Showing 21 - 30 of 356
Reconsidering unclaimed dividends
Oped, Published on 17/01/2024
» Every year, a significant amount of unclaimed stock dividends accumulates due to a loss of contact with some of the rightful owners. This amount is substantial. For example, unclaimed dividends at the Thailand Securities Depository (TSD) have grown to 746 million baht over 10 years.
Which way for the Social Security Fund?
Oped, Editorial, Published on 23/12/2023
» Tomorrow, almost a million Social Security Fund (SSF) members will elect board members to help oversee the largest fund in the country, which amounts to 2.3 trillion baht. The election is a first for the 33-year-old fund. Previously, 14 of 20 board members were recruited, while the other six represent the government and SSF.
When private corporations subvert states
Oped, Published on 12/12/2023
» Imagine a scenario where a private company effectively creates and controls its own jurisdiction within a sovereign country. This company introduces its own currency, enacts laws, and establishes courts, prisons, police forces, and even intelligence services. It formulates its own tax, labour, and environmental regulations (or lack thereof), regardless of their compatibility with national laws.
End monopoly for cheap, clean energy
Oped, Published on 22/11/2023
» If Thailand hopes to honour its global pledge to mitigate climate change by becoming carbon neutral by 2050, there is one way to do it -- electricity liberalisation.
'Phi noi' workers need solution
Editorial, Published on 05/11/2023
» We often hear about the experiences of tourists in Thailand, but there's rarely any discussion of Thais travelling abroad. This changed recently when the hashtag #BanTravelToSouthKorea began trending on X, with netizens accusing the country of discriminating against Thai tourists. Everyone from the average tourist to influencers joined the debate and shared stories of being interrogated and/or refused entry into South Korea despite having all the right paperwork.
Wake-up call for NBTC
Oped, Editorial, Published on 03/11/2023
» The Supreme Administrative Court's verdict on Monday is the latest bombshell to hit the National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission (NBTC). The higher court overruled a lower court decision to throw out a lawsuit filed by a consumer group against the telecom watchdog regarding the merger of True Corporation and Total Access Communication (DTAC).
Balancing sustainability, wealth
Oped, Published on 17/10/2023
» Under the shimmering turquoise waters, vibrant-coloured corals pulse with life as marine life weaves through what was, for a while, a scene of unprecedented blight. Thailand's Maya Bay is experiencing a resurgence following a four-year closure. Behind that transformation from a damaging symbol of overtourism to a beacon of sustainable travel in Southeast Asia, lies a cautionary tale of how tourism can leave a trail of destruction.
Fight to save local journalism
News, Published on 02/10/2023
» The Washington Post's famous slogan, "Democracy Dies in Darkness", is sadly coming true in many parts of the United States. The digital age has shattered newspapers' business model, turning many communities into "news deserts" with no local journalism. Some 2,500 daily or weekly newspapers have folded since 2005, and there are now fewer than 6,500 left. Every week, two more disappear.
Some kinds of dogs shouldn't be allowed as pets
News, Tyler Cowen, Published on 20/09/2023
» Over the last two years, at least five people in the UK have been killed by American XL bully dogs, prompting no less than the prime minister himself to come forward with a plan to control the dogs. The upshot of Prime Minister Rishi Sunak's policy is that they will have to be registered, neutered, muzzled in public and insured, with an eventual ban to follow.
Can Thai passports' power get a lift?
Oped, Kavi Chongkittavorn, Published on 19/09/2023
» At the first cabinet meeting last week, Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin announced one of the government's priorities -- improving the power of Thai passports. It is a headline goal that will require extraordinary efforts to achieve. Upgrading a national passport to a higher level involves numerous factors -- economic, socio-cultural, and political -- as well as the general optics of the partnership countries. After all, the large number of visitors to a country is not an indicator of how powerful its passport is. A country might be given more visa-free accessibility and be popular for foreign passports, but its own passport's power can still be low.