Leading academic outlines 10 urgent crises waiting for Paetongtarn govt
Social to economic and global challenges facing new Thai administration
A well-known political scientist from Chulalongkorn University on Sunday warned that the new government of Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra will face 10 immediate problems that would need urgent attention.
Prof Emeritus Dr Surachart Bamrungsuk enumerated the following 10 immediate issues:
Climate change: Surachat said the current floods in the North were an example of the climate change issue.
Pandemic crisis: Mpox cases were a concern, as warned by the World Health Organisation, with the danger of becoming a pandemic, which needs to be addressed urgently by the new government.
Economic crisis: The lecturer said the Thai economy has been sluggish for years with no sign of recovery so far.
Household debt: Surachet said high household debt has been a crisis for Thailand for years and the policy to hand out 10,000 baht to 45 million Thais could aggravate it.
Southern violence: Violence has been raging in the South for 21 years and the insurgents led by the BRN group had stepped up attacks to pressure the government.
Social issues: Thai society has been plagued by several social issues, including drugs, online gambling and online scams.
Myanmar civil war: Surachet said the civil war in Myanmar, which has become more and more violent, would have a severe impact on Thailand, as a neighbouring country.
Crisis of Thai goods manufacturers: Thai entrepreneurs are struggling to survive as Thai markets are flooded by cheap goods from China, Surachet pointed out.
Crisis of confidence: He said the next coalition government would suffer a crisis of confidence due to the lack of political stability and political conflicts. The crisis of confidence would affect investment in the country as well.
Geopolitical risks: Fierce competitions by superpowers would also have an impact on the next government, Surachet warned.
