Showing 1 - 10 of 1,798
Bdap's arrest a litmus test
Oped, Editorial, Published on 15/06/2024
» As Thailand vies for a seat on the UN Human Rights Council (HRC) for the 2025-2027 term -- something the previous Prayut government failed to do -- the arrest of Y Quynh Bdap, a Vietnamese political activist with UN refugee status, will serve as a litmus test for Thailand's human rights standards.
Let's double down on resilience
Oped, Published on 10/06/2024
» This year has already seen a cascade of extreme weather events -- from devastating floods in Pakistan, to scorching heatwaves in the Sahel and West Africa -- leaving an indelible mark on many parts of the world. The increasing number of lives (now already in the tens of millions) affected by extreme weather events further reminds us how vulnerable we are in the face of an increasingly volatile climate and water system.
Thailand wants faster inflation
News, Daniel Moss, Published on 06/06/2024
» It's hard to find a leader anywhere these days who will argue the case for faster inflation. Politicians would rather drink hemlock than call for a renewed acceleration; they are often too busy nodding sympathetically at what their opponents call a cost-of-living crisis. But there is a kingdom where calling for more elevated prices, sooner, isn't off limits. In fact, the government embraces the concept.
20 years of errors can't be fixed easily
Oped, Chartchai Parasuk, Published on 30/05/2024
» I have a strong feeling that piecemeal measures are what the economy is going to get from the government to combat Thailand's long-standing economic problems.
How green is the energy from our hydro dams?
Oped, Published on 29/05/2024
» Thailand’s National Energy Plan (NEP), a blueprint for the country’s energy strategy from 2023 to 2037, has earned praise for its noble goal of increasing the use of clean, renewable energy. The plan states that by 2050, half of the electricity consumed locally must be clean and renewable energy — solar cells, wind, biomass, small nuclear and hydro dams.
Global crises demand unified action
Oped, Kavi Chongkittavorn, Published on 28/05/2024
» The world is facing unprecedented crises. Without revitalising the collective spirit backed by action, the survival of humanity could be at risk.
Sam Yan shows need to save history
Oped, Published on 23/05/2024
» What distinguishes Thailand from many other countries is our rich diversity in culture and history. Yet slowly but surely, the distinctive heritage of our local communities is disappearing. Often property developers destroy historic buildings in pursuit of profit. But why do their rights always seem to come first? Why do we have to beg to protect our cultural assets?
Securing Thailand's energy future
Oped, Published on 22/05/2024
» Since the 2021 military coup in Myanmar, foreign governments -- in particular the European Union and the United States, have issued travel bans and frozen the financial assets of corporate entities and individuals involved with the military regime. The most recent US financial sanction on the Myanmar Oil and Gas Enterprise (Moge), a major source of foreign currency revenue for the military government, which took effect in November 2023, is a potential risk to Thailand as it is reliant on gas from Myanmar for electricity generation.
SEA eyes next 20 years of US-China ties
Oped, Kavi Chongkittavorn, Published on 21/05/2024
» What will Southeast Asia be like over the next two decades? Given the unpredictable geopolitical situation, the region will certainly maintain its strategic autonomy in ways that mitigate the ripple effects of the emerging new international order. The multipolar world will be a new ballgame that Southeast Asia has to grapple with. Interestingly, the region's countries also realise that the competition between the US and China is not likely to subside given the tit-for-tat measures they have been conducting with each other. Under such circumstances, what role or leadership can Southeast Asia provide under the Asean roof to ensure that the region will not be marginalised or weaponised? To be precise, how can Asean avoid becoming a pawn in the US-China whirlpool?
Green push needs united approach
News, Published on 20/05/2024
» Bridging the divide between agriculture and forestry is imperative for climate action. The global and national race is on to steeply reduce emissions over the next six years. According to the watershed Global Stocktake report, released ahead of COP28 in Dubai, we face the daunting task of reducing emissions by 43% by 2030 to retain the possibility of limiting warming to 1.5 degrees by the end of the century, and 27% to stabilise at a 2-degree temperature increase. Since the Paris Agreement was signed in 2015, we have managed only to be on track for a 2% reduction in emissions against 2019 baselines. Each subsequent year, we collectively feel the impacts of a hotter, more volatile climate as new records are set for temperature and natural disasters.