Thai prosperity gold medal would go to Abhisit, not Prayut
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Re: “Forget the criticism, just read the Legatum Prosperity rankings for 2015”, Letters, August 14.
Following A Johnsen’s kind advice, I reread the Legatum Prosperity Index 2105. Let me clarify first that I am politically neutral and not interested in Thai politics.
Thailand’s ranking for 2009 to 2015 appears on Page 10 of the Legatum Institute report.
Mr Johnsen says the “big positive jump [in ranking] has to be and should be credited to Prayut, and does not belong elsewhere”.
To test that claim, I checked the report’s rankings against the prime minister in power at the time:
Abhisit:
2009 – Thailand ranked 54th
2010 – 42nd (+12 places)
Abhisit/Yingluck:
2011 – 45th (-3)
Yingluck:
2012 – 56th (-11)
Yingluck:
2013 – 52nd (+4)
Niwatthammrong/Prayut:
2014 – 51st (+1)
Prayut:
2015 – 48th (+3)
From an Olympics point of view, the performances would yield the following results:
Abhisit wins the gold medal for a jump of 12 places.
Yingluck wins the silver for a jump of 4 places.
Prayut is awarded the bronze for a jump of 3 places.
English is not my mother tongue and my country is ranked 2nd.
As Mr Johnsen recommended, readers should take a look for themselves.
Gilles Bernard
Phon Phisai
