Is Thailand Being Colonized by the World Economic Forum?

Summary

Benjamin Hart, an American attorney and managing director of Integrity Legal in Bangkok, expresses concern over Thailand's potential colonization by global entities, particularly the World Economic Forum. He criticizes the digital wallet and surveillance initiatives, associating them with totalitarianism and communism. Hart also addresses Thailand's economic policies, advocating for protectionism and cautioning against foreign influence in land ownership and banking. He emphasizes the importance of maintaining Thailand's independence and sovereignty for its prosperity.

Takeaways

• 😀 Benjamin Hart, an American attorney and managing director of Integrity Legal in Bangkok, expresses concern about Thailand's potential colonization by external forces.
• 🌐 Hart criticizes the World Economic Forum, likening its influence to that of a villainous organization from Bond films, suggesting it could harm common people's interests.
• 🗳️ He points out the lack of electoral mandate for policies like the digital wallet, indicating a disconnect between public will and government actions.
• 🏛️ Hart contrasts the current government's engagement with the WEF unfavorably with the previous government, which did not attend and avoided 'harebrained' ideas.
• 🏦 He warns against the concept of public-private partnerships promoted by the WEF, equating it to fascism and a threat to Thai sovereignty.
• 🌐 Hart is particularly critical of proposals like the digital wallet, which he sees as a step towards total surveillance and totalitarianism.
• 🚄 The script mentions plans for high-speed rail linking Bangkok to China, which Hart views as part of a broader agenda that might compromise Thai autonomy.
• 🏢 Hart advocates for Thailand to remain independent and autonomous, expressing worry over foreign influence, especially in areas like finance and land ownership.
• 💼 He suggests that the Thai banking system is capable without global banking integration, advocating for protectionism in certain sectors.
• 🏡 Hart supports laws that restrict foreign land ownership to protect Thai citizens' access to property, citing the potential for colonization as a major concern.

Q & A

Who is Benjamin Hart?

Benjamin Hart is an American attorney and the managing director of Integrity Legal based in Bangkok, Thailand.

What is Benjamin Hart's concern regarding Thailand's future?

Benjamin Hart is concerned about Thailand potentially being colonized by external forces that he believes have negatively impacted his home country, and he is particularly wary of the influence of the World Economic Forum.

What does Hart associate the World Economic Forum with?

Hart associates the World Economic Forum with cartoonishly villainous intentions, comparing them to the antagonistic organization 'Spectre' from the Bond films, and criticizes their disregard for the common people's interests.

What is Hart's issue with the current government of Thailand?

Hart's issue with the current government is not their democratic election, but rather their potential alignment with the World Economic Forum and the implementation of policies like the digital wallet without a clear electoral mandate.

What does Hart believe about the previous government's stance on the World Economic Forum?

Hart believes that during the previous government's tenure, no representatives attended the World Economic Forum, and as a result, Thailand did not see the introduction of policies that he views as detrimental to the common Thai citizen.

What is Hart's view on public-private partnerships as promoted by the World Economic Forum?

Hart views the promotion of public-private partnerships by the World Economic Forum as a form of fascism, equating it to the 'marriage of state and corporate power' and suggesting it is not in the best interest of the common people.

What policy does Hart criticize related to the digital wallet?

Hart criticizes the digital wallet policy as an example of total surveillance and a step towards totalitarianism, which he believes is not in the best interest of the Thai people.

What is the proposal regarding land reclamation in Bangkok mentioned by Hart?

The proposal Hart mentions involves reclaiming land in Bangunan and Paknam to reduce congestion in Bangkok, increase green space, and allow only electric trains to operate in the area, which he compares to the concept of 15-minute cities.

What is Hart's opinion on the high-speed rail proposal connecting Bangkok to China?

Hart is not against the high-speed rail proposal in principle but expresses concern about Thailand becoming subsumed by foreign powers, including China, and the potential loss of Thai sovereignty.

What does Hart suggest about the Thai banking system and foreign banks?

Hart suggests that the Thai banking system is capable on its own and expresses concern about the proposal to invite global banks to operate in Thailand, fearing that it could lead to Thailand becoming subsumed by foreign banking interests.

What is Hart's stance on foreign land ownership in Thailand?

Hart supports the restrictions on foreign land ownership in Thailand, believing that it is crucial for ensuring access for Thai citizens to the property market and preventing foreign colonization.

