Transcript of the above video: 

Wow, I never thought I would be making a video like this but here we are. Let me just jump in. So this is coming from the Bangkok Post, bangkokpost.com, the article is titled: Thailand falls by more than 10 places in tourism ranking. Quoting directly: "Tourism operators are disappointed with the Government for failing to improve the country's position in the travel and tourism development index, after Thailand dropped to 47th place, from 36th, in the latest World Economic Forum (WEF) index." I will get to that in a moment. Quoting further: "The decrease was also larger than the decline seen in the 2021 index, when Thailand fell from 35th to 36th place, which was attributed to the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic." Quoting further: "Among Southeast Asian nations, three countries outperformed Thailand - Singapore, which was ranked 13th," wow, what a shock, the WEF loves Singapore, quoting further: "followed by Indonesia, (22^nd) and Malaysia (35^th). Compared to 2019, Thailand also fell by six spots and lagged the global average of 117 countries by 3.9%." Now, isn't this special to quote the Church Lady from the old Saturday Night Lives. I mean, WOW. 

So the WEF has kind of got it out for Thailand it looks to me like, because I don't trust a thing that comes out of their anything. Like who did they poll? What's the sample size for these people? The membership of the WEF? Is that who they polled because I have got to tell you, I don't much care for the opinions one way or the other of the membership of the WEF? You have got to remember, these are these "you'll own nothing and be happy" people, okay? These are the "safe and effective" people; these are the "trust the science, don't ask any questions", “don't critically think”, you know what? Better yet, "don't be free and don't have private property either". I mean honestly their whole, they are just totalitarians. I mean that's really all it comes down to. Left or right, because they are in the "public private partnership" business, that's what they really espouse which under certain circumstances certain state involvement in the economy can be workable, but when that's your sole ethos, I mean to quote the Big Lebowski,  "say what you will about the tenets of national socialism dude." At least it's an ethos. I mean what's the WEF’s ethos? Okay, left or right. It just all comes full circle with totalitarianism and it looks to me like they don't particularly like Thailand all that much because Thailand ain't down with that. We have our own issues here in Thailand; we have got our own thing going over here, but Thais by and large like their national sovereignty and don't like being told what to do by a bunch of European aristocrats, oligarchs and billionaires telling them what to do out here in Southeast Asia. I, me personally, I don't see what the WEF has anything to do with anything. 

That being said, it's their poll. I'd love to know who they polled in this thing because look, and I know it's sort of anecdotal evidence, but we have done videos recently where we were quoting the Thai Examiner where revenue of quarter one of 2024 went through the roof; consumer spending as well. You have to wonder why is it WEF always wants to promote stuff that's stifles economic activity or any country that starts to show any inkling of free enterprise, in comes the WEF - "we have got to do something about that; we can't have people owning stuff and being happy. No, they have got to not own stuff and be happy, that's our mission." 

So at the end of the day, I don't know what to say other than what I have already said but I view this poll as spurious at best. I wonder, I would love to know the share of Ad revenue the Bangkok Post is getting from membership of the WEF, that would be an interesting thing to know. That being said, I've always respected the Bangkok Post. I think at the end of the day they do try to convey the real information, so tip of the hat to them, but WEF, as far as I'm concerned, go back to Davos.