Thailand beats the odds

Still resilient: A man walks past an electronic screen at a securities house while reading a newspaper in Bangkok. The Stock Exchange of Thailand

THAILAND has had a tough time of it since 2008. “Stalemate”, “uncertainty”, “gridlock” and “crisis” are some of the words that have been used to describe the country’s politics in recent years as so-called pro-establishment “yellow shirt” supporters battle against their anti-establishment “red shirt” rivals in sometimes bloody confrontations.

Even now, despite the May coup which toppled the government of Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra (the sister of ousted Prime Minsiter Thaksin Shinawatra) and the ascension to power of a group of senior military officers, there is an undercurrent of uncertainty. On the surface, everything is deceptively “sabai” (well) but is everything as “sanuk” (fun) as before?