BANGKOK — Only a few months ago, governments of the West were warning their citizens not to visit Thailand. The heart of the capital was a no-go area with battle lines drawn and blood shed between security forces and protesters. Shops and hotels were shuttered, but that did not prevent one of Asia's major shopping malls from being set ablaze in an orgy of looting that followed the government crackdown on the demonstration along with 90 deaths.
Today the country's economic growth is going gangbusters as fast as China's. Unemployment is a mere 1 percent, tourists have returned, exports are booming in spite of a rapidly appreciating currency, and Toyota has announced plans to make its new flagship Prius hybrid car in the country. Thailand is now looking at 8 percent growth this year in spite of the worst floods for decades.
In a recent interview, Finance Minister Korn Chatikavanij explained the vital role that the government can play in removing roadblocks to growth.