What concerns does Hart express about the digitalization of bureaucracy and the tax system?

Hart expresses concern that the digitalization of bureaucracy and systematic imposition of VAT could lead to totalitarianism and negatively impact the Thai economy, advocating for more freedom and liberty instead.

Outlines

00:00

🌍 Concerns Over Global Influence on Thailand's Policies

Benjamin Hart, an American attorney and managing director of Integrity Legal in Bangkok, expresses his concerns about the influence of the World Economic Forum on Thailand's policies. He fears that the country he has come to love might be colonized by those who have arguably destroyed aspects of his home country. Hart criticizes the World Economic Forum for promoting policies that are not in the best interests of the common people worldwide. He points out the irony of being critical of the current democratically elected government, which has pushed for initiatives like the digital wallet, without an electoral mandate. Hart contrasts this with the previous government, which did not attend the World Economic Forum and did not introduce such controversial ideas. He also criticizes the concept of public-private partnerships as leading to a form of fascism and expresses unease with slogans like 'you'll own nothing and be happy,' which he sees as a mix of communism and fascism.

05:02

🗣️ Taxon Shinawatra's Vision and Thailand's Future

The paragraph discusses the first public speech by Taxon Shinawatra, the former Prime Minister of Thailand, after being officially pardoned. The speech took place on August 22nd, 2024, and covered a range of topics including large-scale public investment to address systemic issues like flood and drought problems, proposals to reclaim land to reduce congestion and increase green space, and the idea of connecting Bangkok to China's Silk Road initiative via high-speed rail. Hart expresses skepticism about these proposals, fearing that they may lead to Thailand's submersion by foreign powers, including China. He also touches on the idea of establishing Thailand as a financial center by inviting global banks and the potential amendment of laws on foreign land ownership, which he argues should be restricted to protect Thai citizens' access to the property market.

10:03

💼 Economic Policies and Their Impact on Thailand

In this paragraph, Benjamin Hart critiques various economic policies being discussed in Thailand, including the push for digital wallets, which he likens to 'digital wallet tilapia' due to Gresham's Law, suggesting that bad money drives out good. He argues that instead of focusing on digital currencies, the government should be investing in education and other essential services. Hart also discusses the proposal to reform the tax system and bureaucracy to make them more efficient, but he expresses skepticism about the use of the term 'systematically,' which he associates with technocratic jargon. He concludes by agreeing with the sentiment that Thailand should prosper but warns against adopting economic policies that have been disastrous in other parts of the world.

Keywords

💡World Economic Forum

The World Economic Forum (WEF) is an international organization committed to improving the state of the world through public-private cooperation. In the video, the speaker expresses concern about the influence of the WEF on global policies, suggesting that its initiatives may not always align with the interests of the common people. The speaker associates the WEF with a 'cartoonishly villainous' image and criticizes its promotion of public-private partnerships, which he likens to fascism.

💡Digital Wallet

A digital wallet is an electronic device or service that allows users to make electronic transactions. In the context of the video, the speaker criticizes the introduction of a digital wallet in Thailand, associating it with increased surveillance and a move towards totalitarianism. He argues that such measures are detrimental to individual freedoms and the best interests of the common people.

💡Public-Private Partnerships

Public-private partnerships (PPPs) are collaborative arrangements between government agencies and private-sector companies to finance and/or deliver services and facilities traditionally provided by the public sector. The speaker in the video expresses concern that the WEF's emphasis on PPPs could lead to an unhealthy concentration of power, resembling the definition of fascism as the 'marriage of state and corporate power.'

💡Colonization

Colonization refers to the process by which a more powerful country takes control over a less powerful one, often leading to the exploitation of resources and suppression of the local culture. The speaker uses this term to express his fear that Thailand could be influenced or controlled by external forces, particularly through economic and political means, which could undermine its sovereignty and independence.

💡Sovereignty

Sovereignty is the full right and power of a governing body to govern itself without any interference from outside sources or bodies. The speaker emphasizes the importance of Thailand maintaining its sovereignty to protect its unique culture and political independence from external influences, such as those potentially exerted by the WEF or other global entities.

💡Fascism

Fascism is a form of far-right, authoritarian ultranationalism characterized by dictatorial power, forcible suppression of opposition, and strong regimentation of society and of the economy. The speaker in the video draws parallels between the WEF's promotion of public-private partnerships and the concept of fascism, suggesting that such partnerships could lead to an unhealthy concentration of power and control.

