Subscriber Newsletter #01

There is something strange happening in Thailand. Friends I speak to - both foreign and Thai, feel a great sense of unease in their jobs. Regardless of the industry, here a few quotes for context:

They are got rid of most of the sales and marketing department.

They keep telling me my projects are on hold.

Since our company was taken over by a bigger multinational, I need to ‘pitch’ all my projects to multiple layers of management for approval.

Everybody is trying to appear to be busy at work, but nobody is really doing anything.

They don’t listen to me anymore, I am told that their priorities are shifting, they are not utilising my skills, and are giving me meaningless work to do.

I don’t understand how our company can remain profitable. The management is literally terminating multiple smaller contracts with clients which they say are not profitable enough. How can we possibly grow like this? I fear that more layoffs are coming soon.

Indeed, all of the above statements I have heard have been preceded by several waves of redundancies in these companies. It sounds ominous and foreboding for the future. I am starting to believe that a top-down messaging from their CEOs is being influenced by the mantra of ‘Degrowth’ via the World Economic Forum and the United Nations. Do these titans of industry have foreknowledge which foreshadows a great recession or depression, coming soon?