DOI SAKET, Thailand — The junta that seized power in Thailand four months ago has used martial law and a crackdown on its critics to subdue the politically polarized country.
But it may have more difficulty handling a fragile economy.
Household debt is at a record high in Thailand, exports are flat, the number of tourists is well below last year’s count and experts say low levels at dams across the country are foretelling a severe water shortage. The central bank predicts economic growth of 1.5 percent this year.
For the country’s millions of rice farmers, many of whom supported the government that the military overthrew, debt and a shortage of water are a one-two punch.