💡Totalitarianism

Totalitarianism is a political system where the state holds total authority over the society and seeks to control all aspects of public and private life. The speaker criticizes the potential for increased surveillance and control through measures like the digital wallet, associating them with a move towards totalitarianism, which he views as being against the interests of the common people.

💡Land Reclamation

Land reclamation is the process of creating new land from oceans, rivers, or lake beds. In the video, the speaker mentions a proposal to reclaim land in Bangkok to reduce congestion and increase green space, allowing only electric trains to operate in the area. This proposal is criticized as it seems to align with the WEF's vision of '15-minute cities,' which the speaker views as restrictive and detrimental to individual freedom.

💡High-Speed Rail

High-speed rail refers to a category of rail transport that operates significantly faster than traditional rail traffic, often used for long-distance travel. The speaker mentions a proposal to connect Bangkok to China with high-speed rail as part of China's Silk Road initiative. While he does not oppose China or trade, he expresses concern about Thailand becoming subsumed by foreign powers, including China, and losing its autonomy.

💡Financial Hub

A financial hub is a city that has a high concentration of financial operations and institutions. The speaker discusses proposals to establish Thailand as a financial center by inviting global banks to operate within the country. He expresses concern about the potential for Thailand to become dominated by foreign banking interests, which could undermine its economic independence.

💡Foreign Land Ownership

Foreign land ownership refers to the rights of individuals or entities from other countries to own land within a nation. The speaker argues for maintaining restrictions on foreign land ownership in Thailand to protect the interests of Thai citizens and prevent the colonization of the property market by foreigners, drawing parallels with the negative impacts observed in Western countries.

Highlights

Benjamin Hart, an American attorney and managing director of Integrity Legal in Bangkok, expresses concern over Thailand's potential colonization by external forces.

Hart criticizes the World Economic Forum, likening it to a villainous organization from Bond films, for its disregard for the common people's interests.

He argues that the current Thai government's actions, such as the digital wallet initiative, lack electoral mandate and could be harmful to the common Thai.

Hart contrasts the previous government's absence from the World Economic Forum with the current government's active engagement and its implications.

The speaker emphasizes the potential dangers of public-private partnerships promoted by the World Economic Forum, drawing parallels to fascism.

Phrases like 'You'll own nothing and be happy' are criticized for their sinister undertones, reminiscent of both communism and fascism.

Hart discusses the influence of the World Economic Forum on Thai policies, including digital currency and surveillance, which he views as detrimental.

He questions the relevance of former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra's vision, given that he is no longer in office, and its impact on current policies.

Hart highlights proposals for large-scale public investment to address systemic issues like flood and drought in Thailand.

A controversial proposal to reclaim land in Bangkok to reduce congestion and increase green space, with only electric trains allowed, is mentioned.

The idea of connecting Thailand to China's Silk Road initiative through high-speed rail raises concerns about Thailand's sovereignty.

Hart debates the merits of establishing Thailand as a financial center and the potential risks of foreign banking interests.

He suggests that amending laws on foreign land ownership could negatively affect Thai citizens' access to the property market.

The issue of online gambling and its impact on the economy is raised, with a call for better tax management to fund education.

Hart advocates for a fair and competitive tax system, expressing skepticism about systematic VAT imposition and bureaucracy reform.

The transcript concludes with Hart's declaration of love for Thailand and his desire to see it prosper without adopting harmful WEF policies.

