Thailand must undergo massive restructuring if it wants to narrow widening social and economic inequality, leading politicians said Wednesday.
"Nobody denies disparity is a structural problem" and it proceeds in the throes of rapid technological changes, Democrat leader Abhisit Vejjajiva told a seminar at Srinakharinwirot University.
"A government can no longer simply look at GDP figures and base its success on their rise and fall," Mr Abhisit said, urging the government to decentralise power from the powers-that-be to low-income earners and underdogs.
Mr Abhisit was one among several politicians attending the seminar, which became a battleground for 10 potential candidates from 10 political parties to float their ideas to solve a seemingly insurmountable task, ending inequality.
Most backed changes to the social structure, in which people on the bottom rungs of the socio-economic ladder have a greater share of power.
This means a government must not tolerate "monopolies in the private and state sectors", Mr Abhisit added.
Up-and-coming political figure, Thanathorn Juangroongruangkit, leader of the Future Forward Party echoed Mr Abhisit's idea.
"Economic power has long been held by wealthy businessmen, while political power and national interests are monopolised by the military, senior state officials and a conservative elite, said Mr Thanathorn, himself a billionaire and a young executive of his family's business, Thai Summit Group.
"If this distorted social structure is not fixed, the country cannot move forward to solve other problems, Mr Thanathorn said.
He said his party was created to mobilise people into taking on the "privileged few" who collect and hoard the fruits of development.
"We want to strip much of their political power and economic benefits from them and redistribute them to low income earners," Mr Thanathorn said.
"Political and economic power must go down to the people."
Other politicians -- Bhumjaithai Party member and former Si Sa Ket MP, Siripong Angkhasakulkiat; Puea Chat Party leader Songkhram Kitrotphairot; and Thai Liberal Party leader Anukun Phraephaisan -- all held similar views.
The country has had enough of "wealth closing in and poverty spreading out", Thai Raksa Chart Party leader Preechapol Pongpanich said, referring what he called was the unfair distribution of wealth.
Anek Laothamatas, of the Action Coalition for Thailand, and former foreign minister Noppadon Pattama, of the Pheu Thai Party, meanwhile suggested developing the farming sector to cut inequality.
