In the 1990s, many significant events have happened in Thailand. Some historical occasion such as His Majesty AEs 72nd birthday which called for nation AEs celebration was worth taking note; however, the economic crisis the occurred in the late 1990 AEs was something that we all would like to forget,. Despite the negative impact, the economic crisis has been a blessing the disguise. It has prompted a process of soul-searching that was noticeable absent during the high-growth era.
Looking toward the 2000s, Thailand is deemed to be ready for the heated competition in the world economy. We have prepared ourselves well during the crisis period by putting concept such as good governance, transparency and accountability into practice by both public and private sectors. The government is now utilizing the dual track policy of strengthening the domestic economy while opening the market to foreign trade and investment. Concurrently, the government will also undertake measure to eradicate poverty.
In order to strengthen the domestic economy, the government has implemented several programs aiming to stimulate demand by injecting capitals into the hand of the most needed. Programs such as the Village Fund and the People bank were geared toward this aim. In addition, the 30-baht Universal Health Care Program was another example of government AEs intention to increase the quality of life for the people of Thailand. Together with our domestic policies, Thailand is committed to the idea of trade and investment liberalization in both regional level and global level. Among others, Thailand is currently the member of ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations), APEC (Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation) as well as the WTO (World Trade Organization); and a Thai national will serve as the Director-General of WTO in the-2000 Aes
As evidenced, Thailand is as determined as ever to be open to the world, to become as competitive as it can be, and to protect and promote basic rights and freedoms, for only by doing so can it be a strong, vibrant society for into the 21st century.
