Page 18 - ELITE PLUS MAGAZINE VOL2

COUNTRY PORTRAITAdrian Dunn, CEO of Brooker Dunn Asset Advisory.“They have seen fit to move with extraordinary speed and decisiveness with a shopping list of what they wanted to do from day one, and the list is primarily about removing obstacles to the economy.”problems that supposedly justify such coups, such as corruption and cronyism, never seem to go away. The question that arises is: Is a coup d’etat a solution? What – apart from short- term stability under military rule – are the dividends?Amid an atmosphere of tight censorship, these questions were debated at the Foreign Correspon- dents’ Club of Thailand (FCCT) in early July. Panelists included Pavida Pananond, associate professor of international business at Thammasat Business School at Thammasat University; Adrian Dunn, CEO of Brooker Dunn Asset Advisory; and Angus Kent, managing director of Macquarie Securities Thailand.The three panellists shared the view that the NCPO was still enjoying a “honeymoon” period when manypeople were willing to give it a chance. Mr Dunn – also manager of the Brooker Sukhothai Fund – said the opinions between Thais and investors might differ, yet the initial response to the NCPO has been “favourable so far”. The NCPO is different from previous post-coup leaderships, Mr Dunn pointed out. “The 2006 coup leaders were paralysed by the ‘sufficiency economy’ and did nothing for a year – a luxury their successors know they don’t have.” The NCPO’s performance on economic policy and actions is more impressive: “They have seen fit to move with extraordinary speed and decisiveness with a shopping list of what they wanted to do from day one, and the list is primarily about removing obstaclesto the economy.”Investors and the broader public16 Elite+