Showing 1 - 10 of 10
Pundits call for balance on trade and border issues
Business, Nareerat Wiriyapong, Published on 27/11/2025
» Pundits say the government must strike a fine balance between economic benefit and national sovereignty regarding the border dispute with Cambodia, as the prolonged conflict not only dampens prospects for Thailand's trade talks with the US, but also riles domestic political stability.
Time to tone down Taiwan tensions
Asia focus, Nareerat Wiriyapong, Published on 08/08/2022
» It was a picture-perfect shot, really. That was my thought when I saw US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi standing side by side with Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen in Taipei last Wednesday. But the one-day visit to the self-ruled island by the 82-year-old American politician has created no end of tension, not only for the US and China but also many of their allies across the Asia Pacific region.
Hun Sen's Myanmar gamble
Asia focus, Nareerat Wiriyapong, Published on 17/01/2022
» I'm not a fan of Hun Sen, the strongman who has ruled Cambodia for more than 38 years. A co-premier from 1993-97 before seizing power in a 1997 coup, the Cambodian leader has won all subsequent elections while political rivals have been jailed or exiled and critical media crushed. His legacy appears secure now that his Cambodian People's Party has endorsed his eldest son, 44-year-old army commander Hun Manet, as "future prime minister".
Hun Sen's diplomatic test in Myanmar
Asia focus, Nareerat Wiriyapong, Published on 13/12/2021
» As chair of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) for 2022, Cambodia seems keen to lead the 10-member bloc to help tackle the ongoing political and humanitarian crisis in Myanmar.
Journeys of discovery
Asia focus, Nareerat Wiriyapong, Published on 16/08/2021
» Sipping green tea after having a Thai lunch at his house, Farid Bidgoli looks relaxed yet energetic, and ready for an interview. From his appearance and accent, the 42-year-old executive looks exactly like someone from the UK where he was born, though he is half Iranian with a spirit inherited from his father.
Tourism revival in doubt again
Asia focus, Nareerat Wiriyapong, Published on 19/04/2021
» Most of Thailand's famous holiday destinations were nearly empty last week during the long Songkran holiday. The latest Covid-19 wave -- with daily infections climbing all week and hitting a record 1,582 on Friday -- scared tourists away from popular beach resorts close to Bangkok such as Pattaya, Cha-am and Hua Hin, which has also become a coronavirus hotspot following a superspreader event at a local pub.
Japan's mission
Asia focus, Nareerat Wiriyapong, Published on 23/12/2019
» Waves of change -- geopolitical, technological and demographic -- have been sweeping across the world, and Japan is among the countries experiencing challenges on all those fronts. Amid a steady but slow economic recovery since he took office in 2012, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has also seen his skills at international diplomacy tested, given his country's close ties with the United States.
In search of certainty
Asia focus, Nareerat Wiriyapong, Published on 27/05/2019
» The world has become a more uncertain place, as escalating tensions between the US and China could potentially damage the global economy on a bigger scale than anyone has thought, business leaders warn.
Little progress in war on graft
Asia focus, Nareerat Wiriyapong, Published on 11/03/2019
» Corruption is rarely out of the news in Southeast Asia, but the last three weeks have been busier than usual. In Vietnam, two former information ministers were arrested on suspicion of mismanaging public investment. The prosecution order issued on Feb 23 for Nguyen Bac Son and Truong Minh Tuan accuses them of "violations of regulations on management and use of public investment capital that cause serious consequences". The news cast a shadow over Hanoi's preparations fo the Trump-Kim nuclear summit.
Creating smarter cities
Asia focus, Nareerat Wiriyapong, Published on 09/07/2018
» Yokohama is a role model for turning an urban area that once relied on heavy industry into a smart city where liveable communities coexist harmoniously with industrial and commercial areas. Now it is exporting its expertise to an industrial estate in eastern Thailand.