Showing 1 - 6 of 6
Papering over cracks
Oped, Editorial, Published on 03/07/2025
» At a time when the country needs a strong, competent government to handle numerous challenges, the new cabinet is just the opposite.
The way to fight coups
Oped, Editorial, Published on 11/12/2024
» South Korea has charmed the world with "soft power" such as K-Pop. But the country and its citizens have just shown their democracy is even more inspiring.
No need for S44 payments
News, Editorial, Published on 18/02/2019
» The government is already out of line for even considering new subsidies for the Big Three mobile phone companies. But its admission that it can only put billions of baht from taxpayers into such a scheme by using Section 44 is outrageous. Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha and his chief legal adviser Deputy Prime Minister Wissanu Krea-ngam seem not to realise they are in charge of a lame duck administration. Their obligation is to put this questionable issue on the shelf for the next government and parliament to consider.
Set election date at once
News, Editorial, Published on 14/08/2018
» The three years of excuses for delaying a free and fair election have run out. It is no longer credible that Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha can claim technical or parliamentary procedures remain in the way. While his all-powerful National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO) harshly enforces a ban on political activity, the prime minister himself is seen to be openly canvassing support for his own campaign. The public needs and deserves an election date and an end to restrictions on freedom of speech and public gatherings.
New EC faces tough tasks
News, Editorial, Published on 17/07/2018
» A new Election Commission (EC) has been partly chosen and will unofficially take office in 10 days. It will temporarily have five members instead of seven, the same number as the outgoing poll agency. And it will work under the same, uncontrollable handicap as the now lame-duck EC. Not only is there no election to prepare for, the military-enforced ban on political activities means the EC cannot even supervise the primaries or campaigning.
A failure to communicate
News, Editorial, Published on 20/03/2018
» The public are about to receive a bill for tens of billions of baht for goods they didn't order. It says right on the bill itself that people don't even want most of the items. But unless there is a major change in business demands, agency recommendations and government attitude the bill will come due within weeks. The payment will save digital TV operators and mobile phone company executives who made terrible decisions, and now want the country to bail them out.