The Joke Of The Day Gold Medal goes to Chaiya, allegedly new Commerce Minister.
Ready ? Go.
Commerce Minister Chaiya points out that Thai export this year will experience merely a slight impact of 0.01% from the US financial crisis but believes that next year the sector will expand by 15 percent. (PRD)
So let’s see… 0,01 % hum… Even with a translation mistake, it’s still grotesque.
And + 15 %… next year 
As I wrote here, thai exports are in serious danger. Chaiya doesn’t like it, sure, but his forecasts are totally ridiculous.
It’s not a US crisis anymore. It’s a global crisis . USA, Europe, Japan…
When your 3 biggest exports customers experience a recession or even a slowdown… even if your name is “Thailand La-la Land Chaiya”, there is no escape : you go down the drain too.
Anyway. That’s not important. What is important is that the alleged Commerce Minister has dropped, with an intense satisfaction, his little line : the bowel movement theory applied to the economy.
He can be proud.
Well, to be fair, he probably said the first thing that crossed his mind after some lout thrust a microphone in his face. Bedwyr has opined previously that this course of action is not the one likely to produce a thoughtful, or even *as it turns out) a sensible comment, and those zeros look suspiciously like what normally occupied a Thai mind.
Still, something is better than nothing to a Thai, who is well used to having nothing to say. Well, nothing intelligent anyway.
Look on the bright side. Chaya wont be around long enugh to ber the brunt of the criticism when what he says is inevitaby found to be first class load of old bollocks.
By then he will be able to blame someone else, so no problem.
Bedwyr
ThaiCrisis:
You may not be aware that Chaiya Sasomsap usually runs a squad of hitmen anybody can hire to gun down his/her enemy or defaulted debtors.
This is Thailand, where godfathers, local mafia heads, drug lords, and underground casino operators can rise to MP and ministerial positions.
So what would you expect from this guy?
FYI.
Indeed, we all know the background of Chalerm… and his family (his sons…). Thanks to google, people even outside Thailand, can easily discover the extend of the problems that ruin this country…
For me Chalerm and Samak are the perfect symbols of the “ugly rainbow” that affects Thailand.
I mean Thaksin is an angel if we compare… Well… maybe not.
The first person to level with the Thai people will be remembered as putting duty before deception. That person has a future. The rest are a failure to themselves and their country.
Charles: quite.
But I don’t think I will be holding my breath. The dinosaurs will hold on for a while yet.
Bedwyr