Thailand: a Market Overview
Thailand; A Market Overview 2012
Thailand is officially known as The Kingdom of Thailand, but formerly known as Siam. It is located in South-Eastern Asia, occupying the Western half of the Indochinese peninsula and the northern two-thirds of the Malay Peninsula. Its neighbouring countries are Burma, Laos, Cambodia and Malaysia. The country has a population of 69.5 million [ (CIA, 2012) ].
Thailand has a tropical climate consisting of extreme seasons of heat and rain. The vulnerability of the climate has implications on the country’s development which I will discuss later below.
Politics:
Thailand is a Constitutional Monarchy presided over by the King of Thailand, who is the official head of state. Thailand is the only country to have escaped Colonial rule. Although Thailand’s recent governments have been civilian and democratically elected, the country has seen turbulent times. Since its formation the country has alternated back and forth between civilian and military rule proving its political instability. Recent years have seen violent riots and protests as a result of fallout from a corrupt government.
One key influence has been Thaksin Shinawatra, member of the Thai Rak Thai ( 'Thais Love Thais ') Party, who held power from January 2001 - 2006. Thaksin has had a very significant impact on the overall political landscape. Thaksin was a hugely popular billionaire telecommunications mogul who became prime minister in January 2001. That same year he was narrowly cleared of corruption charges of not fully disclosing his assets during his second term as prime minister. Thaksin made history in 2005 when he became the first Thai prime minister to serve two consecutive terms. He was criticized in his first term for his alleged corruption, his unsuccessful attempt at controlling the Muslim riots in the south and his failure to quickly respond to an outbreak of avian flu, but his forceful handling of the tsunami crisis increased his popularity in the days
Thailand is officially known as The Kingdom of Thailand, but formerly known as Siam. It is located in South-Eastern Asia, occupying the Western half of the Indochinese peninsula and the northern two-thirds of the Malay Peninsula. Its neighbouring countries are Burma, Laos, Cambodia and Malaysia. The country has a population of 69.5 million [ (CIA, 2012) ].
Thailand has a tropical climate consisting of extreme seasons of heat and rain. The vulnerability of the climate has implications on the country’s development which I will discuss later below.
Politics:
Thailand is a Constitutional Monarchy presided over by the King of Thailand, who is the official head of state. Thailand is the only country to have escaped Colonial rule. Although Thailand’s recent governments have been civilian and democratically elected, the country has seen turbulent times. Since its formation the country has alternated back and forth between civilian and military rule proving its political instability. Recent years have seen violent riots and protests as a result of fallout from a corrupt government.
One key influence has been Thaksin Shinawatra, member of the Thai Rak Thai ( 'Thais Love Thais ') Party, who held power from January 2001 - 2006. Thaksin has had a very significant impact on the overall political landscape. Thaksin was a hugely popular billionaire telecommunications mogul who became prime minister in January 2001. That same year he was narrowly cleared of corruption charges of not fully disclosing his assets during his second term as prime minister. Thaksin made history in 2005 when he became the first Thai prime minister to serve two consecutive terms. He was criticized in his first term for his alleged corruption, his unsuccessful attempt at controlling the Muslim riots in the south and his failure to quickly respond to an outbreak of avian flu, but his forceful handling of the tsunami crisis increased his popularity in the days
Bibliography: * Archapiraj, S., 2011. Shortage of Low-skilled Labour in Thailand Has Reached Critical Point. [Online] Available at: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/home/Shortage-of-low-skilled-labour-in-Thailand-has-rea-30157702.html * BBC, 2012. Thailand Profile. [Online] Available at: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-15581957 * Bloomberg, 2012. Thailand Proving Best After China Among Emerging Markets. [Online] Available at: http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2012-02-22/thailand-proving-best-after-china-among-global-emerging-markets.html * CIA, 2012. The World Factbook. [Online] Available at: https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/docs/profileguide.html * Hofstede, G., 2012. Thailand. [Online] Available at: http://geert-hofstede.com/thailand.html * Infoplease, 2012. Thailand. [Online] Available at: http://www.infoplease.com/ipa/A0108034.html?pageno=1 * Kremer, V., 2004. Cultural Profile Thai Versus American Culture. [Online] Available at: http://nw08.american.edu/~zaharna/Thailand/Culture.htm * Kwintessential, 2012. Thailand - Thai Language, Culture, Customs and Etiquette. [Online] Available at: http://www.kwintessential.co.uk/resources/global-etiquette/thailand-country-profile.html * Maps of World, 2012. Thailand Economy. [Online] Available at: http://www.mapsofworld.com/thailand/economy/ * Musafer, S., 2010. Thai Protests: The Economic Impact. [Online] Available at: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/10119415 * The World Bank, 2012. Thailand. [Online] Available at: http://www.worldbank.org/en/country/thailand