Showing 1 - 10 of 14
Cultural eclipse
Oped, Editorial, Published on 11/03/2026
» The notion of performing major surgery at the Ministry of Tourism and Sports is welcome news. The idea of merging tourism with the Ministry of Culture to create a new ministry that also oversees sports is the brainchild of Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul.
Betting on the wrong horse
Oped, Editorial, Published on 11/08/2025
» In times of economic challenge and amid simmering border tensions with Cambodia, Acting Prime Minister Phumtham Wechayachai, who doubles as interior minister, has quietly overturned a 67-year-old ban on poker, reclassifying it from gambling to a recognised sport. The sudden move, which happened without public consultation, has sparked criticism and fuelled suspicion about the government's true priorities.
Reform clergy with your wallet
Editorial, Published on 03/08/2025
» The recent sex scandal involving high-ranking monks has shaken public faith to the core. But the responses from the clergy, the state, and the public all miss the point. This crisis in Thai Buddhism is not about monks and sex -- it's about monks and money. Address the problem incorrectly, and the sex scandals and temple corruption will never end.
Clergy in need of control, not reform
Editorial, Published on 20/07/2025
» After a long silence during Thailand's biggest sex scandal in the clergy, the Ecclesiastical Council and the National Office of Buddhism (NOB) have finally spoken out. Their big idea? A new law to imprison the offending monks and women involved in the scandal.
Crunch time for Phumtham
Oped, Editorial, Published on 15/07/2025
» New interior minister, and current acting prime minister, Phumtham Wechayachai, is a man who can make tough decisions. His recent record includes the decision to return Uyghurs to China early this year, as demanded by Beijing. Last month, he approved a long-delayed, controversial submarine procurement from China -- a call that even junta leader-cum-prime minister Gen Prayut Chan-o-cha shied away from.
Power politics
Oped, Editorial, Published on 14/05/2025
» A recent row that saw a policeman beaten for warning a politician not to take photos inside a polling booth confirms that local politics still wields significant influence over law enforcers.
Military largesse
Oped, Editorial, Published on 06/03/2024
» The Royal Thai Air Force (RTAF) on Monday agreed to hand over its 360-rai Kantarat golf course to the Airports of Thailand Plc so it can be developed as an extension of Don Mueang airport.
National Defence College course sparks buzz
Oped, Editorial, Published on 27/12/2023
» A new course launched by the National Defence College (NDC) that fosters networking among middle-level military personnel, state officials and businesspeople has caused a stir with critics saying it deepens patronage culture.
National stadium woes
Oped, Editorial, Published on 25/07/2023
» The heavy downpour that resulted in the cancellation of the Spurs-Leicester friendly football match on Sunday evening not only upset local football fans but it has cast a shadow over the competency of the Sports Authority of Thailand (SAT).
Reform state care to protect kids
News, Editorial, Published on 11/06/2023
» The recent child abuse scandal in a girls' orphanage in Saraburi serves as a wake-up call for comprehensive reform of state orphanages to ensure the safety and well-being of vulnerable children in state-run shelters.