We must think beyond “hospitality”

The upcoming ASEAN Summit will not only prove the Thai government’s capacity to impress our guests; but will also be proof of our government’s readiness to drive Thailand as the leader of ASEAN, and as a leader in the world arena.

Amid the menace of political conflict that promptly rises up at any government event, our highest priority is to reassure the ASEAN community by preventing impending turmoil. How much confidence does the government have to prevent and cope with these situations?

Apart from showing Thailand’s potential to the world as a host country, the government must inevitably present its vision on topics that are currently the talk of the town. The agenda of the upcoming ASEAN Summit will focus on human rights and ASEAN charter enforcement. Absolutely, the topic of the illegal Rohingya refugees will be discussed. Therefore, the government must come up with practical solutions aligned both to human rights principles and to Thailand’s social contexts. In fact, solutions concluded at such an international conference will be warmly welcomed by the world community, and at the same time, will prevent similar problems from occurring in the future.

During this critical time, the topic of future survival and stability will also be worth discussion, especially the real threat of an impending food crisis. There are many indicators, for example, the increasing world population, climate fluctuations and increasing urbanization that already tell us there will probably be a food shortage very soon. That is why many supra-national organizations, including the United Nations, the World Bank and the Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO), focus their attention on the food crisis.

For Thailand and ASEAN countries, this situation could be an opportunity to increase our agricultural sector strength toward being known as “the world’s farm.” It will therefore become vital for the government to strengthen our agricultural sector before the world food crisis fully occurs, for example by adopting land use planning for energy plants and for food plants and by developing the competitiveness of Thailand’s agricultural sector.

The upcoming ASEAN summit will be a test of readiness for the government, and will also be a test of the Thai government’s administrative ability. Moreover, if the government succeeds in earning foreign confidence, it may prove to be a pivotal juncture for the country. The government should be wise and prepare itself well, so that Thailand will be able not only to restore its good image, but also to firmly stand with pride in the world arena.

Dr Kriengsak Chareonwongsak
Senior Fellow, Harvard Kennedy School , Harvard University
kriengsak@kriengsak.com, kriengsak.com, drdancando.com