The chief proponent of localism in Thailand or moso (Moderation society) is King Bhumibol Adulyadej's "the philosophy of Sufficiency Economy". The foundations of King Bhumibol's theory included sustainability, moderation and broad-based development. The Learning Centre of King Bhumibol’s Philosophy of Economic Sufficiency claimed the concept focused on living a moderate, self-dependent life without greed or overexploitation of, for example, natural resources.
According to a leaked top secret telegraph from the US Ambassador in Thailand to the US Secretary of State, the tenets of Sufficiency Economy are "vague and malleable" and its popularity stems from “public reluctance to criticize anything associated with the revered King.”
After a coup d'état, the military junta claimed that the policies of deposed Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra were inconsistent with the theory. The preamble of the junta's new constitution stated that promotion of self-sufficiency was one of the fundamental roles of the state.
The Junta-appointed Prime Minister Surayud Chulanont pledged to allocate 10 billion baht (almost US$300 million) for projects to promote well-being in line with King Bhumibol's sufficiency economy principle. He made the pledge while participating in King Bhumibol's 80th birthday celebrations.
In 2007, the Democrat Party-run Bangkok Metropolitan Administration gave away a million baht to each city community that joined the ”Self-sufficiency Community Plan According to His Majesty the King’s Self-sufficiency Initiative.”
Foreigners were for the most part left confused. After a meeting with Ministry of Finance officials where the need for more sufficiency was explained, Standard & Poor's director of sovereign ratings noted, "No one knows what really means." The Asia Times noted that "There is a concurrent risk that the royal philosophy will be twisted by less scrupulous government officials as an opportunity to abuse their authority for rent-seeking and extortion, particularly among foreign-invested concerns". NGO activists hoping to use Sufficiency Economy theory to oppose the construction of large-scale dams were sharply criticized by Bhumibol, a long-time advocate of dam construction, who claimed that the deforestation caused by dams was necessary to provide consistent energy and water sources for farmers.
Read more about Localism In Thailand: Philosophy, Criticism of The Philosophy, Resource, Media Criticism, Note, Self-sufficiency As A Political Agenda in Thailand