Showing 1 - 10 of 28
Rethinking Thailand's visa-free policy
Oped, Kavi Chongkittavorn, Published on 31/03/2026
» Thailand is planning to cut visa-free stays from 60 days to 30 days. This long-overdue change reflects growing concern over the effectiveness of immigration surveillance. Moreover, scaling down visa-free stays underscores the seriousness of the Anutin government's efforts to combat scammers, illegal work, and other underground activities that exploit easy visa access to turn Thailand into a base for under-the-table operations.
Resetting Thailand-Cambodia relations
Oped, Kavi Chongkittavorn, Published on 21/10/2025
» After three months of catastrophic relations, Thailand and Cambodia are starting to turn confrontation into cooperation, but such efforts will be obstructed by on-the-ground realities and invisible barriers.
Korea martial law lessons for Thailand
Oped, Kavi Chongkittavorn, Published on 10/12/2024
» Last week, South Korea experienced a titanic political shift when President Yoon Suk-yeol imposed martial law late on Tuesday night. The move lasted just over six hours before it was lifted, making it one of the shortest-lived martial law declarations in modern political history. It was lucky because it started late at night and ended early in the morning. Had it occurred during the day, the outcome could have been very different.
Thai-Israeli relations need recalibrating
Oped, Kavi Chongkittavorn, Published on 23/04/2024
» This year, Thailand and Israel celebrate 70 years of diplomatic ties. Obviously, this comes during a period of great strain for Israel and the broader Middle East. Amidst it all, Thailand must recalibrate one of its most important foreign policies in the Middle East; otherwise, there will be nothing to celebrate.
Lessons from Hun Sen's Cambodia
Oped, Kavi Chongkittavorn, Published on 08/08/2023
» If international relations experts and scholars want to study a small state's diplomatic manoeuvres amid the ever-changing geopolitical landscape, they should make Cambodia their case study. With a new prime minister, Hun Manet, now in charge, the question remains: Will he be able to keep up with his father's multipolar politics?
Virtual diplomacy is real in Thailand
Oped, Kavi Chongkittavorn, Published on 11/07/2023
» The past several months have been tumultuous times in Thai diplomacy, with virtual diplomacy constantly challenging real-world diplomacy. Several incidents have occurred involving neighbouring countries, friends and allies. They all started off simply as casual online conversations or Instagram posts, then suddenly, they could quickly have turned toxic and evolved into diplomatic squabbling.
Cambodia and the rise of a small power
Oped, Kavi Chongkittavorn, Published on 11/04/2023
» For Samdech Akka Moha Sena Padei Techo Hun Sen, Prime Minister of Cambodia, timing is everything. Therefore, it was not surprising that the world's longest-serving leader signalled recently that he would step down from politics. Unbelievable, right? He used to say he would remain in power until he was 90. If it had not come directly from him, nobody would have believed a word. His carefully calibrated decision comes at a critical time due to current domestic and external conditions and their likely long-term repercussions.
Aussie ties out of the woods, raring to go
Oped, Kavi Chongkittavorn, Published on 27/09/2022
» 'Thais that bind: secret mission ends Aussie's torment," read the front page headline of The Australian on Nov 22, 2020. It was referring to Dr Kylie Moore-Gilbert, the British-Australian academic arrested in late 2018 by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard as she was about to leave Tehran over an espionage charge. She was subsequently sentenced to 10 years in jail in a secret trial.
Bolstering Thailand-India ties at 75
News, Kavi Chongkittavorn, Published on 30/08/2022
» Thailand and India have taken seven-and-a-half decades to transform their close historical and cultural ties into a more strategic trajectory. It is not an easy task as their leaders have been all too comfortable with their longstanding friendly and relatively trouble-free ties. However, the recent three-day high-profile visit of Indian External Affairs Secretary Dr S Jaishankar has raised the dynamics of Thailand-India relations to a new level.
Time to strategise Thai-Philippine ties
Oped, Kavi Chongkittavorn, Published on 05/07/2022
» Newly elected Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr met with Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Don Pramudwinai soon after being sworn in. It was his first meeting with a dignitary from Asean though he had earlier met with representatives from the US, China and Japan. Suddenly, the old flame of friendship between Thailand and the Philippines was being rekindled.