Showing 1 - 10 of 12
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.
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.
Thai-EU free trade deal on the horizon
News, Kavi Chongkittavorn, Published on 17/04/2024
» If everything goes as planned, Thailand and the EU could sign a free trade agreement by mid-next year, in what is another example of the European Union's increasing engagement in the Indo-Pacific region.
Can Thai passports' power get a lift?
Oped, Kavi Chongkittavorn, Published on 19/09/2023
» At the first cabinet meeting last week, Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin announced one of the government's priorities -- improving the power of Thai passports. It is a headline goal that will require extraordinary efforts to achieve. Upgrading a national passport to a higher level involves numerous factors -- economic, socio-cultural, and political -- as well as the general optics of the partnership countries. After all, the large number of visitors to a country is not an indicator of how powerful its passport is. A country might be given more visa-free accessibility and be popular for foreign passports, but its own passport's power can still be low.
Remembering Abe and Japan's rise
Oped, Kavi Chongkittavorn, Published on 12/07/2022
» It is not an overstatement to say that the late prime minister Shinzo Abe single-handedly promoted Japan's regional and international profile through unconventional economic and security policies. Abe linked his country's economic policies with security and strategic twists in its relations with the rest of the world, Asean in particular.
India and Asean at 30: What's up?
Oped, Kavi Chongkittavorn, Published on 21/06/2022
» On its own, India stands tall and fearless. It long and continued civilisational linkages in the Indo-Pacific are there for all to see. One of the most frequently asked questions today is: Will India lead the Indo-Pacific region? Or, one can turn the question around: Can India lead or does the world's largest democracy have to trail behind the West? It depends on the levels and persons you talk to.
Thailand must take virus fight abroad
News, Kavi Chongkittavorn, Published on 10/03/2020
» As the new virus known as Covid-19 spreads throughout the world, the headlines are focused on China, Europe, the US, Japan and South Korea. Beyond Thailand, Southeast Asia rarely gets a mention, even though our region is struggling to contain the deadly disease, too.
China's BRI push marred by trust deficit
News, Kavi Chongkittavorn, Published on 02/04/2019
» As China's economic and political clout grows by the day, Europe finds it increasingly difficult to develop an overall approach with dual objectives -- one that does not undermine its unity or upset its ally across the Atlantic, the US. Some European Union members want to take a tougher stand against China due to its limited market access, while others are concerned about possible security threats posed by China's sophisticated 5G network.
Cambodia's key role in regional security
News, Kavi Chongkittavorn, Published on 11/12/2018
» Last month, Asia Times, citing unnamed diplomatic sources, reported that China has lobbied Cambodia for a naval base in Koh Kong province on the Gulf of Thailand, prompting the Cambodian government to deny the news.
Is Huai Khwang really a new Chinatown?
News, Kavi Chongkittavorn, Published on 18/09/2018
» Bluntly speaking, Huai Khwang, which has been dubbed a new Chinatown, is not really a Chinatown in the truest sense of the word -- not another Yaowarat for sure. The 400-metre strip along Pracha Rat Bamphen Road at best represents the dynamic and raw passion of new Chinese entrepreneurs, wanting to make money from millions of Chinese tourists through social media. New Chinese restaurants with dishes from Yunnan and Guangxi, especially the spicy mala hotpot as well as Chinese-style coffee shops, give this small business district the facade of a Chinatown.