Outlook not good for Thailand’s poor

[admin]

A senior Thai official cast a dour picture for the future of Thailand’s poor earlier this week, citing such causal factors as wider economic and social gaps, surging household debts, the poor’s inability to acquire education and health services, and the increase of drug-related crimes.National Economic and Social Development Board NESDB secretary general Arkhom Termpittayapaisith also stated that vital services are concentrated in the big cities, which leave the poverty-stricken population with less access to social welfare and health services.According to Arkhom, Thailand’s poor are at present overwhelmed with higher household debt, less income and a tendency toward over-spending. He also added that the expenditures on alcohol and cigarettes by Thailand’s low-income population are several times higher than correlative expenditures by the country’s wealthy population.

via Coconuts | Bangkok |.

[kaunitz]

As elsewhere...

Education is one issue but I saw personally how health services are working (or not) when my late father-in-law had problems and the "nurse" of the village refused to see him. We brought him to the next hospital, where he was treated and released despite his poor health status and a urinal bag - phantastic!!!! Only reason I did not go berserk with the medical staff there was that the whole family and a good portion of the village inhabitants were present.....

I could have payed for his stay at hospital but the staff didn't even listen!