BANGKOK -- The appearance of the 21 leaders of the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation forum in their handmade shiny silk shirts said a lot about this year's summit in Bangkok -- style over substance.
Every year, of course, the leaders of more than half the world's population strut the final APEC stage as fashion model manques, wearing clothing that highlights their host-nation's culture. This time Thaksin Shinawatra, Thailand's prime minister and party host, outdid himself and all his predecessors. The shirts, made from Thailand's signature silk, were decorated with embroidered silk thread showing mythical animals (or flowers in the case of leaders from Muslim countries). Each shirt took five weavers a month each to weave the special material and they were reckoned to cost 90,000 baht each or $2,250 -- more than a year's income for an average Thai.
The shirts were over the top, as were all too many aspects of the APEC summit. It was a public-relations extravaganza for the benefit of Thailand and Thaksin.