Showing 1 - 10 of 10
Too fast on casinos
Oped, Editorial, Published on 26/05/2025
» Deputy Finance Minister Julapun Amornvivat recently announced the government's controversial casino-entertainment complex bill will top the legislative agenda when parliament reconvenes in July.
Govt toys with risky roll of the dice
Editorial, Published on 20/04/2025
» As protests against the proposed entertainment complex legislation -- commonly known as the "casino bill" -- gather steam, its sponsor, the Pheu Thai Party, would be naive to assume the problem lies merely in communication.
Let's not slide into mayhem
Oped, Editorial, Published on 28/09/2024
» The landslides that struck communities in the northern region this month -- and the isolated deadly landslide on Phuket Island last month -- are not entirely natural disasters. They are glaring examples of man-made tragedies that could have been avoided, or at least mitigated, if governments and officials had paid proper attention to land use in mountainous areas.
Deep roots to land row
Oped, Editorial, Published on 22/02/2024
» The dispute concerning approximately 2,900 rai of forest land within Khao Yai National Park involving the Department of National Parks, Wildlife, and Plant Conservation and the Nakhon Ratchasima Agricultural Land Reform Office (Alro), highlights concerns regarding a land reform policy aimed at upgrading Sor Por Kor land -- formerly non-transferrable plots allocated to impoverished farmers -- into title deeds.
Hands off our parks!
Oped, Editorial, Published on 13/02/2024
» The latest attempt by the government to carve out 260,000 rai of Sor Por Kor land plots out of Thap Lan National Park has sparked concerns about the potential misuse of national resources to fulfil the administration's populist promise to hand out land to local villagers.
Unesco label half the fight
Oped, Editorial, Published on 21/09/2023
» Without a doubt, the decision by Unesco's World Heritage Committee to list Si Thep Historical Park as the nation's seventh World Heritage Site brought smiles to many Thai faces.
Power bill subterfuge
News, Editorial, Published on 24/04/2023
» The Election Commission (EC) last week announced that it is ready to consider a request by the caretaker government to use an extraordinary budget to subsidise electricity bills for the public.
Stop vicious land grab cycle
Oped, Editorial, Published on 19/09/2020
» Four years ago, Phu Thap Boek -- a popular mountainous attraction in Phetchabun province -- became synonymous with the success of the military regime in reclaiming forest land, or the Tuang Kuen Phuen Pa campaign when the state took back forest land from illegal occupants.
Don't let rich snatch land
Oped, Editorial, Published on 20/06/2020
» An initiative of Deputy Agriculture Minister Thamanat Prompow on land reform which will see the Agricultural Land Reform Office (Alro) "repossess" Sor Por Kor land illegally occupied by resorts and hotels, and then rent the land back to them is so outrageous that it should be dropped immediately if the government is serious about tackling landlessness among poor farmers.
No will to stop encroachers
News, Editorial, Published on 29/07/2019
» Demolition orders recently issued by the Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation (DNP) for 11 resorts, including the controversial 88 Garmonte which was found to have encroached on a national park, invite a sense of deja vu. These infringements have been an unsolved problem in Thap Lan National Park for almost 40 years.