THE LAND OF PLENTY

Once touted as a land of plenty because of its rich, varied and
abundant agricultural products, Thailand is still able to make
such claims, albeit in a slightly more corporate and less romanticized
rural way. It continues to have one of the lowest levels of
unemployment in the world.
The story of the Thai economy really
began to change pace, along with its
main characters, when King Rama V, in
an attempt to sidestep the sort of bloodshed
seen during the American Civil War,
abolished slavery and serfdom in 1905.
From then onwards, opportunities were
available not only to wealthy landowners
and noblemen but also to a new wave
of entrepreneurs and merchants. Soon
after, the export of agricultural products,
including most signifi cantly rice, became
paramount in the steady growth of the
economy and Thailand’s inclusion in the
global market.
A cultural and economical hangover
from Siam’s reliance on serfdom is,
arguably, still present in Thai society.
As such, living like a king or a queen,
or at the very least a master, is relatively
achievable, at least for the middle and
upper classes. Taking taxis everywhere,
eating out every day, having regular
massages and employing gardeners,
maids and cleaners is not seen as particularly
indulgent for a large percentage
of the kingdom’s residents. Of course,
this is only made possible by Thailand’s
huge socio-economic disparity, its
ingrained, clearly defi ned hierarchical
structures and its slew of servile jobs. In
Thailand, there are whistle-blowing car
park attendants, guards who appear to
be guarding little more than their plastic
seats, well-dressed doormen employed
solely to salute customers at shopping
malls, and countless other subservient
jobs that have disappeared from many
a developed country’s workplace.
Gender inequality is another remnant
of traditional Thai culture that hasn’t
dramatically changed over the years.
Although women can be found on
construction sites, collecting trash and
generally doing any job that men do, they
also tend to earn, on average, 81 percent
of what men earn for doing the same job.
Thai women have to compete with very
traditional, stereotypical and downright
sexist views, both inside and outside the
offi ce. At home, they are expected to take
care of the children and perform all domestic
duties, all of which are done with
virtually no governmental assistance.
Most Thais work long, hard days, the
average being from 8 am to 6 pm, fi ve
days a week, often with a half or full day
on Saturday.
As long as Thai workers have not been
fi red or have left their position without
due cause, they are eligible for up to
15,000 baht (US$450) unemployment
benefi t per month, depending on the
amount of social security contributions
they have made. Although this may not
Although rice fi elds can still be found in
the countryside, many rural Thais have
migrated to the cities to fi nd work.
seem like a huge amount, the minimum
wage in Thailand is just 300 baht a day
($9), so 15,000 baht a month is actually
a well above average monthly amount.
Any Thai who earns less than 150,000
baht (US$4,500) per year is exempt from
paying tax, meaning, in effect, that a
huge percentage of the Thai population
and workforce do not pay taxes
or make any social security
contributions whatsoever. This
includes Thailand’s street
vendors, fruit sellers, DVD
merchants, tourist touts, illegal
taxi drivers, and all those
employed in cash-in-hand
industries. A downside of this
seemingly kind concession is
that should disaster strike and
they fi nd themselves unable
to sell pineapples, or without customers,
then they will invariably fi nd themselves
on their own, unable to receive any help
from the state. In Thailand, one must be
part of and pay into the system to benefit
from it.
Foreigners in Thailand who fi nd
themselves in a similar situation are also
rarely entitled to any fi nancial support
despite the signifi cant tax and social
security payments they may have made.
This is because a foreigner’s residence
and status as a non-tourist in Thailand is
usual dependent on having a work permit.
Once that is taken away, so too are
the majority of a foreigner’s rights to aid.
It is fortunate, therefore, that at least
statistically Thailand enjoys one of the
lowest unemployment rates in the world,
standing at around 0.8 percent.