Thailand is one of the most inequitable countries in Asia. The gap between rich and poor is wider than it is in China, Malaysia, the Philippines, or Vietnam, according to a World Bank report. Put simply, the rich (concentrated in the capital city Bangkok) are really rich, and the poor (from rural areas) are really poor. For generations, this gap has gone unchallenged by most Thais, as Thai culture doesn't lend itself to rapid social change or confrontation. This has changed recently as political turmoil has exposed the rift between rich and poor in ways never seen before, and technology enables the poor to organize their masses. The result is a renewed willingness among poorer Thais to confront what they see as gross unfairness in the way wealth is distributed in Thailand.Memo From Bangkok - Young Thai Protesters Shed Culture of Restraint - NYTimes.com
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