Showing 1 - 10 of 221
Real barriers to temple reform
Editorial, Published on 01/02/2026
» After a year of temple scandals, Thailand's top monks have promised a great clean-up. The orders sound bold. The question is whether a feudal system built on censorship, obedience and patronage can truly reform itself.
PC Plod visits female monks
Oped, Editorial, Published on 30/11/2025
» Barely a week after the Anutin government issued its new ministerial regulations to "protect" Buddhism, police last week showed up at a Bhikkhuni monastery in Songkhla.
Voting fraud still an issue
Oped, Editorial, Published on 19/08/2025
» The latest report about MPs receiving cash offers to vote for bills proposed by the government shows how money politics continues to corrode Thailand's parliamentary system. An immediate and thorough investigation is needed to clear up any doubts about the integrity of our lawmakers and find out who the wrongdoers are, in the hope of preventing illegal lobbying in the future.
Protest a worrying sign
Oped, Editorial, Published on 01/07/2025
» The protest at Victory Monument on Saturday brought back memories of the last two street demonstrations which rocked the capital in recent years -- the protest organised by the People's Alliance for Democracy (PAD) against then-prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra, and the rallies held by the People's Democratic Reform Committee (PDRC) against his sister, Yingluck.
Reform temples, or lose public faith
Editorial, Published on 08/06/2025
» Temple corruption no longer raises eyebrows. The Wat Rai Khing scandal is just bigger, louder, and harder to ignore. It demands serious reform before public faith erodes further.
Bad monks erode trust
News, Editorial, Published on 19/05/2025
» The recent scandal involving a former abbot of the renowned Wat Rai Khing, accused of embezzling over 300 million baht to fund an online gambling addiction, is deeply disturbing but not surprising. It will not be the last blow to public faith in the Thai Sangha unless meaningful and fundamental reform is made.
Justice must ditch the glitz
Oped, Editorial, Published on 13/05/2025
» The recent phenomenon of talk show hosts and social media influencers seeking justice for the downtrodden represents a worrying trend for Thailand. While these celebrity crusaders offer an expedient shortcut for those seemingly failed by traditional mechanisms, their existence suggests that something could be seriously wrong with the nation's justice system.
More charter change delay
Oped, Editorial, Published on 27/03/2025
» A joint parliamentary decision to seek a legal ruling on whether politicians can form a charter drafting panel to make wholesale amendments without the need for a referendum means the process returns to square one.
Provincial election battle lines drawn
Oped, Editorial, Published on 30/01/2025
» The countdown has begun for the Provincial Administration Organisation (PAO) elections on Saturday in what is shaping up to be a fierce race.
Thaksin ploughs on
Oped, Editorial, Published on 21/11/2024
» As the charter court is set to make a decision tomorrow on whether it will accept a petition against former PM Thaksin Shinawatra over the allegation that he and the Pheu Thai Party are attempting to overthrow the constitutional monarchy, the ruling party's de facto leader shows he simply couldn't care less.