The chief proponent of localism in Thailand or "moso" (moderation society) is King philosophy of "sufficiency economy". The foundations of King Bhumibol's theory include sustainability, moderation, and broad-based development. The claim the concept is focused on living a moderate, self-dependent life without greed or of, for example, natural resources.
According to the opinion expressed in a op secret cable from the US ambassador in Thailand to the US Secretary of State, the tenets of sufficiency economy are "vague and malleable", its popularity due to a "public reluctance to criticize anything associated with the revered King."
After a , the military junta claimed that the policies of deposed Prime Minister were inconsistent with the king's philosophy. 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 pledged to allocate 10 billion (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 -run gave away a million 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, director of sovereign ratings noted, "No one knows what [sufficiency economy] 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 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 a necessary evil to provide consistent energy and water sources for farmers.
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