Showing 51 - 60 of 65
Push for real change, not another coup d'etat
News, Songkran Grachangnetara, Published on 06/08/2013
» This week, debate on one of the most important and controversial bills to be submitted for parliamentary approval will commence, just as the protests outside the House become more vocal.
Rice scheme critics need a dose of empathy
News, Songkran Grachangnetara, Published on 02/07/2013
» The Yingluck Shinawatra administration's rice-pledging scheme has received virtually universal condemnation from Thailand's intellectual cognoscenti, ranging from university professors to leading figures in prominent think tanks.
12 more new laws to really improve Thailand
News, Songkran Grachangnetara, Published on 04/06/2013
» These are some new laws I think Thailand would benefit from. Most regular readers will recognise this as a sequel to my previous articles under the same title.
The will of the people shall not be denied
News, Songkran Grachangnetara, Published on 07/05/2013
» Perhaps it shouldn't surprise me that Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra would get so much grief from Bangkok's elites, when _ for once in her short political career _ she decided to utter some words (albeit not her own) of actual substance in the so-called "Mongolia Speech".
Nine laws for a better Thailand
News, Songkran Grachangnetara, Published on 02/04/2013
» Before we invest 2 trillion baht in high-speed rail, we must first be able to have high-speed traffic, high-speed tax refunds, high-speed immigration queues ... and last but not least, high-speed justice. Parliament will be busy over the next few weeks with the usual political bluster surrounding constitutional amendments and massive loans for murky megaprojects. But perhaps our esteemed politicians should first consider some rather more pressing legislative changes, such as the following:
Section 112 hurts more than helps monarchy
News, Songkran Grachangnetara, Published on 21/03/2013
» Three cheers to the producers of the Thai PBS programme on constitutional monarchy and congratulations to the director and the board of governors of Thai PBS for finally allowing the final installment of the series to be televised. I watched the series with delight and, as a taxpayer who funds the Thai PBS, for once thought my hard-earned cash was put to good use producing an informative programme bringing together differing views from the full spectrum of the intellectual cognoscenti.
Success now comes with a degree in degeneracy
News, Songkran Grachangnetara, Published on 05/02/2013
» Thailand is not a failed state by any stretch of the imagination because the primary institutions of the state _ such as the military, the legislature, and the executive and judicial branches of government _ seem to be, on the surface, functioning well enough.
How about a few new laws for Thailand?
News, Songkran Grachangnetara, Published on 19/01/2013
» The following are some of the new laws which I think if judiciously implemented would make a lot of sense and bring happiness to the general public. No doubt readers will be able to come up with some of their own new laws too.
The case for a new, untainted constitution
News, Songkran Grachangnetara, Published on 08/01/2013
» The most fundamental issue of our generation was the highlight of 2012.
Are you Thai? 11 ways to tell
News, Songkran Grachangnetara, Published on 25/12/2012
» A few weeks ago I wrote an article for this newspaper titled "How to Tell Whether You're a Farang". I got so many Tweets suggesting that I write a follow-up to even things out that I felt obligated to pen a simple test for those Thais attempting to become farang, and to determine whether they have indeed made that transformation successfully. So here's my simple test, for what it's worth.