Country Profile
From The Report: Thailand 2014
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Inheritors of an ancient land and a complex culture, today’s Thais once again face difficult social and political challenges. Yet, despite the confrontation that has resulted from these tensions during much of late 2013 and early 2014, the country continues to grow and develop, with much of it unaffected by the turmoil that has been focused primarily on certain high-profile districts of Bangkok. Thailand’s 2007 constitution established a system of parliamentary democracy, with the prime minister as the head of the executive branch, who then appoints and leads the cabinet. An early general election held in February 2014 was declared invalid by the Constitutional Court in late March 2014. At the time, the country was headed by a caretaker government led by Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra. Over the past several years, the country has prepared for the ASEAN Economic Community (AEC), due to take effect from 2015. In 2013 it had already met 86% of the targeted AEC measures – higher than the ASEAN average of 80%.

This chapter contains a viewpoint from His Majesty Bhumibol Adulyadej, King of Thailand, and an interview with Le Luong Minh, Secretary General of ASEAN.

Articles from this Chapter

Overview

Proving its mettle: The country has rapidly bounced back from internal and external shocks
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The Kingdom of Thailand, formerly known as Siam, covers an area of approximately 514,000 sq km and is situated in the heart of South-east Asia. It lies between the Lao People’s Democratic Republic to its north-east, Myanmar to its north-west and west, Cambodia to the south-east and Malaysia to the south. The country is made up of 76 provinces, which are divided into districts, sub-districts and villages. The country can be broadly divided into four distinct geographic regions. The central region…

Viewpoint

His Majesty Bhumibol Adulyadej, King of Thailand, on his long-term vision for the country’s water resource management
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Thailand has all the necessary resources that we can utilise to contribute to the prosperity and security of our country. The key issue is to know how to use those resources properly and wisely; that is, excessive use should be limited as much as possible. Only usage that is guided with care and prudence, as well as based on understanding causality, will ensure a real and sustainable benefit for our nation, whether at present or in the future. If water and environmental problems are properly solved…

Overview

Testing times: Despite political uncertainty, the nation remains open for business
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Inheritors of an ancient land and a complex culture, today’s Thais once again face some difficult social and political challenges. Yet, despite the confrontation that has resulted from these tensions during much of late 2013 and early 2014, the country continues to grow and develop, with much of it unaffected by the turmoil in certain high-profile districts of Bangkok. Thais are a resilient people, with a business sector that knows well how to carry on – and even flourish – during times of…

Analysis

Strong links: The nation’s international relations are based on concentric circles
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As a founding member of ASEAN, a long-time ally of the US and the West – and a member of the UN, World Bank, IMF and a host of other multilateral organisations – Thailand has long been connected to the wider world. Indeed, recently Bangkok celebrated 500 years of diplomatic relations with one Western nation – Portugal. Throughout the years too, Thailand has pursued a foreign policy based on concentric circles – prioritising the innermost circle of close neighbours, followed by relations with…

Interview

OBG talks to Le Luong Minh, Secretary-General, ASEAN
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Interview:Le Luong Minh What challenges do ASEAN countries face before inaugurating the Economic Community in 2015? LE LUONG MINH: We have already accomplished many of the tasks on the ASEAN Economic Community (AEC) Blueprint and intend to track remaining priorities via the AEC Scorecard system. While we are currently at a healthy implementation rate of 80%, as we approach the 2015 deadline, enhancing the implementation of these measures will become more critical. By 2015 all ASEAN member…