Turning Points 2013 Year-End Review 2012

At a time when conflict and upheaval have become commonplace in many parts of the world, Thailand could be regarded as a haven of stability and relative prosperity. One would hardly know it to read the news coverage and commentary on domestic affairs, but then people in every country often claim the right to think the worst about the place they know best.

Economically at least, Thailand has fared better than most, especially given the daunting task we faced at the start of 2012 to recover from the worst floods in memory. The recovery has been helped in part by a government that has linked heavy spending to long-term prosperity. Not everyone agrees with the wisdom of such an approach, and there is lively debate – some of it civil, too much of it downright toxic – about which course is right. This edition of the Year-end Review looks back at some of the main themes of 2012 in an attempt to provide some perspective.

Also included in this publication is selected content from Turning Points, an annual survey of issues and events of global significance from The New York Times Syndicate. Some of those themes rarely change from year to year: the wide gap between the haves and have- nots of the world, or the hopes raised – and often dashed later – following political change.

Asean’s top policymakers and bureaucrats have spent years working out ways to streamline and harmonise regulations to ensure that goods, services, capital and people will be able to move freely from one country to another.

In addition, we present a selection of photographs of notable firsts that occurred in 2012 as well as a look back in pictures at some of the events that defined the year.

It is our great hope that these reflections on 2012 help readers take stock of where we have been in the past year and provoke thought about where we are going in 2013 and beyond.

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