The economic woes that have dogged Thailand since 1997 have not dented the business of one industry—fortune- telling. Thai Farmers Research Center Co., Ltd. said its latest poll showed 80.8 percent of Bangkok residents have visited fortune tellers, with an estimated annual spending of one billion baht ($22.8 million), and an average of two visits a year. It said more than 60 percent of the 1,132 surveyed Bangkok residents were visiting fortune tellers as often, or more often, than before the crisis.“During the recession, many businesses in Thailand have been severely hit, but the fortunetelling business has maintained its robustness and popularity among Bangkok residents,”the firm said in a statement. A third of the surveyed respondents said they spent at least 500 baht per visit—three times the minimum daily wage. Work-related issues were the most popular topic discussed.