Transcripts

hello my name is Benjamin Hart I'm an

American attorney and the managing

director of Integrity legal here in

Bangkok Thailand yeah this is probably

something of an odd posting on this CH

well not maybe not all that odd for

those whove been watching this V this

channel for some time now one of the to

sort of preface and I I'll get into this

pretty deep here but to preface people

have asked me you know why are you doing

this well it's sort of the same reason I

started asking serious questions during

Co I just don't want to live in a world

where the country I've come to call home

and love and and love being here is

going to be colonized by the very people

that arguably destroyed aspects of where

I came from and that's that's what I

find concerning I'm not really making

this video to put anybody in Thailand

particularly on the spot my my issue is

with the world economic Forum because I

think these people as I've talked about

in other videos you know it's almost

like Spectre or something from the Bond

films you know I mean it's almost

cartoonishly villainous and I would

laugh at it if they weren't trying to do

a bunch of things that aren't

particularly in the interests of just

the Common People worldwide by the way

and and look at and we'll we'll go ahead

and put some other stuff up on the up on

screen here but you know these people

that are affiliated with World economic

Forum they all seem to

want just things that aren't very good

for the common man if you will meanwhile

people have also sort of said well you

know it's ironic that you're upset with

the current government because you know

it was democratically elected and it was

put in

yeah okay but one there was no electoral

mandate for things like the digital

wallet if you look at you know how all

of that played out and here's the other

irony in all of this and I and I've

talked about this a little bit it was it

was actually mentioned in the Bangkok

Post directly and I I put up a comment

at one point referencing it but that

comment got taken down I I don't know

why it just ceased to be on YouTube I

don't know exactly why but as I pointed

out in that comment you know we went for

a decade when we were under the other

government let's be clear there are

things to say about the other government

the prior government many things but one

thing that you can say about the prior

government is during that whole 10 years

nobody went to the world economic forum

and we didn't see all these hairbrained

ideas that are in my opinion at the very

least mildly detrimental to the common

Tai's best interests I would put it that

way or it it's really bad like again

digital wallet currency I've talked

about this just total surveillance

totalitarianism stuff and then when you

get into the world economic form they

literally say they are the standard

bearer of public private Partnerships

which again when the private sector

interacts with the public sector it is

not necessarily per se bad that occurs

here in Thailand occurs in the United

States but when your standard is public

private partnership that sounds an awful

lot like melini's definition of fascism

the marriage of state and corporate

power when that's all you that is your

goal is the mar you know public private

Partnerships is the goal then meanwhile

phrases like you'll own nothing and be

happy have a very

lenis slogan earing aspect to them it

sound you know it's like the worst

aspects of the Comm intern and the worst

aspects of fascism all rolled into one

Forum where they all discuss how the big

people can you know look down on all of

us little people and do things to us

that might not necessarily be in our

interest that that or convince us to do

things that may not necessarily in our

interest meanwhile you know recently let

me let me just dig in here quoting from

a recent article in the cad English

that's CID english.com article is titled

tax and comeback on stage economic plans

political riffs and landmark speech

again I'm not trying to point fingers or

or put anyone in Thailand particularly

on the spot that said when it's openly

talked about that someone is the you

know the real power behind behind the

scenes sort of thing and then they all

and then the prior iteration of this

same faction of the Coalition the moment

they came into Power started pushing

things like the digital wallet pushing

things like even Chinese police on our

streets here in Thailand a lot of we

Notions and then the former prime

minister actually traveled to the world

economic Forum while I believe while

being prime minister I I made videos on

that at the time again I'm not trying to

zero in on anybody per se but it really

makes me uneasy to hear these we talking

points being

discussed on these on in in this way

I'll put it that way that said quoting

directly taxon shat former prime

minister of Thailand gave its first

public speech and shared his vision

after being officially pardoned well why

do we care what his vision is at this

stage of the game I do understand the

history of things and I have a certain

amount of respect for Mr taxon in a way

but that said he's not the current prime

minister you know what why are we what

does this have anything to do with

anything is he able to say things that

the sitting prime minister can't and and

is that part of what's going on here I

don't know that said quoting further

taxon chinan former prime minister of

Thailand gave his first public speech

and shared his vision after being

officially pardoned this event took

place on a Thursday night August 22nd

2024 at cyan Paragon his speech and

subsequent interview is lasted over 2

hours so yeah big things happening here

in Thailand big changes that said let's

dig into some of these bullet points

quoting further large scale public

investment must address systemic issues

I always like that systemic issues and

by the way large scale public investment

where's that going to come from the

taxpayers quoting further such as flood

and drought problems which fair enough

that that's a good point we Thailand

always needs to worry about flood and

drought problems that said is the

solution something that sounds like the

