Land tax a huge leap towards participatory democracy
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The land tax proposal has been far more effective in rousing a generally apathetic populace than has the work of the Constitution Drafting Committee (CDC). If there were an opinion poll, I would bet that 8 out of 10 us would have strong views, pro or con,
I, for one, can’t. But ask my two satangs’ worth of opinion on the land tax and I would say I agree with it completely. Thailand means “land of the free”, yet when things are free, we take them for granted. At about Bt3,500, the land tax represents a mere Bt10 per day for an average household. What can you buy for Bt10?
Sure, there will be those on the fringes who can’t even pay this, so help them out.
As for the criticism coming from the Democrats and Pheu Thai, it is difficult to feel sympathy when their membership includes some of the country’s biggest landowners.
If we can get everyone to pay his or her fair share of taxes, the sense of ownership – of having a stake in the game – would translate to greater scrutiny of how our tax money is used. For proof, just observe the differences in appearance between rented houses and their owner-occupied equivalents.
This land tax is a more effective catalyst to participatory democracy than anything the CDC can come up with.
Sukit Bejrsuwana
