Showing 1 - 10 of 20
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.
Asean's strategy against US tariffs
Oped, Kavi Chongkittavorn, Published on 22/04/2025
» On April 2, President Donald Trump's so-called "Liberation Day" quickly morphed into "Solidarity Day" for all 10 members of Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean).
Trump should revisit his tariff schemes
Oped, Kavi Chongkittavorn, Published on 08/04/2025
» President Donald Trump's tariff hikes, marking "Liberation Day", hit foes and friends of the US equally. The immediate effect is that Mr Trump has rallied the rest of the world to prepare for a future without US dominance. To put it mildly, they must become less dependent on the US in every possible way -- unless Mr Trump changes his approach.
Thais hedge bets on international stage
Oped, Kavi Chongkittavorn, Published on 04/06/2024
» Thailand's decision last week to apply for full Brics membership came as a shock to Western allies and friends, not least because it followed a positive assessment by the Special Session of the OECD Council (Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development) after Thailand filed a letter of intent to join the OECD In February.
Virtual diplomacy is real in Thailand
Oped, Kavi Chongkittavorn, Published on 11/07/2023
» The past several months have been tumultuous times in Thai diplomacy, with virtual diplomacy constantly challenging real-world diplomacy. Several incidents have occurred involving neighbouring countries, friends and allies. They all started off simply as casual online conversations or Instagram posts, then suddenly, they could quickly have turned toxic and evolved into diplomatic squabbling.
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.
Thai diplomacy extends to Global South
Oped, Kavi Chongkittavorn, Published on 17/01/2023
» At last week's virtual summit organised by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi to gather input from members of the Global South, Thailand diligently reached out to the world's developing and less developing countries with a holistic approach focusing on human security and balanced development.
Behind the scenes: Thailand's IPEF talks
Oped, Kavi Chongkittavorn, Published on 24/05/2022
» At the weekly cabinet meeting last week, item No.15 was one of the most important issues up for discussion. This concerned a planned statement on the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework for Prosperity (IPEF) proposed by US President Joe Biden. The cabinet was quick to agree that Thailand was named as a signatory when Mr Biden announced the new trade agreement during his visit to Japan.
Myanmar's crisis and emerging traps
Oped, Kavi Chongkittavorn, Published on 01/02/2022
» Today is the first anniversary of the Feb 1 seizure of power by the Tatmadaw in Nay Pyi Taw. Over the past 12 months, the overall situation in Myanmar has gone into a downward spiral and all the progress and positive developments made since 2011, when the country proudly opened up, have gone into the dustbin.
Biden's doctrine and regional fallout
News, Kavi Chongkittavorn, Published on 14/09/2021
» It is difficult to imagine the region or the world without US involvement. After the Afghanistan debacle, it has become increasingly clear that President Joe Biden is in reverse gear with his new doctrine. The rest of the world must now come to grips with this new reality, which could come as fast as the collapse of Kabul.