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| A country full of life,
Thailand is continuously evolving. To get
even more ahead, the Kingdom is improving
its organisation, its infrastructure and consequently
is changing its image, habits and mentality.
The crash of '97 upset this transformation
a little, but nonetheless the work continues.
Sapaluck Taechapongstorn, a French professor
from Thammasat University in Bangkok, tells
us about some of the changes he's seen in
his city. |
| ©
http://www.bangkok-thailand.org |
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| A huge building under construction
on Ratchadamri Road, Bangkok |
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B-T: Has the Thai
mentality changed since the crash?
S.T.: "Right from the start of
the crisis, the government launched a campaign
to encourage national solidarity. It asked
the population to buy local products and
to travel within Thailand, to try and keep
the money in the country. There were also
lots of promotions supporting local arts
and crafts. Before the crash you saw mainly
imported goods on sale in the shopping malls
but now there are more spaces on the shelves
and more local products like silk for example".
B-T: Did the Thais
go along with buying local?
S.T.: "Certainly. At any rate,
at the beginning there was a lot less travelling
abroad. It was evident in the duty free
shops in Paris where they employ Thais to
sell to the Thai tourists - they had to
make a lot of them redundant. There weren't
enough Thai visitors to France at that time.
At the beginning of the crisis people were
wary, they didn't want to spend a lot of
money and tried to save. But at the moment
we don't think too much about it, our economic
situation is starting to improve. People
are slowly returning to their old habits
and starting to spend again".
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| .Before
and after the crash |
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Bangkok-Thaïlande:
The changes to a
country often materialise in the form of physical
improvements, particularly in its capital.
What were the most obvious great metamorphoses
in Bangkok over the last 10/15 years? What
were the driving forces?
Sapaluck Taechapongstorn: " You
could see the city continuously evolving.
There was a lot of construction of new roads
and buildings, particularly at the beginning
of the '90's. The politicians wanted to add
another dimension to the country so using
large national companies they called on foreign
capital. With the strength of these joint
ventures and the help of foreign banks who
agreed to give financial support, Thailand
started to construct. But the '97 economic
crash and the devaluation of the Baht just
afterwards, put a halt to this evolution".
B-T: What
influence did these changes have on the population?
S.T.: "At the end of the '80's beginning
of the '90's, lots of people from the country
who didn't have work in their own regions,
moved to Bangkok to look for work on construction
sites and in new companies".
B-T: What happened
to these people when the crisis hit? Did they
return to the country? What did the Bangkokians
do?
S.T.: "A lot of them stayed in Bangkok.
Despite everything they looked for work in
other areas, like taxi drivers. Also, you
could see new professions popping up (after
'97) like 'car boot salesmen' for example.
People who had lost their jobs when their
companies had to close, sold second-hand goods
from the boots of their cars. That's when
you saw more and more little 'outdoor markets'
appearing around the city. At first they were
selling personal effects, then it turned into
a real business. Since then even the spaces
in front of the big shopping malls have become
market stalls. Before the crisis that didn't
exist".
B-T: Has anyone
made a real success of it?
 S.T.:
"There is a businessman who, after his
business went bust, became very famous with
his new enterprise. Before the crash, he was
in property and now he sells sandwiches. He
asked his employees who wanted to stay with
him to sell sandwiches in the street. He is
a good example of success and fighting spirit.
Today Sirivat Voravetvuthikun is often quoted
as an example. There are lots of others like
him in Bangkok". (/LA) |
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| People |
Bangkok before and after
the crash 
Thailand: an interesting experience to live
For the
country, the smile and the food
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