Showing 1 - 7 of 7
Thailand's tense dance of diplomacy
Oped, Kavi Chongkittavorn, Published on 04/03/2025
» Last Thursday evening, Deputy Prime Minister and Defence Minister Phumtham Wechayachai showed his true colours when he addressed the repatriation of 40 Uyghurs to China. Cool as a cucumber, he spoke with authority yet with an apologetic tone. That day's press conference was his perfect coda; other cabinet ministers were mere decorative artefacts.
Nay Pyi Taw's goals still out of reach
Oped, Kavi Chongkittavorn, Published on 04/02/2025
» As Myanmar's crisis enters its fifth year this week, there is still no light at the end of the tunnel.
Tackling our precarious border scenario
Oped, Kavi Chongkittavorn, Published on 12/12/2023
» While the international community is focusing on the humanitarian catastrophe in the Gaza Strip, another humanitarian crisis is taking place along Thailand's western front as the clashes between Myanmar's government and ethnic armed groups intensify.
Thailand's 'make or break' jobs in 2021
Oped, Kavi Chongkittavorn, Published on 05/01/2021
» Thailand's future is now at the edge of a precipice due to the recent virus outbreak in Samut Sakhon that has now spread to over 50 out of 77 provinces. The unexpected upsurge has dramatically diminished public confidence that the government will be able to contain the pandemic in a sustainable way. Worst of all, it has also dampened economic activity and overall post-Covid-19 recovery forecasts and plans. At this juncture, Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha's legacy in terms of his performance during the epidemic is unclear.
Thailand must rethink its quarantine
Oped, Kavi Chongkittavorn, Published on 11/08/2020
» Thailand's future might well be in danger if the government does not take urgent action to recalibrate its anti-pandemic policies. All the excellent measures the concerned authorities, as well as the public, have taken in mitigating the coronavirus over the past six months could easily turn against them. Thailand could emerge from Covid-19 with more disgruntled Thais including those who were repatriated. Worse, there will likely be additional unhappy foreign countries including their diplomats and citizens who have encountered discriminatory actions, some of which have gone against the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations.
Repatriation of Thais needs ramping up
Oped, Kavi Chongkittavorn, Published on 12/05/2020
» In recent weeks, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) has accelerated efforts to bring Thai citizens stranded overseas back home. Throughout the Covid-19 pandemic, the one issue that has tarnished the Thai government's positive image both inside and outside the country has been the stringent measures adopted by the Prayut administration with regard to the repatriation of Thais stuck overseas.
Vietnam is powering full steam towards the future
News, Kavi Chongkittavorn, Published on 08/10/2019
» These days, I get nostalgic every time I make a trip to Hanoi. This time around, it was about Vietnam's street food scene. When I first came to Hanoi in 1986, my favourite eating place was at the corner of Ly Thuong Kiet and Pham Chu Trinh streets, where one could have bun cha on the pavement of the street, which was lined with numerous haircut booths.