Showing 1 - 9 of 9
Thai-Cambodian ties enter a new era
Oped, Kavi Chongkittavorn, Published on 30/01/2024
» Exactly 37 days before Samdech Moha Borvor Thipadei Hun Manet was due to fly to Bangkok on Feb 7 for a one-day official visit, Cambodia extended Thai border pass access to Siem Reap, where Angkor Wat is located. This was an act of goodwill as the proposal has been on the table for discussions since Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin's visit to Phnom Penh in September -- his first official foreign destination after being elected Thai leader.
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".
Finally, Japan shows diplomatic finesse
Oped, Kavi Chongkittavorn, Published on 31/10/2023
» One quick slash by a katana is all that it takes. That was what Japan did by staying out the recent statement of the Group of Seven (G7) on the Israel-Hamas war, which has already resulted in huge cost to human life. Japan has a soft spot when it comes to civilian casualties and the advent of war. The devastating effects of the atomic bombs are still fresh in the collective memories of the Japanese public.
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.
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?
Thai-Saudi ties' wider strategic impact
Oped, Kavi Chongkittavorn, Published on 20/06/2023
» The invitation from the Saudi Minister of Investment, Khalid Abdulaziz-Falih, to Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Don Pramudwinai to visit Saudi Arabia came just a few hours after the provisional results of the May 14 election were made known. With equal speed, the Thai side responded positively and gathered a 40-member high-level delegation composed of officials and private sector representatives. The caretaker government did not want to let go the momentum which began when Saudi-Thai relations resumed in January 2022.
Rebooting South, SE Asian cooperation
Oped, Kavi Chongkittavorn, Published on 14/03/2023
» Fresh from the success of the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation last year, Thailand is currently chairing another immense regional economic bloc promoting holistic and sustainable development and smart connectivity amongst South Asia and Southeast Asia. In the coming decades, if not centuries, these combined regions will together form the centre of the Indo-Pacific.
How to survive in a binary world
Oped, Kavi Chongkittavorn, Published on 05/04/2022
» Like it or not, we are today living in a bifurcated world as never seen before. In the past, the so-called divided world was half real and half imagined, with no clearly defined red line. That gave a lot of room for diplomatic manoeuvring to all countries not wanting to be caught in an unfriendly situation. Today, this room is becoming smaller and more toxic.
Thailand revamps Middle East strategy
Oped, Kavi Chongkittavorn, Published on 08/02/2022
» After 32 years of frosty relations, the dramatic normalisation of Thai-Saudi diplomatic relations have far-reaching implications for both countries' diplomatic pathways in the world's most volatile region.