Credit booms bust the poor
Play
Re: "Good for gander as well", Letters, August 22.
Eric Bahrt concedes that Thailand has arrested more human-traffickers than Malaysia and Vietnam combined, but adds that Thailand has more traffickers.
That may be true. However, if Thailand has arrested traffickers in roughly the same percentage as those two countries, why is it being treated differently by the US government?
I am convinced that Thailand was put on Tier 3 in the US Human Trafficking report this year as punishment for its reluctance to join the US-initiated Trans Pacific Partnership (TPP). Malaysia and Vietnam did agree to negotiate the trade agreement.
Eric accuses me of being one of the upper-class Thais looking down on those who voted for Thaksin Shinawatra. That’s not true. I love my country and I sympathise with compatriots who are less fortunate and often taken advantage of by unscrupulous politicians.
Household debt among the poor in Thailand doubled to more than 80 per cent of GDP during Thaksin’s rule. Despite this, Eric and others are still praising Thaksin for making life better for the poor. When a hapless family’s debt increases from B100,000 to B200,000, is that more likely to help them or to pauperise them?
Vint Chavala
