not protecting the resources.
  
  I wish all of you to talk with the forest dwellers, fishermen, and farmers of their suffering from development/investment project. They learn enough the impacts of those government policy that claim it would protect and benefit us. Go and see the real, don't sit in the office and think that investment benefit all Thai people.

• Aussie John

  Discussion 19 : 06/11/2009 at 06:15 AM19

  Over the past 100 years Thai forests have been decimated with more than 50% gone forever.
  Who were the ones responsible for such senseless destruction.?

• Mike Barringtor

  Discussion 18 : 05/11/2009 at 06:05 PM18

  The government is quite clever here: entice foreign companies to invest and pretend the rules are fair -- and then hit them at every step with hidden fees and levies that the locally owned companies don't pay. And, only make available the most inferior offerings saving all the best for local monopolies.
  
  Eventually, most of these foreign companies will leave or go bust while new companies take their place. In the end, one or two foreign companies may survive, however, they'll have to appease local Thais on a regular basis by donating to every bogus charity just to keep Thai nationalism at bay -- this will create the appearance of fair competition (*chuckle*) and give the government a "success story" to promote to attract other suckers.
  
  Sorry Khun Sanitsuda but this time you're wrong, your whole article is founded on an imaginary outcome -- not because foreign companies wouldn't do what you suggest -- they would, if given the chance (like the local monopolies have always done), but because they'll never get that far or be allowed to get that far.
  
  Foreign companies should, in most cases, stay out of Thailand; Thailand is an impassible obstacle course, and this is only an opportunity to get milked, involved in graft, protests, legal cases, and bankruptcy.

• Bubba

  Discussion 17 : 05/11/2009 at 05:29 PM17

  While I think the essence of the article should be considered, and that is an attempt at trying to find a balance and not be overrun by big business, in particular from abroad.
  
  I remember having read a study called "The Rich and the Super-Rich from the university of Chicago. It had begun with the intention of showing how capitalism was good for the US and also for the countries where the US businesses "invested".
  
  One of the things that struck me was that with their natural resources at that time venezuela had the capacity to be the third richest country per capita in the world.
  
  But because the American businesses were sucking it dry for their own sake and creating a few dozen Venezuelan millionaires as symbols of success, Venezuela was one of the poorest countries one hemisphere.
  
  And talking about progress and job creation is a lot of BS. Those jobs can be created whoever the business is run by and progress is not to be gauged by how many millionaires can result from big business.
  
  Today Hugo Chavez is getting a lot of flack from the US and others for his refusal to continue to put up with the exploitation from abroad. There is an Oliver Stone movie coming out soon that will throw some light on this from the point of view of an American filmmaker who went there with the idea of "exposing" Chavez but instead, has seen how much better the country is and how much the people are benefitting now that they have begun nationalizing.
  
  Basically the problem in Thailand is that there is...absolutely...no...opposition...politically speaking. All parties and all politicians are business men out to make a buck.
  
  Luckily, in my opinion Thailand is Buddhist, which dampens the anarchy that could result from a country where so many people have so little voice, were it run by born again Christians, the likes of which we have seen in the White House and that still wreak havoc in the US society.

• rakbkk

  Discussion 16 : 05/11/2009 at 04:20 PM16

  what you call land grabbing is actually not that. the fact is , in the absence of proper water management schemes( which this elitist govt will never understand), most farmers would love to sell their land for a decent compensation and find a day job in a local industry (which is sure to come up once you have advance forestry/aqua culture etc).
  
  k santi needs to understand, such projects are more viable in those areas which are not too well developed, since land and other resources are more expensive there.
  
  secondly, such activities are more sustainable ecologically these days than ever before, (only if you wish to do so).

• chrisp

  Discussion 15 : 05/11/2009 at 04:04 PM15

  Is it that much of a given that foreign investment is bad?

• max meier

  Discussion 14 : 05/11/2009 at 01:02 PM14

  Seldom read such a nonsense, to put it into natural proportions, it would be the same as if you blow up a fly to the size of a elephant.

• Concerned

  Discussion 13 : 05/11/2009 at 12:44 PM13

  Agreed, Thai commons have been destroyed by the local money barons without sufficient government intervention. Could it be that the government is planning to invite foreign investors to support the local economy and operate in a regulated but still profitable manner, rather than "bleed dry Thai seas, forests and biodiversity resources"?
  
  This is sheer reason.
  
  The lack of competition and regulation contributes to the efforts of Thai money barons to destroy the commons and commit atrocities. Above-board, even if foreign, competition that is not tolerant of corrupt, illegal, dirty or anticompetitive practices is needed to beat back the Thai money barons and promote the Thai ecology and the economy for all Thai people.
  
  Lessening excessive profits by making everyone work under the same fair and sensible regulations and encouraging international competition disincentivizes the practices this article claims international competition will cause! Not all investment is good, but improved international competition and regulation of local and international firms is a good thing for Thailand in no uncertain terms.
  
  The government will need to follow up with sensible regulation and responsible and fair enforcement for this plan to give benefits. I hope increased foreign competition in the domestic market will make the government act morally in the private sector with even enforcement and no corruption.
  
  Why would you oppose this?
  
  There's always a bigger fish in the global market, or at least a competitor to be watched. Building a wall around Thailand sure does allow the few local big fish to eat up everything (and everyone) else inside.
  
  Support the big fish, build the wall. Support the little fish, destroy the wall and let the ocean in to mix with what was inside the wall. The big fish will be forced to take a more accurate appraisal of their importance and size and will hopefully start acting responsibly at home so they aren't disliked at home (and have a home to go back to).

• Hyperinflation

  Discussion 12 : 05/11/2009 at 12:29 PM12

  The actual point here is that Thais are completely capable of raping and pillaging the environment on our own. We do not need foreign investment to help out in that regard. We will destroy the ecosystem without any help from the outside. It just might take us a few years longer is all.
  
  Now, if the foreign investment brings a critical new and useful technology to the country, AND shares that technology with Thais for free or at extremely low cost, then we might be persuaded to give up or otherwise sacrifice some of our precious natural resources for it.
  
  However, offering financial incentives to destroy the environment even faster is a foolish idea, worthy only of politicians with no respect for the country or the people they are supposed to serve.

• Ramet in Dallas

  Discussion 11 : 05/11/2009 at 12:25 PM11

  Change will happen in the World. Thailand can bury its head in the sand and pretend everything is OK or it can embrace and mold the change. My readings of this article (3 times) says to stay with the current Mafia (the status quo) because all foreign development is bad. Don't plant more forests, develop, fish farms, or improve farming methods because you must keep the poor poor to keep the tradition of the wealthy Thais exploiting the poor to keep them in their place.
  I supported Dr. Taksin in his goal to overturn this tradition of repression by the Bangkok elite. Foreign investment is essential to growth and growth is essential to the improvement of the lives of ordinary Thais. Thai history has always been 'trust your betters' as taught by the 'betters'. Foreign investment threatens to expose the current system as corrupt and benefiting only the elites. Dr. Taksin realized this and began what may be the final movement for equality in Thailand. In my opinion, Thailand needs equality among all citizens more than democracy. If equality is achieved then democracy will come; without it there can be no democracy.

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