Showing 31 - 40 of 47
Debt aside, economy looks a lot like Greece's
News, Sawai Boonma, Published on 01/05/2013
» When the current eurozone crisis reached Greece, many Thais asked whether what was happening over there could happen here.
For Thailand, 'midway' is the better way
News, Sawai Boonma, Published on 06/03/2013
» Over the years, among the books that I have strongly recommended are two written by Professor Jared Diamond _ Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies, and Collapse: How Societies Choose to Fail or to Succeed. Both have been translated into Thai. For those who cannot spare the time to read these rather hefty books, brief excerpts can be found in the book entitled Kalapiwat.
Cyprus was warned, but it refused to listen
News, Sawai Boonma, Published on 03/04/2013
» The severity of the economic problems in Cyprus puzzles me. When my World Bank colleagues and I were working on Cyprus in the 1980s, we were favourably impressed by our Cypriot counterparts, both in the government and in the private sector.
Moderation provides key to happiness
News, Sawai Boonma, Published on 02/01/2013
» On June 6 of last year, I wrote in this column that the Great Recession starting in 2008 was bad for most people except those who wrote about it. Dozens of books have been published and I mentioned three that had interested me in particular _ two by Joseph Stiglitz and one by Jeffrey Sachs. These books ask more fundamental questions than most about the causes of the current economic problems.
Our road to sustainability grows ever rockier
News, Sawai Boonma, Published on 06/02/2013
» Last week, former US vice president and Nobel Peace Prize laureate Al Gore published perhaps another bestseller entitled, The Future: Six Drivers of Global Change. From the pre-publication announcement, it was not clear what the six drivers might be. While waiting for my pre-publication order to be delivered, I saw his brief interview with the BBC.
Start at the local level to avert apocalypse
News, Sawai Boonma, Published on 07/11/2012
» According to one interpretation of the Mayan calendar, there will be a cataclysmic event that causes the end of the world this year, probably on Dec 21.
Pawning rice is worse than pawning Thailand
News, Sawai Boonma, Published on 05/12/2012
» Since the launching of the rice-pawning scheme a few months ago ("pawning" is not only a correct translation of the Thai word jam nam but also reflects the sense of the scheme better than the "pledging" that many writers have used), two areas have been analysed most thoroughly: its potential impact on the budget and national debt, resulting from the large losses that will occur, and the corruption that is due to happen at various steps of the scheme. Some analysts go so far as to say that losses from this scheme will bankrupt the country and pawning rice is tantamount to pawning the country.
Lies come in many colours
News, Sawai Boonma, Published on 04/09/2012
» Since a group of political activists has used yellow to identify its movement against the administration of a former prime minister and his associates over the past half decade or so, it has become fashionable for a political movement in this country to identify itself by a colour.
Agricultural policy fails to address land grab
News, Sawai Boonma, Published on 03/10/2012
» Afew years back, foreign investors scouting for large swaths of land to plant rice and eucalyptus trees backed off after encountering strong local opposition. Anecdotal reports indicate that they have not given up altogether but may be working through Thai fronts to achieve the same end. With warm weather year round, fertile soil, and ample supplies of water, Thailand remains a target for foreigners interested not only in securing industrial raw materials and food supplies but also in obtaining a higher rate of return on their investment.
Gimmicks won't bridge wealth gap
News, Sawai Boonma, Published on 04/07/2012
» Thais possess almost an unlimited supply of proverbs and sages' sayings, which they often quote to justify or rationalise what they do. One of them is this: Follow a big person, so that dogs don't bite.