Showing 1 - 10 of 27
Thailand reconsiders its foreign policy
News, Kavi Chongkittavorn, Published on 10/02/2026
» Thai foreign policy was elevated to a high priority on the policy platforms of many political parties during Sunday's general election. The stakes have risen enormously due to growing public interest following the conflict with Cambodia.
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.
Mae Sot's trade vs security dilemma
Oped, Kavi Chongkittavorn, Published on 01/04/2025
» At Mae Sot International Airport, all passengers must now undergo a strict immigration check and police screening before they can board designated flights. The new stringent measures aim to prevent scammers from using this western border hub as a transit route across the border.
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.
Korea martial law lessons for Thailand
Oped, Kavi Chongkittavorn, Published on 10/12/2024
» Last week, South Korea experienced a titanic political shift when President Yoon Suk-yeol imposed martial law late on Tuesday night. The move lasted just over six hours before it was lifted, making it one of the shortest-lived martial law declarations in modern political history. It was lucky because it started late at night and ended early in the morning. Had it occurred during the day, the outcome could have been very different.
Solving the Myanmar migrant surge
Oped, Kavi Chongkittavorn, Published on 17/09/2024
» With the civil conflict in Myanmar showing no signs of abating soon, Thailand faces formidable challenges in irregular migration from the country. Without adequate and sustainable solutions, Thailand's overall development, including its economy, society, and security, will be seriously impacted.
Time to integrate Myanmar's displaced
Oped, Kavi Chongkittavorn, Published on 26/03/2024
» In the bustling border town of Mae Sot, Julia smiled when I asked her about her new job. "I am very happy with my position," said the young woman who recently completed her Bachelor's degree in Communication Arts from Bangkok University.
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.
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.
Bolstering Thailand-India ties at 75
News, Kavi Chongkittavorn, Published on 30/08/2022
» Thailand and India have taken seven-and-a-half decades to transform their close historical and cultural ties into a more strategic trajectory. It is not an easy task as their leaders have been all too comfortable with their longstanding friendly and relatively trouble-free ties. However, the recent three-day high-profile visit of Indian External Affairs Secretary Dr S Jaishankar has raised the dynamics of Thailand-India relations to a new level.