(Photo: Pattarapong Chatpattarasill)Being labelled the "sick man of Asia" has forced Thailand to reassess the long‑standing problems causing its "chronic economic illness". DEAD MANThailand actually risks becoming a "dead man" if the new government bases its selection of cabinet members on political quotas, said Kriengkrai Thiennukul, chairman of the Federation of Thai Industries (FTI). Changing doctors could render the nation a dead man," he said. "The country's competitiveness relies not only on capital inflows, but also on the strength of the Thai economy," noted Mr Dhanakorn. "Despite the finance minister's remark that the Thai economy has emerged from the ICU, it has not been discharged from the hospital.

Source: Bangkok Post February 22, 2026 22:05 UTC