Showing 1 - 8 of 8
Moral dilemmas of handling the virus
Oped, Thitinan Pongsudhirak, Published on 03/04/2020
» It is hard to calibrate a commensurate response to the coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic. Owing to the lack of accurate and reliable information, a media feeding frenzy and the mass psychology of fear, the choice has become all or nothing, not much in between. Individuals, societies and states worldwide are now incentivised to overdo it and err on the side of caution, being safe rather than sorry. This means that the likelihood of "overshooting" with Covid responses is likely to heighten in the foreseeable future in view of morally unacceptable alternatives.
Developing by managing demographics
News, Thitinan Pongsudhirak, Published on 27/09/2019
» Once upon a time, it was feared that the earth would become overcrowded and its inhabitants unable to find enough to eat. This fear has not only proved unfounded but it has gone in the opposite direction. What almost every nation fears now is a decline in inhabitants as the birth rate cannot keep up with the longevity of the aged and elderly, imposing unsustainable burdens on working-age segments of the population. Every region is afflicted with this demographic predicament, especially in affluent societies where the birth rate decline is acute, such as Japan.
Thailand's lessons from the Prem years
News, Thitinan Pongsudhirak, Published on 31/05/2019
» In a galloping world of communications instantaneity, Gen Prem Tinsulanonda's passing earlier this week is likely to be framed by popular expectations and grievances so far in the 21st century rather than the conditions and circumstances of the 20th century where most of the late elder statesman's life was rooted.
What to look for in Thai election results
News, Thitinan Pongsudhirak, Published on 22/03/2019
» Elections are often a referendum on incumbencies. Voters are asked whether they like what they have seen from government and whether they want continuity or change in view of competing alternatives. In the same vein, Thailand's momentous election on March 24, after a nearly eight-year hiatus that includes almost five years under military-authoritarian rule, is an opportunity to see what the governed prefer to have as their government. Here are some of early telltale signs that portend the political directions ahead.
Prospects after Cambodia's fabricated poll
News, Thitinan Pongsudhirak, Published on 27/07/2018
» While Thailand has a seemingly indefinite military government with no clear poll date, Cambodia is holding an election on July 29 with a foregone conclusion. After methodically taken apart oppositional forces, the incumbent government of Prime Minister Hun Sen, under the Cambodian People's Party (CPP), is set to win a landslide. At issue now will be what happens after the election. At least three dynamics are in play. How they intersect and enmesh will determine Cambodia's political future.
Post-Obama America's 'rebalance' to Asia
News, Thitinan Pongsudhirak, Published on 24/06/2016
» As the United States' presidential election kicks into higher gear with the upcoming nominations of Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump as the Democratic and Republican party candidates vying for top office, Asian countries, and Asean in particular, are concerned about what will happen to outgoing President Barack Obama's "rebalance" (also known as the "pivot") strategy to Asia. The "rebalance" is likely to be a lasting legacy of President Obama's foreign policy accomplishments. It has provided Asian countries from Myanmar and Vietnam to the Philippines with a counterbalance to China's increasing regional footprints. But the future of the rebalance hangs in the balance.
AC limps to year-end deadline and beyond
News, Thitinan Pongsudhirak, Published on 08/05/2015
» The aftermath of the 26th Asean Summit in Kuala Lumpur last week indicates that the 10-member regional grouping is increasingly challenged in its efforts to cohere into an Asean Community (AC) by the end of this year.
The myth of Thailand's demographic doom
News, Thitinan Pongsudhirak, Published on 20/03/2015
» It is easy and tempting these days to be discouraged with Thailand. The place reeks of bad news, and is full of tension and challenges in its society, economy and politics. Yet the Thai story remains counterintuitive and compelling. With daunting dilemmas in all directions, Thailand should not have space for complacency. But it also should not be a place without hope.