Showing 1 - 10 of 693
Clutching at straws
Oped, Postbag, Published on 01/06/2024
» Re: "Thaksin to fight royal insult case: Lawyers raise doctored video concerns", (BP, May 30).
High-stakes submarine talks
Oped, Editorial, Published on 14/05/2024
» A Chinese delegation is visiting Thailand and will meet the government on Wednesday to negotiate a long-overdue submarine purchase. Then, the Thai government will make the final decision on whether to ditch or take the submarine.
Reshuffle cements Srettha's grip
News, Thitinan Pongsudhirak, Published on 06/05/2024
» After eight months at the helm, Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin staged a much-anticipated cabinet reshuffle with unexpected drama and unsurprising consolidation. As head of a coalition government, Mr Srettha appears more "prime ministerial" as the reshuffle has strengthened his hand to implement the ruling Pheu Thai Party's flagship policies.
Spending plans?
Oped, Postbag, Published on 27/04/2024
» Re: "Prawit declares B87m in assets", (BP, April 25).
Reshuffle needs work
Oped, Editorial, Published on 20/04/2024
» After seven months of mediocre performance, Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin is going to reshuffle his cabinet. Yet those who wish to see a total overhaul and the exit of underperforming ministers might be let down. On the face of it, the Srettha 2.0 cabinet will merely reflect internal promotions within the Pheu Thai Party and its power consolidation.
The Thaksin factor in Thai politics
Oped, Thitinan Pongsudhirak, Published on 15/03/2024
» Thai politics in the near term will likely be dominated by the fate of the two largest vote winners from the general election in May 2023, the Move Forward (MFP) and Pheu Thai parties. While the MFP is at risk of another dissolution, the same as its predecessor Future Forward Party suffered in 2020, Pheu Thai's political future appears to hinge on Thaksin Shinawatra and his return from exile in what is believed to be a deal that follows the assumption of the premiership under Srettha Thavisin, and for Thaksin, a royal pardon and early release on parole.
Thailand's central bank dependence
Oped, Thitinan Pongsudhirak, Published on 23/02/2024
» To proponents of central bank independence, the ongoing friction between Prime Minister and Finance Minister Srettha Thavisin and Bank of Thailand Governor Sethaput Suthiwartnarueput appears straightforward. The prime minister is putting unwarranted and unfair pressure on the central bank governor to spur the economy by loosening monetary policy and cutting interest rates. Yet, on closer scrutiny, the entrenched politicisation of central banking in Thailand may suggest otherwise. There is more than meets the eye in the politics of interest rate cuts.
No losers, two winners in Taiwan poll
Oped, Thitinan Pongsudhirak, Published on 26/01/2024
» Among elections in Asia this year, Taiwan's is no less consequential, not just for the island country's political future but also for the United States-China rivalry and broader geopolitics. In the event, the results from the Jan 13 general election in Taiwan ended up with no major losers among the main contenders and two big wins for democracy in Asia and the geopolitical status quo.
Overhauling defence
News, Editorial, Published on 15/01/2024
» While Defence Minister Sutin Klungsang's plan to seek 600 million baht from the central budget to fund an early retirement scheme for high-ranking generals is a step in the right direction towards streamlining the armed forces, it nevertheless falls short of the promises it had made.
Why Srettha should risk it all for Pita
News, Published on 15/01/2024
» As Charles E Weller once wrote, "Now is the time for all good men to come to the aid of their country". While the quote's original purpose was just a typing exercise, it rings true on occasion, and especially now at a critical crossroads in Thailand's fledgling semi-democracy. Twin trials await former Move Forward Party (MFP) prime ministerial candidate Pita Limjaroenrat later this month, both in the Constitutional Court, a judicial forum known for its past crippling of Thailand's democratic opposition.