Showing 91 - 100 of 4,746
Too hot for some
Oped, Postbag, Published on 03/01/2024
» Re: "SET credibility crisis", (PostBag, Jan 2). Neither "Unfairly treated", nor Paul Renaud need any pity. After all, "Unfairly treated" remarks himself in his contribution that denial of equal rights to foreign investors has been the established practice for years. So if you know this and can't stand the heat, don't stay in the kitchen.
Fashion's plastics problem isn't about packaging
News, David Fickling, Published on 03/01/2024
» Until the rise of online retail, you might have been forgiven for thinking that all apparel was shipped in burlap sacks. Those wanting their garment spending to be sustainable these days can take comfort in reusable wooden hangers, paper shopping bags, and recycled fibres. The only glimpse of plastic in many fashion stores is the electronic equipment at the checkout.
8 Thai hostages must not be forgotten
Oped, Kavi Chongkittavorn, Published on 02/01/2024
» The singular most important event of 2023 in Thailand was the Thai hostage crisis that began on Oct 7 when Hamas launched its surprise onslaught on Israel from the Gaza Strip. Several thousand Thai workers were caught up in the crisis, and several dozen were taken hostage along with over 240 men, women and children of almost two dozen nationalities. Apart from Israeli citizens, the number of Thais taken prisoner was the highest among foreigners, and at least 39 were confirmed killed. At the end of November and in the weeks that followed, a total of 23 Thais were freed. Today, eight remain in Gaza, and their fate is unknown. In modern Thai history, this is the first time such a huge number of Thai citizens have been abducted.
Fond memories ruined by queues
Editorial, Published on 31/12/2023
» With the New Year set to begin tomorrow, the peak travel season is in full swing, with this year being reminiscent of pre-pandemic times. In the first 11 months of 2023, Thailand welcomed 24.5 million visitors, with Bangkok ranking as the most visited city on the planet (Pattaya and Phuket rounded out the top 20 list). That trend is continuing as cold weather grips many parts of the world and people jet off to the kingdom to enjoy the final days of the year or start the new one with a much-needed holiday.
Debt doldrums
Oped, Postbag, Published on 30/12/2023
» Re: "Will foreign investors still be wooed", (Opinion, Dec 28).
Asian elections, democracy in 2024
Oped, Thitinan Pongsudhirak, Published on 29/12/2023
» Billed as the biggest election year ever as more than half of the global population goes to the polls, 2024 will be critical to the debate about democratisation and autocratisation. Asia will lead the way with elections in India, Bangladesh, Pakistan, and Indonesia, while the most recent polls in Myanmar and Thailand offer long-term lessons about democracy and dictatorship. The salient themes next year will be about the self-perpetuating tendencies of incumbent regimes and the resilience of democratic rule when authoritarianism seemed to have the upper hand.
PM must show courage
Oped, Editorial, Published on 29/12/2023
» Deputy PM Somsak Thepsutin is known as a man of few words. His ability to hold his tongue illustrates the old adage that silence is golden. Despite critics often criticising his chameleon-like political nature, they always open their ears whenever he speaks. Needless to say, Mr Somsak rarely has a loose tongue.
Will foreign investors still be wooed?
Oped, Chartchai Parasuk, Published on 28/12/2023
» This is my last article for 2023. Appropriately, I should write about the 2024 economic outlook but I have decided to postpone that to be the first article of 2024 as the analysis might be too unpleasant to digest right now. However, I will leave a "teaser" for readers to ponder over during the long holidays. As such, I am left with two choices: an article about informal debt -- I estimate outstanding debt to be over 400 billion baht and that it could have strong ties with grey money -- or an article about Thailand's ability to attract foreign investors, as our Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin travels all over the world to attract them. In the end, I opted for the latter.
Are scientific breakthroughs on the decline?
News, Published on 27/12/2023
» This year had barely begun when scientists got some jolting news. On Jan 4, a paper appeared in Nature claiming that disruptive scientific findings have been waning since 1945. An accompanying graph showed all fields on a steep downhill slide.