From Coup Cycles to Ballot Box Stability, Thailand’s New Government Faces an Old Economic Problem From Coup Cycles to Ballot Box Stability, Thailand’s New Government Faces an Old Economic Problem
MONDAY, FEBRUARY 23, 2026
An article titled How Thailand became the ‘sick man’ of Asia, published by the Financial Times on February 3rd, 2026, has drawn considerable attention among Thai economists. It documented the Thailand’s anaemic growth, slowdowns in consumption, manufacturing and tourism, and the mounting pressures on household incomes and national stability. Structural weaknesses have deepened. Thailand, Southeast Asia’s second-largest economy, has been stuck in a low-growth trap of roughly 2% for the past five years.