Pracharath events always seem ostentatiously designed to please the powerful, the rich and the super-rich business people who attend. It was also a shock to see the gap between the rich and poor rapidly widening, considering the shrinking number in the super-rich club. Last year, Credit Suisse's Global Wealth Report ranked Thailand as the world's third most unequal country following India and Russia. One-off donations to the poor and those affected by disasters have become more common as a way of expressing their generosity. We should not rely on donations as a means to help the poor and bridge the income gap.

Source: Bangkok Post January 17, 2017 21:39 UTC