Showing 1 - 10 of 42
Stepping up against discrimination
News, Vitit Muntarbhorn, Published on 14/03/2026
» Amidst the global turmoil happening today, it is easy to yield to a sense of despair and despondency. Yet, there are positive changes at the national-local level which seem incremental at first glance, but which are, in reality, monumental; they act as a gentle palliative projecting hope. On this front, Thailand experienced a sense of elation a year ago, when the possibility of same-sex marriage became the norm in the country due to reform of the Thai Civil Code.
Re-energising higher education in Asean
News, Vitit Muntarbhorn, Published on 22/12/2025
» Higher education, implying the tertiary level associated with universities and parallel institutions, is at an inflexion point in Southeast Asia, where the trajectory of socio-political, economic and cultural development is changing rapidly.
Legal hurdles after same-sex marriage
Oped, Vitit Muntarbhorn, Published on 06/11/2025
» With the great news of the same-sex marriage law in Thailand comes another question -- how to facilitate the lives of couples, especially when one of them is not a Thai national. Two lingering and nagging issues concern the acquisition of nationality and the channels for adopting a child.
Sustaining healthcare in volatile times
Oped, Vitit Muntarbhorn, Published on 18/08/2025
» Health care is pivotal for human well-being. Yet in today's precarious world, it is pressured by diminishing resources, demographic variables, warfare and violence, and environmental degradation. Sustaining health care thus requires insightful planning and implementation, no less for Thailand and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) regions.
Labour and the dynamics of change
Oped, Vitit Muntarbhorn, Published on 25/07/2025
» The fluctuating international context compels countries in this region and beyond to recalibrate their labour laws, policies and practices. This is particularly critical at a time of great demographic changes, such as declining and ageing population in parts of the globe, compromised by a more transactional and conditional world of "quid pro quo". Thailand faces an inflection point on this front, requiring dynamic adjustments.
Anti-torture push needs serious review
News, Vitit Muntarbhorn, Published on 06/01/2025
» Back in 2007, the government agreed to be a party to the Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment, otherwise known as the "CAT".
Reconfiguring Asean rights declaration
News, Vitit Muntarbhorn, Published on 13/12/2024
» It has been 12 years since the Asean Human Rights Declaration (AHRD) was adopted in 2012 by the 10-member regional grouping, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, embodying the key standards of human rights for the Southeast Asian region. How has it fared after all these years?
Unpacking China's global influence
Oped, Vitit Muntarbhorn, Published on 29/08/2024
» Is China an enigma? If it is difficult to decipher the country on some fronts, there are other elements which are more accessible. While it might be easy to look at its impressive growth in recent decades as diverging from other global players in key areas, there are other areas which are mutually convergent. From the multidimensional panorama of a complex world -- the "multiplex" world, a preferred approach is not to generalise too much but to analyse the specifics of our times for possible confluence.
Kids in face of criminal justice system
Oped, Vitit Muntarbhorn, Published on 21/02/2024
» Passions are raised understandably when children are alleged to have committed crimes. Yet, a balanced approach is required; emotions need to be moderated, and rationalisation needs to be advocated.
Key portals to Global Digital Compact
Oped, Vitit Muntarbhorn, Published on 09/02/2024
» This year will witness the formulation and adoption of the UN-backed Global Digital Compact if all goes as planned. It will provide a policy framework for digital relations worldwide, although not yet equivalent to a binding treaty. What, then, are the stakes, the key portals to the digital future?