The author doesn't appear to appreciate that when Singapore became a self-governing state some 50-odd years ago its per capita income was probably considerably more than 5 times that of Thailand's, so in a very competitive environment, the Thais have done not that badly.

The notion that Singapore is Singapore because of "vision", rather than due to a century and a half of colonial development as the financial center for British Malaya, is beyond silly.

I mean the North Korean electorate and its politicians have managed to come together with the vision thing and it hasn't done all that much for them. Nice hotel in Pyongyang though I hear.