Showing 1 - 10 of 16
A year of shocks, but Thailand endures
News, Kavi Chongkittavorn, Published on 30/12/2025
» The year 2025 is not just your typical annus horribilis. Some may say that an appropriate term to describe the year is "hell on earth," or narok bon din in Thai, when many bad things happen all at once.
Anutin should use his time judiciously
Oped, Kavi Chongkittavorn, Published on 04/11/2025
» One month has passed. Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul now has three more months to go.
Timor-Leste finally joins the Asean fold
News, Kavi Chongkittavorn, Published on 14/10/2025
» Timor-Leste will be made a full member of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) on Oct 26. President José Ramos-Horta of Timor-Leste often joked that joining Asean was more difficult than going to heaven. Not anymore.
Cambodia's bluster fails at UN event
Oped, Kavi Chongkittavorn, Published on 30/09/2025
» At the 80th session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), Thailand and Cambodia verbally clashed again over their border dispute. What stood out was not just the usual complaints, but the gap between quiet promises made behind closed doors and loud posturing in public.
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.
The rise and fall of Srettha Thavisin
Oped, Kavi Chongkittavorn, Published on 20/08/2024
» While leaders come and go, they leave behind a legacy that can be mixed, varying from glory to ignominy. Only a few leave nothing much to remember. As for Thailand's 30th prime minister, Srettha Thavisin, it was cursory at best. Overall, it's a good case study on how pomposity and self-adulation affect leadership.
Vietnam's bamboo diplomacy at play
Oped, Kavi Chongkittavorn, Published on 25/06/2024
» In front of a gigantic golden statue of President Ho Chi Minh, President Vladimir Putin stood, solemnly shaking hands with his counterpart President To Lam. The iconic photo underscored the ties that bind the two nations.
Asean now 'really' matters to Australia
Oped, Kavi Chongkittavorn, Published on 27/02/2024
» The Albanese government has repeatedly declared that Asean matters to Australia. In the past, such an assertion often drew a quick response, with "really?" being the most common reply. Today, that is no longer the case. Asean "really" does matter to Australia. However, whether Australia matters to Asean remains to be seen.
Bimstec: A new force of the Global South
Oped, Kavi Chongkittavorn, Published on 25/07/2023
» All of a sudden, the countries around the Bay of Bengal are coming to the fore and raising their profiles. They know full well that this vast maritime enclave, with its plentiful resources and potential benefits, is another important strategic landscape. So, it is better to get their act together.
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?