Showing 1 - 10 of 18
Thai diplomacy amid global turmoil
News, Kavi Chongkittavorn, Published on 13/01/2026
» How do we know which way the wind is drifting? This is a frequently asked question amid the tectonic shifts in international politics. Answers vary. Some say the wind blows from Washington, others from Beijing. Some insist it comes from the market, others from geopolitics. Regardless of the answers, Thailand -- thanks to its nimble diplomacy -- has managed to go with the flow without much difficulty.
Anticipating Malaysia's Asean chair
Oped, Kavi Chongkittavorn, Published on 29/10/2024
» Among Asean watchers, it has become a pattern that a significant milestone follows whenever Malaysia takes on the chairmanship. In 2005, Malaysia helped establish the East Asia Summit (EAS), and in 2015, the Asean Community Vision 2025 was launched. Many policymakers and scholars agree that the next chairmanship is perfectly timed for Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, one of the region's most experienced leaders.
Asean juggles triangular power game
Oped, Kavi Chongkittavorn, Published on 09/04/2024
» A rising China, a trusted Japan, and a declining America are three cogs dictating the global geopolitical landscape in Southeast Asia in the months, if not years, to come. Amidst intensifying geopolitics, Asean is in a position where this could either be a blessing or a curse.
Don't forget fringe parties in the election
Oped, Kavi Chongkittavorn, Published on 02/05/2023
» A total of 70 political parties with 4,781 candidates are contesting 400 MP seats, and 1,898 candidates from 67 political parties are vying for 100 list-MP seats in the general election on May 14.
Thai diplomacy has come full circle
Oped, Kavi Chongkittavorn, Published on 18/04/2023
» After eight arduous years, Thai diplomacy has come full circle. With 26 days to go before the next general election on May 14, the international community is wondering whether there will be any change in the country's overall diplomatic outlook. Since the dark days leading up to the intervention in May 2014, Thailand has undertaken an extraordinary journey given the state in which the country was caught with its deteriorated standing in the global community. Critics varied in their assessments of Thai foreign policy under deep stress. Indeed, the long winding diplomatic road revealed both the strengths and weaknesses of strenuous efforts to protect national interests amid the competition of the great powers and in tackling the unavoidable ripple effects caused by an increasingly polarised world.
Hun Sen juggles global, regional politics
Oped, Kavi Chongkittavorn, Published on 08/11/2022
» Who could have imagined that the world's longest reigning prime minister, Samdech Akka Moha Sena Padei Techo Hun Sen -- or Prime Minister Hun Sen as he is more commonly known -- would stand in the front row defending Ukraine against Russia as the biggest war in Europe since World War II rages on?
Asean: Where US, China can reconcile?
Oped, Kavi Chongkittavorn, Published on 14/06/2022
» Southeast Asia is unenviably the region to which the major powers, be they the US, China, the European Union, India, Russia, Australia or Japan, are according to the highest priority at this juncture. All of these countries are on the same page as far as Asean is concerned. An Asean that is stable, peaceful, and focused on regional economic integration would be beneficial to the international community. This trend is in reverse in other parts of the world.
Japan pushes new diplomatic profile
Oped, Kavi Chongkittavorn, Published on 26/04/2022
» During Golden Week, around the first week of May, Japanese politicians will usually spend time at home with their constituencies and families. Not the prime minister of Japan, Fumio Kishida, however. He knows full well that as the world's third-largest economy, Japan's wider diplomatic and security profile in the era of great disruption with the Russia-Ukraine war must be underlined. No time to waste.
Indo-Pacific and the ascent of SE Asia
Oped, Kavi Chongkittavorn, Published on 11/01/2022
» It is clear that the ongoing debate on the importance of the Indo-Pacific is all about which major powers will win the hearts and minds of Southeast Asian countries. The main target is the 10-member Asean bloc located in the centre, where two oceans, the Indian and Pacific, converge.
Understanding Thailand's soft power
News, Kavi Chongkittavorn, Published on 04/02/2020
» Thailand is a curious place. On the one hand, it is a country that foreigners love to visit for the scenery, the shopping, partying and street food, even if they have to suffer traffic fumes and dust. They may even find themselves tucking into pad thai in the shadow of the T22 tanks of the Thai Army Regiment 2.