Secondly, on the political front in Indonesia and the Philippines, things are not yet clear. With presidential elections coming up, there will be people who will exploit the price increase problem and cause social unrest, thus affecting currencies. Any devaluation will cause another round of Asian currency devaluations. Some economists feel the situation will not fully recover to the October 1997 level for 2-3 years. The Philippines has benefited from numerous IMF interventions and disciplines from past years.
Some countries are on the threshold of domestic chaos.
In spite of economic changes that are already having an impact, the crisis has taken a toll on Thai society. There has been a rise in domestic violence, alcohol and drug abuse and even suicide among Thais looking for a quick exit from their financial worries. The number of criminal cases has increased by nearly 10,000 per month, and child abuse cases tripled over 1996. When the full impact of price hikes is felt, domestic unrest could well boil over in the largest Islamic country in the world. Many mission agencies in Indonesia have pulled their ex-pat missionaries out of the country in anticipation of further strife.