Transcript of the above video: 

As a title of this video suggests, we are discussing the notion of "scaling down" Bureaucracy here in Thailand.

A recent article from the Bangkok post, that is bangkokpost.com, the article is titled: Time to Rethink Future Growth Channels. It says: “Exclusive interview. Double whammy of COVID-19 impact and transition into an aged society requires a proactive investment policy and an overall Government Bureaucracy.” This article is basically interviewing the Kla Party leader and former Finance Minister Korn Chatikavanij but I thought it was interesting, there is a lot in here again bangkokpost.com, Time to Rethink Future Growth Channels this interview. This was especially noteworthy to me, this quote here. Quoting directly and this is from Mr. Korn himself: "The Government needs to increase methods to generate income, focus on foreign investments, startups and expenditure reduction by implementing reforms to scale down the Bureaucratic system and increase efficiency by introducing technology in public services, he said." 

You know I have to say Mr. Korn brings up something that is a fair critique. Bureaucracy, we have seen a lot of it, I am sure a lot of the expats watching this will say “Yeah!” Just the Immigration apparatus in the past few years has gotten far more sophisticated but sophisticated in the sense that it requires a lot more out of those who are seeking benefits from it compared to times past. Is that good or bad?  Depending on your perspective, there are those who would argue perhaps from a law enforcement perspective, that some of this stuff has been necessary. There are also those who would argue and I think they have a pretty good argument that it has had an impact of discouraging certain long staying retirees and long staying expats. Now in a broader sense, those who do business here in Thailand and deal with things like the Work Permits and visas to maintain status here in Thailand as well as certain aspects of things like Corporate Tax compliance yeah, the Bureaucracy is pretty daunting. I would say Byzantine is not an incorrect statement or incorrect adjective to use to describe it. 

Now will this change anytime soon? It may, it may not but it is definitely good to see there is discussion on this at least at a level where folks are looking at this issue. Hopefully something will come to fruition which will provide some benefits to some folks in the nearer term rather than the further term.