Showing 1 - 10 of 231
Towards strategic Thai-French ties
Oped, Kavi Chongkittavorn, Published on 14/05/2024
» In April 2022, Thailand learned that French President Emmanuel Macron was keen to engage with the Asia-Pacific region in person. As the host of the 32nd Asia-Pacific Economic Leaders' Meeting (Apec) in October of that year, former deputy prime minister and foreign minister Don Pramudwinai quickly issued an invitation to the president to attend as a guest. The rest, as they say, is history.
Bad habits on full display
News, Editorial, Published on 25/03/2024
» The primary duties of MPs are vetting laws and scrutinising fiscal budget legislation. However, a recent incident involving a member of the Pheu Thai Party sparked criticism and raised concerns over the ethical conduct of elected representatives.
India's Buddhist diplomacy in action
Oped, Published on 06/03/2024
» The historic loan of relics of the Lord Buddha and his chief disciples Sariputra and Moggallana to Thailand has created excitement among Buddhist Thais.
Thailand's central bank dependence
Oped, Thitinan Pongsudhirak, Published on 23/02/2024
» To proponents of central bank independence, the ongoing friction between Prime Minister and Finance Minister Srettha Thavisin and Bank of Thailand Governor Sethaput Suthiwartnarueput appears straightforward. The prime minister is putting unwarranted and unfair pressure on the central bank governor to spur the economy by loosening monetary policy and cutting interest rates. Yet, on closer scrutiny, the entrenched politicisation of central banking in Thailand may suggest otherwise. There is more than meets the eye in the politics of interest rate cuts.
Soft or hard landing for Thai economy?
News, Chartchai Parasuk, Published on 08/02/2024
» Personally, I am sure the Thai economy will crash this year. I can even estimate the time when the crash will start. It is likely to be the month of May as several big economic bombs will explode that month. Confirmation of this belief came in December 2023's economic data. The most disturbing part is industry's capacity utilisation rate of 56.2% (seasonally adjusted), which is the second lowest in the world. The world's lowest is Nigeria!
Saroj, the consummate diplomat
News, Published on 08/02/2024
» During the height of the Covid-19 pandemic, several YouTube clips from the 1950s featuring youngsters from various parts of the world participating in the Foreign Exchange Programme sponsored by the US government became an internet sensation. Many of these clips went viral and received tens of thousands of hits and hundreds of comments.
Thailand through the looking glass
Roger Crutchley, Published on 07/01/2024
» It's that time of the year when newspaper columnists predict what's in store for the next 12 months. Hopefully it will be an improvement on last year. We have just about scraped through the Year of the Rabbit but I haven't got too much faith in what the Year of the Dragon has to offer. We cannot rule out another annus horribilis.
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.
Thailand's interface with new FTAs
News, Vitit Muntarbhorn, Published on 21/12/2023
» The power of data in the expanding panorama of digital trade is becoming an essential component of commercial relations, especially recent free trade areas (FTAs). As Thailand is now exploring new agreements on its western flank (such as with South Asia, Gulf countries and Europe) and on its eastern flank (such as with Pacific rim countries, interlinking with the Indian Ocean), what are some of the stakes deserving careful reflection?
Cash no cure for farm woes
Oped, Editorial, Published on 04/10/2023
» PM Srettha Thavisin admitted in his speech on Monday that the past 13 debt relief programmes have failed to relieve farmers' financial burden. This acknowledgement comes as a surprise after the government only last week approved 30 billion baht-plus in debt relief. Yet the prime minister says the latest debt assistance will be different as the government will run parallel agricultural policies to improve farmers' competitiveness, reduce production costs and expand the market for farm products.