Why no used |goods market?
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I agree with Graham Treadwell's letter last week in The Nation. Though many items and services in Thailand continue to be low-cost, there are still some items that cost more than in the US.
Here a few examples: any type of automobile, whether new or used, is about twice the price for Thais; anything electronic, from computers to phones to digital gizmos, are costlier here.
Perhaps most dire, there are virtually no second-hand outlets in Thailand: no thrift stores, no garage/yard sales, no bulletin boards, no diversified classified ads in newspapers, and very few second-hand shops. Not having such cost-saving outlets hurts the poor much more than the well to do. It compels everyone to buy retail. These are economic mechanisms that ensure the rich get richer and the poor stay poor.
KEN ALBERTSEN
CHIANG RAI
