Reference: Enormous challenges await new govt, Bangkok Post, October 2, 2007

The article states that the 9/19 coup of 2006 has forever changed Thailand by creating uncertainty and a "confusion trap" because "from now on no one can guarantee there will be no more coups". As a result Thailand's future economic development will be retarded until the country resembles the Philippines more than itself. These observations are not consistent with the political or economic history of either of these countries. Thailand has a history of coups and new constitutions and the "political uncertainty of the last two years" cited by the article could not have been caused by a coup that occurred one year ago. Thailand's propensity for military coups does harm its image but the article takes that idea a bit too far.

Cha-am Jamal
Thailand