It's time Thais took a peek over the fence

Virabongsa Ramangkura, head of a key government water-management committee, was there to assure businesspeople that preventive measures are being planned. But key figures at the TCC wanted more than that. They wanted the presence of Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra, who opted instead to pay her respects to King Rama VII to mark Constitution Day. Her deputy, Yongyuth Wichaidit, who is also interior minister, was supposed to preside over the event; instead, he sent the ministry’s permanent secretary, whose job has nothing to do with the business community. TCC vice chairman Pornsilp Patcharintanakul surprised reporters by blaming himself for the deputy premier’s no-show. Earlier, he had expressed disappointment over Yingluck’s decision not to join the annual conference, saying it was an unrivalled opportunity to restore confidence after the floods.
“Don’t blame us if the economy slumps next year,” he said.
Pornsilp may blame himself, but some business reporters blame Yingluck, accusing her of short-sightedness.
Yes, it is easy to point the finger at others, particularly when we are convinced that our agenda matters more than theirs. Sadly, this kind of thinking has stalled Thailand and it will continue to do so in the future.
The TCC annual conference took place a day after two major global events closed: the European Summit in Brussels and the climate change conference in South Africa.
At their fourth summit this year, 17 European countries agreed to a deal to save the euro. Few here paid attention, but Thais should hail the move, as it means the euro will stay. One expert said that Thailand would be spared major impacts if the euro were abandoned, given that the Kingdom has little exposure to the continent. But it is difficult to estimate the losses that would be caused by the disruption to global trade. If so, Thailand, with huge exposure to global trade, would be badly hit. This could claim more jobs than the flood disaster did, and the impact could linger for a longer period.
Likewise, few in Thailand paid attention to the conference on climate change, though, according to a survey, many Thais believe the great floods were a result of higher temperatures. The UN Economic and Social Commission for Asia-Pacific (Escap) estimated that the floods that hit five Southeast Asian nations including Thailand have caused US$6.3 billion (Bt194.22 billion) worth of losses, or 0.9 per cent of their combined gross domestic product. Imagine flooding like this happening every year. Media coverage of the conference in Thailand was low, despite the massive impacts. It wouldn’t be surprising if fewer than 100 Thais know that Thailand is now the world’s 22nd biggest polluter.
Starting next year, Europe will charge all airlines for their carbon emissions. Thai Airways International is among the airlines to be affected; it will have to buy carbon credits to offset this. The cost is Bt500 million per year; money that could be saved and spent on other things. Meanwhile, the United States is prepared to impose a Border Carbon Adjustment tax on greenhouse gas-emitting products.
How many know that like its predecessor events, the climate conference once again failed to seal a deal? That means greenhouse-gas emissions in many countries will remain at their current level, regardless of the fact that human activity is the cause of the rise in global temperatures. According to the Earth Policy Institute, 2010 was the hottest year in history. Nineteen countries experienced record temperatures in the year, including Burma, where the temperature spiked to 47.2 degree Celsius at one point, the highest on record for Southeast Asia as a whole.
In summer, those who can afford air-conditioners will be all right. But what about the poor?
Most Thais remain so consumed with their own agenda that they are oblivious to what is going on around the world. How many know that in the eyes of global investors, Africa is now rising? It is not beyond our imagination that if we continue to pursue our own desires and remain ignorant of others’ demands, soon Thailand will be in the dark days, similar to what Africa experienced decades ago. Keep in mind that it took Africa decades to rise again.