Showing 31 - 40 of 187
Short-term thinking
Oped, Postbag, Published on 04/01/2024
» Re: "Govt vows cut in energy prices", (BP, Jan 2). Instead of temporarily cutting energy prices, PM Srettha should heed Lao Tzu's wise words: "Give a man a fish, and you feed him for a day. Teach him how to fish, and you feed him for a lifetime." For example, Energy Minister Pirapan Salirathavibhaga is mulling subsidising oil for farmers. But when the handout ends, farmers will revert to their old ways.
Bad to good: What kind of year was 2023 for Asia?
Oped, Published on 28/12/2023
» As 2023 departs, and 2024 -- and soon, the lunar Year of the Dragon -- arrives, we once again highlight the winners and losers of the year gone by in Asia.
Welcome to the really silly season
Oped, Roger Crutchley, Published on 24/12/2023
» It's Christmas Eve and we are well into the Jinger Ben season in Thailand (Jingle Bells to the uninitiated). But in these dodgy times one suspects there might not be too much jingling going on. Nonetheless, considering all the gloomy news of late, a couple of weeks of being a bit daft offers a welcome break. So we might as well make the most of the Jinger Ben jollity, like a lady teller at my bank who was sporting some rather cute rabbit ears.
Google trial's secrecy seen as dangerous
Oped, Published on 08/12/2023
» The largest antitrust trial of the modern internet era, which wrapped up last month, has pitted the world's most popular search engine, Google, against the United States Department of Justice (DOJ). The case hearkens back to the DOJ's landmark lawsuit against Microsoft in the 1990s but with a critical difference: most of it was held behind closed doors. This unprecedented secrecy meant that only journalists and observers who were physically in the courtroom had access -- albeit limited -- to the proceedings.
Ripe time to boost Thai-Vietnamese ties
Oped, Kavi Chongkittavorn, Published on 05/12/2023
» Thai-Vietnamese ties have come a long way since they were first established in the 12th century. It is high time for both countries to sit down and work together towards a comprehensive strategic partnership (CSP).
Soft power charms, with a Thai ripple
News, Vitit Muntarbhorn, Published on 04/12/2023
» The term "soft power" has seeped into international relations and it is now a catchphrase with its own global momentum. Yet it should be recalled that in the 1980s, it was used to describe the nature of a weaker state confronted by the "hard power" embodied by a stronger state.
Henry Kissinger brought Germany redemption
News, Published on 01/12/2023
» His timbre was just one reason I always looked forward to hearing Henry Kissinger, who died yesterday after living a full century, expound on international relations. It was gravelly and deep, and grew only more so over the years. But it wasn't just the voice. It was his unique accent, eccentric to some but strangely familiar to me.
Red faces in fugitive saga
News, Editorial, Published on 30/11/2023
» A villain wanted by state authorities, runaway inmate Chaowalit Thongduang, who remains at large more than a month after escaping from a southern hospital, projects himself as a "victim of injustice."
Oh no, he's put his foot in it again!
Oped, Veera Prateepchaikul, Published on 29/11/2023
» Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin is no stranger to verbal gaffes, which may hurt the feelings of Thais or, worse, inflict political damage. His latest "slip of the tongue" at a meeting of the Pheu Thai Party's executive and MPs over special favours for police promotions is a case in point which could also expose him to legal action.
Parnpree to diplomats: 'Don't give up'
Oped, Kavi Chongkittavorn, Published on 28/11/2023
» 'Do not take no for an answer" could be the new hashtag for all Thai diplomats from now on. Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Parnpree Bahidha-Nukara instructed his lieutenants not to give up or allow themselves to be turned down too easily when they are pursuing a "proactive economic policy".