Showing 1 - 10 of 163
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.
Thailand's responses to Board of Peace
Oped, Kavi Chongkittavorn, Published on 27/01/2026
» US President Donald Trump's invitation to Thailand to join the Board of Peace (BOP) has elicited three distinct responses. The first two are succinct and clear in their rationale. The third, however, is more nuanced -- and notable for its ambivalence.
Better Canada-China ties boost Asean
Oped, Kavi Chongkittavorn, Published on 20/01/2026
» Canada's decision to reset relations with China is extraordinary, coming at a critical time for both countries. It reflects changes in the Western Hemisphere that have led Canada to realise that boosting ties with China is a necessity. Furthermore, it will have far-reaching implications for their future bilateral relations and beyond. It is interesting to note that it took US President Donald Trump's intimidation -- both on trade and annexation -- to push straightforward Canada towards the East.
Thailand–Japan ties at a crossroads
News, Kavi Chongkittavorn, Published on 18/11/2025
» For the past four decades, Thailand-Japan ties have been smooth as silk, reflecting the Japanese concept of ishin denshin, an idiom that describes communication without words. That idiom reflects a very good relationship, a deep mutual understanding between the two parties.
Trump returns to Asean with a bang
Oped, Kavi Chongkittavorn, Published on 28/10/2025
» The Asean chair, Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, said it all. Acknowledging US President Donald Trump's presence during the signing ceremony on Thailand-Cambodia relations on Sunday, he stated: "We, of course, admire your tenacity and courage because the world needs leaders who promote peace strongly."
Thailand's contributions to UN at 80
Oped, Kavi Chongkittavorn, Published on 23/09/2025
» The United Nations turns 80 years old this year. Thailand is a strong supporter of the UN's agenda and its multilateral efforts. It has never run against the UN decisions.
Paetongtarn and the price of weak govt
Oped, Kavi Chongkittavorn, Published on 02/09/2025
» The Constitutional Court's dismissal of Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra and her cabinet last Friday has plunged Thailand into a political poly-crisis.
Vietnam steps up as a regional leader
Oped, Kavi Chongkittavorn, Published on 19/08/2025
» Vietnam wisely chose South Korea to showcase a new strategic-economic partnership in the region, focusing on growing trade, investment, and diplomatic cooperation. As the first country to dispatch a top leader to meet newly elected President Lee Jae-myung, the Hanoi government sends a clear signal to both Northeast and Southeast Asia that South Korea and Vietnam are emerging together as a driving force of regional connectivity and economic growth.
Asean's balancing act gains momentum
Oped, Kavi Chongkittavorn, Published on 12/08/2025
» In the middle of the Covid-19 crisis, a tentative idea was raised at the Chongqing virtual meeting between Asean-China foreign ministers in June 2021, for Asean Plus Two. The two referred to the US and China. The bloc's leaders were quite worried that US-China rivalry, especially during the pandemic, would result in catastrophic outcomes for the regional economy and its integration.
Is Asean now a new 'balancing wheel'?
Oped, Kavi Chongkittavorn, Published on 15/07/2025
» Last week's Asean Foreign Ministers' Meeting reflects its continued relevance in an increasingly unstable world. Amid US unilateralism and US President Donald Trump's tariff nationalism, Asean has reasserted itself as a balancing wheel -- a stabilising force on which its dialogue partners can still depend.