Thailand’s security situation

Business Monitor International publishes very expensive and relatively short quarterly reports, claiming to be “a leading source of market intelligence encompassing Country Risk, Financial Markets and Industry Research.” It has just published its latest on Thailand, at a cool US$530. This is a selection from the summary:

The security situation in Thailand remains an ongoing concern from several points of view. Most publicly, the political situation is unresolved. Thailand’s period of emergency rule was extended for another three months on July 7. Our view is that Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva will not call elections until he has a chance of victory at the polls and this means there will not be an election this year. Despite the successful actions [by the government] in May that put an end to the very public demonstrations against the government, there have still been recurring incidents of anti-government attacks. The risk of a successful high profile attack remains real. Such an incident would threaten confidence in the economy. The extension of emergency rule risks creating divisions within the military. While we do not foresee an imminent risk of a military coup, a delay in reconciliation efforts may exacerbate existing tensions within the military.

In short, the battle for Thailand is ongoing.

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