Research Note, Thailand – June 4, 2014

You have possibly heard about the military coup that occurred in Thailand on May 22, 2014. In brief, the military imposed martial law and has dissolved much of the elected government. They are establishing a new economic plan, and have temporarily installed the head of the military as the prime minister. In short, democracy in one of the world’s strongest economies is now dead.

Like most news events, this is a story that requires a far deeper understanding to appreciate all of the ramifications. While an objective assessment would be prudent, I am clearly biased by my connections and friendships in the country. What I see is a logical progression that started many years ago with the dismantling of their democracy when Thaksin Shinawatra’s political party (Thai Rak Thai) was elected into power – the man whom this is all about.

A quick history of recent developments in Thai politics begins with Thaksin, a former policeman-turned business leader who was elected prime minister in 2001 through the support of the mostly rural and poor farmers of Thailand. Thaksin did some good for the country in the form of rural development programs. But the downside was corruption – he is a deeply corrupt politician who used his control of the elected bodies to neuter the country’s enforcement agencies and anti-corruption safeguards. In the end, he fled Thailand for Dubai with billions in illegal wealth, escaping a two-year prison term.

In the next act of this drama his sister, Yingluck Shinawatra, who was elected prime minister in his wake on essentially the same platform as her brother, brought further economic revival to the countryside. Her method was far cruder than her brother’s. She promised and delivered on artificial price supports for rice farmers by raising the price that the Thai government would pay per ton of rice. The effect was devastating for the government. Farmers benefitted, but the government incurred at least $4.4 billion in losses (WSJ, June 17, 2013) as the rice they bought rotted in warehouses while rice prices continued to decline due to global overproduction.

This might all have been put under the rubric of bad economic policy if it were not for her last significant move as prime minister – to propose amnesty for her brother to return to Thailand and Bangkok politics. It was this last straw that led to protests, riots, and various forms of political maneuvering, rendering the current government ineffective with no clear path for bringing in a newly elected government.

While it is still not clear what precisely triggered the military’s move at this point in the drama, it is not unexpected. Thailand has a long history of military coups, the vast majority of which are without violence or bloodshed. The military is loyal to the King and only acts when there is a significant threat to the royalist nature of the country. If things go as hoped, the military rule will eventually give way to a political body that is largely in line with the King and a pro-economic ruling party. The issues of corruption still exist, and it will be quite some time until truly elected bodies will be able to function as a democracy, but this is a positive step forward.

From an investor’s perspective, this is welcome news. The market value of our holding, an ETF based on the Thai SET 50 Index (THD), moved in a narrow range immediately following the coup and is now up 4%. The larger volatility in the related index occurred many months ago when uncertainty around the Yingluck government arose and the prospect of Thaksin’s return was real. That was when we first entered the position – after a 20% drop in the Thai index on the fears of a political upheaval.

 

Chart 1 – The Thai SET 50 has suffered tremendous volatility in the past year as the political situation deteriorated in the country. The Amnesty Bill, allowing Thaksin to return, was the trigger that eventually led to the current coup. The market abhorred the Amnesty Bill, yet welcomed the coup.

Chart 1 – The Thai SET 50 has suffered tremendous volatility in the past year as the political situation deteriorated in the country. The Amnesty Bill, allowing Thaksin to return, was the trigger that eventually led to the current coup. The market abhorred the Amnesty Bill, yet welcomed the coup.

 

Our focus now will be on how the military stabilizes the economy and sets a path for the transition to an elected government. The real damage has already occurred – Thailand’s economy contracted last quarter due to the turmoil and poor economic policies during Yingluck’s tenure. Nicknamed the “Teflon economy,” Thailand has one of the most resilient economies in the region, capable of strong growth based in Southeast Asia’s global expansion. With the elected government’s dysfunction out of the way, the country can return to stable growth as the civil administrators, business leaders and foreign investors are again able to return to the business of doing business.

All the best for an enjoyable summer.

David B. Matias, CPA

Managing Principal