Upbeat in the 'Land of the Free'

摘要

It has been seven years since this author last visited Thailand. He was expecting scars in "the land of the free," which is the literal translation of "Thailand," after the Asian economic crisis triggered by the crash of its currency (the baht). On the contrary, its capital, Bangkok, is connected with highways, and an elevated sky train system eases much of Bangkok's notorious traffic jams. Economic problems may still persist, but on the surface the country appears quite upbeat. Stores and restaurants are filled wherever one goes. A decade ago, companies had to have two or three employees dedicated to dialing telephone numbers until connections were made. Today, Thailand's telephone network is as modern as there is. A huge gap remains between the haves and have-nots, but there is a strong emergence of a middle class, and the economy is also boosted by migratory investments from neighboring countries such as Singapore and Malaysia as well as other foreign countries. Unlike Singapore and Malaysia, Thailand's sizeable population of 60 million provides an ample labor force.