Abstract
Thailand’s long-term economic growth has been remarkable. This progress has been reflected in the very significant improvement in indicators of well-being, such as life expectancy, infant and maternal mortality, and literacy. Poverty incidence has declined dramatically, but economic inequality has increased. The performance of the education system is chronically weak. Environmental problems and institutional failures in resource management are ongoing. Reform is needed in several areas, including political and corporate governance, trade policy, regulation of industry and the education and health systems. This article attempts to clarify these issues and to suggest the most important areas for reform.