Who could think badly of Thailand? The people are lovely, the beaches divine and the green chicken curry outstanding. The country's apparently troubled political history of serial coups and quick-vanishing constitutions, say its many admirers, is not as bad as it appears. It masks an odd kind of stability that has made Thailand a favoured destination for foreign investment and foreign vacations alike. True, there is poverty and great disparity of wealth. Where in south-east Asia isn't there? But the people appear pretty content with their lot, and at least no one is starving. Even the current prime minister, the Oxford-educated Abhisit Vejjajiva, seems like a thoroughly decent chap, and terribly dishy to boot.
誰會認爲泰國不好？人民可愛動人、海灘令人沉醉、綠咖哩雞妙不可言。仰慕者表示，連續的政變和稍現即逝的憲法讓這個國家的政治史顯得問題重重，但實際上並不像看起來那麼糟糕。政治動盪掩蓋了一種奇特的穩定狀態，正是這種穩定使泰國成爲外國人投資和海外度假偏愛的目的地。沒錯，這個國家依然存在貧窮和嚴重的貧富不均。但東南亞哪個國家不是如此？不過泰國人民似乎對自己的命運沒有什麼不滿，而且至少沒有人在捱餓。就連現任總理、在牛津接受教育的阿披實•維乍集瓦(Abhisit Vejjajiva)看起來也是個非常得體的傢伙，而且還相當有魅力。