wef solutions quoting further one

proposal is to reclaim land in bangunan

and paknam to reduce congestion in

Bangkok and increase Green Space

allowing only electric trains to operate

in the area what what proposal does that

kind of a little bit like 15minute

cities where we'll all be packed into

these little 15minute CI ities and we

won't have any real ability to travel

anywhere but we won't want to because

we'll all own nothing and we'll all be

busy being happy quoting further connect

the world with highspeed rail from China

to n uh from Bangkok to n Kai which must

be completed to link with China's Silk

Road initiative so yet again China okay

first off I got no problem with China

the Middle Kingdom has an amazing

history I've got real problems with

Communism and communism is still in

China and people that say it's not I

find find very very naive because in any

communist system even if it's

ostensively capitalist the way the sort

of dengism system that currently

operates in Thailand or excuse me

currently operates in China you know

sort of operates it may look

capitalistic but I can guarantee you

there is somebody in a filing cabinet of

a building somewhere some communist

trying to figure out how to get it right

the next time and we all know what the

experiment on getting it right in the

last century was like it was hellish it

was called the Soviet Union it was

called International communism it was

terrible it killed Millions you know

again that said I'm all in favor of

trade but trade to Thailand's benefit

Thailand does not need to be subsumed by

foreign powers including China for that

matter Western Powers included any place

Thailand just needs to be independent

autonomous and Sovereign that's what I'm

worried about quoting further

established Thailand as a financial

center by inviting Global Banks to set

up in the country

for international transactions while

Thai Banks should set up branches abroad

to enjoy reciprocal rights well do we

need that the Thai banking system is

okay I'm one of the few people that will

actually advocate in favor of

protectionism sometimes because I've

seen it actually work here in Thailand

now I'm not against the notion of

Thailand as a financial Hub per se I

think with the rise of mbridge which is

this sort of platform that's going to

put together what could only be referred

to as hred mackinder's World Island here

in Eurasia and sort of allow

interoperability between these different

central banks for purposes of of

increasing efficiency and international

trade great idea not not a problem but

again I don't want to see Thailand

become subsumed by a bunch of foreign

banking

interest quoting

further and this okay if you think my

title to this video is

hyperbolic quoting directly amend laws

on foreign land ownership with rules

that benefit both economic growth and

access for Thai citizens well you know

what you know what ensures access for

Thai citizens in the property Market

keeping the foreigners out that's the

best way to do it the ties have this one

right and foreigners out there who are

angry with me over this particular tie

rate I'm sorry maybe I have the fervor

of the converted but I am the converted

I became Thai and I understand why they

had the restrictions they have you know

for example we did videos in the past on

Mr jatu porn and him talking about the

issues associated with foreigners owning

land in Thailand and while I don't

really agree with him on most of his

stances he was spot on on that you know

we cannot let foreigners come into

Thailand and colonize this place and

they will do it and and they will drive

the average tie primarily out of the

best parts of the property Market if you

have any doubts about this look to the

West look at the experiment look at the

laboratory that is the West for all

these World economic Forum

programs the proof is in the pudding as

they say quoting further online gambling

causes a massive outflow of time money

we need to manage taxes and ensure that

the benefits are used particularly in

education well a good idea would be if

you're worried about funding education

maybe don't use a half a trillion bot

that you gut out of the budget to create

this these digital wallet magic bean

tokens or whatever it is it's not money

as as uh Bangkok Post the economic guy

in the Bangkok post was talking about

digital wallet tokens it's not money I

call it digital wallet tilapia because

of gresham's law that bad money forces

all the good money out of the market

warps up the economy again I you know I

agree with the sentiment that education

needs to be funded but there are ways to

do it and frankly we could be doing it

now if instead of other things quoting

further make the tax system fair and

more competitive for both living and

working by systematically managing value

added

tax wow systematically anytime I hear

systematically my my hackles go up any

any sort of technocratic sort of jargon

always kind of makes me uneasy and

systematically imposing vat which brings

me to the to this other quote reform the

bureaucracy to make public spending and

the number of personnel utilizing more

technology so technology makes

everything great right meanwhile I'm I'm

kind of stuck with the voice of Mr

Martin Armstrong another guy that you'll

see a lot on YouTube a long-term

economic forecaster talking about what

people think behind this digital wallet

and this digitization of all the

bureaucracy they seem to think that by

imposing totalitarianism they're going

to get more tax money when the reality

is actually quite the opposite if again

we can look to the last century

totalitarianism in the USSR basically

destroyed Russia and the surrounding

countries that bordered it okay more

freedom more Liberty and free enterprise

is what will cause your tax base to go

up it's been proven time and time again

finally quote I love this country and

want to see it Prosper so do I sir so do

I I couldn't agree more and I can tell

you again from having come from the

place where these we policies have been

an unmitigated dis dister bringing in

more of that to Thailand will do nothing

in my opinion to help her prosper