Showing 41 - 50 of 236
Asean, GCC meet amid Mideast crisis
Oped, Kavi Chongkittavorn, Published on 24/10/2023
» The summit between the leaders of Asean and the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) in Saudi Arabia last Friday was the first time the two regional organisations collaborated in what is developing into a divided and fast-changing global environment.
Asean's response to Israel-Hamas war
Oped, Kavi Chongkittavorn, Published on 17/10/2023
» More than ever before, the current Israeli-Hamas war has revealed the starkly different positions and views held by the 10 Asean members towards the abiding conflict in the Middle East. Asean has not issued a joint statement over the brutal attacks by the Palestinian militant group Hamas, which launched a large-scale offensive from the Gaza Strip on southern Israel on Oct 7.
First look at new Thai diplomatic tactics
Oped, Kavi Chongkittavorn, Published on 10/10/2023
» In deciphering the 1,288-word Thai foreign policy statement announced last week, it is important to start at the very end. The last paragraph of "Thailand's Challenges: How to Thrive in Rising Geopolitical Uncertainty", put forward by Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Parnpree Bahiddha-Nukara, was particularly revealing. He said succinctly that Thai diplomatic platforms must complement the government's domestic policies to improve people's standard of living and create job opportunities in order to get the country back in the global economic and political arena with dignity. In addition, it must enable the Thai business sector to grow and prosper domestically and internationally to increase confidence in Thailand.
Acmecs: The power of working together
Oped, Kavi Chongkittavorn, Published on 03/10/2023
» Amid great geopolitical realignment and unpredictability, existing and new mini-lateral groups throughout the world have been revitalised or created. Their common objective is a simple one -- finding their own niche to augment their bargaining power for national and regional preservation. Mainland Southeast Asia is no exception. To survive in a multipolar world, every nation, big or small, must be on full alert 24/7.
Dealing with the crisis in Myanmar
Oped, Kavi Chongkittavorn, Published on 26/09/2023
» Since Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin came to power, the country's profile has been raised regionally and internationally.
Can Thai passports' power get a lift?
Oped, Kavi Chongkittavorn, Published on 19/09/2023
» At the first cabinet meeting last week, Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin announced one of the government's priorities -- improving the power of Thai passports. It is a headline goal that will require extraordinary efforts to achieve. Upgrading a national passport to a higher level involves numerous factors -- economic, socio-cultural, and political -- as well as the general optics of the partnership countries. After all, the large number of visitors to a country is not an indicator of how powerful its passport is. A country might be given more visa-free accessibility and be popular for foreign passports, but its own passport's power can still be low.
New playbook for Thai diplomacy?
Oped, Kavi Chongkittavorn, Published on 12/09/2023
» The Srettha government has started outlining its policies in parliament. Regarding diplomacy and internal policies, two paragraphs in the middle of the draft speech encapsulate the guiding principle of Thailand's new diplomatic trajectory.
Which way Pheu Thai-led diplomacy?
Oped, Kavi Chongkittavorn, Published on 29/08/2023
» Without being labelled as an autocratic regime, the diplomatic posture of the incoming government under Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin will be more vigorous and build on existing progress and achievements. Even though the government's official policy has yet to be announced, it is not difficult to outline some of the salient features of Pheu Thai-led foreign policy practices.
Deepening of Thai-US economic links
Oped, Kavi Chongkittavorn, Published on 22/08/2023
» During the last three months of the caretaker government, there have been unexpected and extraordinary movements in Thailand-US relations, both here and in Washington. Several key American lawmakers have visited Bangkok and pledged further US support for stronger economic and security relations with Thailand. In Washington, a group of bipartisan senators has set up the "US-Thai Alliance Caucus" in Congress.
Lessons from Hun Sen's Cambodia
Oped, Kavi Chongkittavorn, Published on 08/08/2023
» If international relations experts and scholars want to study a small state's diplomatic manoeuvres amid the ever-changing geopolitical landscape, they should make Cambodia their case study. With a new prime minister, Hun Manet, now in charge, the question remains: Will he be able to keep up with his father's multipolar politics?