Of late, there has been a lot of "feel-good" news about Thailand, ranging from the improved economic outlook to international recognition. But doubts remain over whether it is time to celebrate.
The US Trade Representative's (USTR) decision on Saturday to upgrade Thailand's status from the Priority Watch List (PWL) for intellectual property violators to the Watch List (WL) is the latest bit of good news for the country.
Five days before the USTR's move, the Council of the European Union announced its decision to resume political contacts at all levels that had been suspended following the 2014 coup which saw the military government under Gen Prayut Chan-o-cha taking a firm grip on the country.
Soonruth Bunyamanee is deputy editor, Bangkok Post.
Early this month, World Bank issued a report that grouped Thailand among "progressive prosperity" countries on a par with Malaysia, applauding them for largely eliminating extreme poverty and expanding the middle-class base.
Back in October, the UN aviation watchdog, the International Civil Aviation Organisation, lifted its punitive red flag on Thailand, paving the way for Thai-registered airlines to spread their wings to new international routes.
In the same month, US President Donald Trump welcomed Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha to the White House.
Undeniably, these events have substantially boosted Thailand image despite the fact that the country is still being run by coup makers.
The government will be happy with the positive developments but there are many reasons why they should not get carried away as many uphill tasks lie ahead.
It's true that the USTR's decision to upgrade Thailand's watchlist status could help prevent punitive trade measures from the US and draw more foreign investment into the country.
But there is no such thing as a free lunch.
One needs only go back to look at history. In 1994, the USTR lifted Thailand from the lowest level to the PWL after the country amended its Copyright Act to increase protection for pharmaceutical giants' products.
The following year, Thailand was upgraded to the WL category.
But in 2007, the USTR downgraded Thailand to the PWL again after the then government declared compulsory licensing for seven medicines -- a bold move that benefited millions of Thai people.
This time with the USTR boosting Thailand to WL, I wonder what the trade-off is that the country will have to make.
Besides effective suppression of intellectual property violations in the country as reasoned by the USTR, there are suspicions the upgrade has something to do with the government's efforts to push for an amendment of the 1999 Plant Varieties Protection Act.
The law amendment is seen to be in line with the International Union for the Protection of New Varieties of Plants (UPOV) Convention of 1991. It has been alleged that the US and EU will force Thailand to change its law to comply with the convention, curbing the right of farmers to save and regrow commercial seeds. Violators risk facing criminal charges punishable by imprisonment and/or fine.
Let's talk about the EU's decision to resume political contacts with Thailand. It's a very positive sign for the country but the devil is in the detail as the EU rightly pointed out and there are several challenges lying in wait for the Prayut government.
The EU reiterated its call for the urgent restoration of the democratic process in Thailand through credible and inclusive elections and respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms.
It voiced concerns that political and civil rights and liberties have been severely curtailed in Thailand following the 2014 military coup, and that freedom of expression and assembly remains highly restricted through a number of laws and orders of the regime.
Furthermore, civil society activists and human rights defenders continue to face judicial harassment.
I personally believe that the reason behind the EU breaking its conventional practice to resume political contacts with the country -- while continuing to ask questions about human rights and freedom of expression issues -- is motivated by economics.
Probably, the EU is just following in the footsteps of the US under Mr Trump. Before that some other countries, known for their utter disregard for human rights such as China and Russia, decided to strengthen their relations with the regime. Thailand, which plays a leading role among Asean, a major economic bloc with a combined population of 600 million and real GDP of more than US$2.6 trillion, is scheduled to sign several bilateral trade agreements.
The EU's resumption of ties with Thailand doesn't by any means reflect an improvement in people's basic rights.
Even though the World Bank said that Thailand has become a "progressive prosperity" country and largely eliminated extreme poverty, the bank also mentioned major challenges in a separate report.
It said Thailand's poverty rate has declined substantially over the last 30 years from 67% in 1986 to 7.2% in 2015 during periods of high growth and rising agricultural prices but that significant and growing disparities in household income and consumption can still be seen across and within regions of Thailand.
Poverty and inequality continue to pose significant challenges. As of 2014, over 80% of the country's 7.1 million poor lived in rural areas. Moreover, an additional 6.7 million were living less than 20% above the national poverty line and remained vulnerable to falling back into poverty.
The report has pinpointed the fact that chronic problems facing the country have not been solved, not to mention other fundamental issues, including the quality of education and healthcare efficiency.
No matter how fast the economy grows, the number of people in desperate need will remain high if inequalities and disparities are not addressed.
Based on the economic data, particularly exports and gross domestic product (GDP) growth, it cannot be disputed that Thailand's macroeconomic picture is improving.
The military regime can feel happy about the more promising outlook but it cannot claim total credit for the improvement. At the same time, the government cannot become complacent given the fact that many fundamental problems still need to be solved.
In particular, by classifying Thailand as a "progressive prosperity" country, the World Bank said it used the figures from the study of economic and poverty changes in developing counties in East Asia and the Pacific during 2002-2015.
It means that the increased prosperity was the result of economic policies implemented by several governments, not just the regime.
It's great that international recognition of Thailand's efforts has improved substantially but it is not time to celebrate as there are many fundamental problems remaining to test the capability of the military regime if it wants to continue in power.