Thailand slammed for income disparity, but US doing much worse
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Years ago, during the Abhisit Vejjajiva administration, I complained after it was reported that the top 20 per cent of Thais enjoyed 55 per cent of the income in Thailand.
Then, one year ago, Associated Press reported that the top 1 per cent in the US earned more than 19 per cent of US household income, and that the top 10 per cent earned a record 48.2 per cent of total US income. So I shut up about Thai income inequity.
Since 2009, some 95 per cent of US income gains have gone to the top 1 per cent.
Because of the coup, foreign news media are now writing about the issue in Thailand, but I have waited a full year in vain for them to write more about the issue in the US. Foreign news media have simply ignored US income inequity.
Guy Baker
Bangkok
