Saturday Mornings: Thailand at a Crossroads - Curtis Chin on Elections, Demographics & the Future of the ‘Sick Man of Asia’

This week on MoneyFM 89.3’s Wide World, Saturday Mornings Show host Glenn van Zutphen and co-host Neil Humphreys welcome Curtis Chin, Chair of Global Fellows and Senior Advisor for Global Markets at the Milken Institute, for a grounded, insider’s look at Thailand's National Election at a pivotal moment. With this vote, headlines have focussed on party politics—but Curtis, who grew up in Thailand and has lived there again since 2012, takes us deeper. He unpacks the structural challenges shaping Thailand’s long‑term trajectory: the rise of scam centres, worsening pollution, a rapidly ageing population, and a tourism sector struggling to regain its pre‑pandemic momentum. These pressures have fuelled the narrative of Thailand as the “sick man of Asia,” yet Curtis argues there is far more nuance beneath the label. We explore how demographics, governance, and regional competition are reshaping Thailand’s economic prospects, and what the election outcome could mean for investors, businesses, and Southeast Asia more broadly. Curtis also shares personal reflections from years of observing Thailand’s evolution—from Bangkok’s shifting urban landscape to the resilience of its people and private sector.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.