Showing 1 - 10 of 108
Uncharted territory and a case of déjà vu
Oped, Thitinan Pongsudhirak, Published on 09/08/2024
» Another dissolution of another election winner should feel old in Thai politics. But what happened to Move Forward Party is not just déjà vu but uncharted territory. Its dissolution fits a recurrent pattern of systematic subversion of democratic institutions in favour of autocratic preferences in disregard of the will of the majority. The Constitutional Court's breakup of Move Forward also breaks new ground that is increasingly taking centre stage in Thailand's political landscape.
Pakistan again lands itself in political strife
Oped, Published on 17/02/2024
» Pakistan is politically on the brink again in the aftermath of fractious but inconclusive national parliamentary elections, which ended with a question mark hanging over this land of 241 million people like a political Damocles sword. Two former prime ministers, both bitter rivals and equally mired in alleged corruption, are vying for the top spot.
Uranium's epic rally says lots about the world
News, Published on 30/11/2023
» Uranium offers a perfect distillation of a world that is heating up and a world order that is breaking down. Plus a market eager to capitalise on both.
The wisdom of Germany's nuclear stand
Oped, Published on 27/04/2023
» With the shutdown of its last three nuclear power plants, Germany has completed its phase-out of nuclear power. As the minister responsible for nuclear safety in Germany, I believe that this was an excellent -- indeed, visionary -- move. There are many important justifications, but five are especially compelling.
Follow your passion
Life, Pattarawadee Saengmanee, Published on 27/03/2023
» Travelling gives us a chance to meet people who are brilliant in various professions and teaches us how to develop our abilities for creative thought. Knowledge is not just found in books; experiences, passion and an open mind are also essential for success in life.
Thailand's political charade exposed
Oped, Thitinan Pongsudhirak, Published on 27/01/2023
» On the face of it, Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha for eight years, has touted himself as "an outsider" who was above the political fray, seizing power in a military coup and taking top office to help Thailand in its hour of need amid debilitating protests and polarisation in 2013-14. Now that the general has thrown his hat in the ring under the United Thai Nation (UTN) Party locally known as "Ruam Thai Sang Chart" to contest the upcoming election, the charade is over.
The West needs an energy alliance
Oped, Published on 03/11/2022
» The old line that "history does not repeat itself, but often rhymes", is an apt description of the evolving relationship between the West and its rivals. During the Cold War, the Soviet Union was a global superpower, owing to its military prowess. Today, Russia's armed forces appear to be in a dismal state, but the country has become an energy superpower that can use its vast natural-gas reserves as a weapon. Similarly, today's standoff between the West and Russia over Ukraine echoes the Cold War confrontation between authoritarianism and democracy.
Avoiding tourism's stresses and strains
News, Paritta Wangkiat, Published on 20/06/2022
» Foreign visitors have started returning to tourist destinations since the start of the year after the government lifted some Covid-19 measures. The influx of tourists has been observed from Phuket to Chiang Mai, some of which report visitor overcrowding.
Globalisation: a well-managed decline required
Oped, Published on 02/06/2022
» The World Economic Forum's first meeting in more than two years was markedly different from the many previous Davos conferences that I have attended since 1995. It was not just that the bright snow and clear skies of January were replaced by bare ski slopes and a gloomy May drizzle. Rather, it was that a forum traditionally committed to championing globalisation was primarily concerned with globalisation's failures: broken supply chains, food- and energy-price inflation, and an intellectual-property (IP) regime that left billions without Covid-19 vaccines just so that a few drug companies could earn billions in extra profits.
Time to move on from Zero Covid
Asia focus, Nareerat Wiriyapong, Published on 23/05/2022
» It's finally time for Shanghai residents to breathe easier and feel a greater sense of freedom. After nearly two months of lockdown, the commercial hub of 25 million started to allow more people to go out to buy groceries for the first time last Thursday after a fifth straight day of no new Covid-19 infections outside quarantine areas.