Showing 1 - 9 of 9
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.
History beyond ultranationalism
Editorial, Published on 25/05/2025
» The newly revised Thai history textbook for high school students has sparked fresh questions -- not just about the qualifications of the authors, but whether it's time to move beyond ultranationalism in how we teach our past.
Temple graft must stop
Oped, Editorial, Published on 03/10/2023
» The recent violent confrontation at Bang Khlan Temple in Pichit province was caused by one thing and one thing only: money. Last month, clerics, divided into two factions, protested in front of the famous temple.
Si Thep counters 'Thai' history
Editorial, Published on 01/10/2023
» Thailand rejoiced last week as the ancient town of Si Thep in Phetchabun province secured the esteemed Unesco World Heritage Site status. Si Thep, however, is more than just an archaeological treasure. It is a window into Thailand's multicultural society before the emergence of kingdoms and nation states. Si Thep is reshaping Thailand's history, and it should be incorporated into the country's history textbooks.
Keeping the faiths
Oped, Editorial, Published on 19/08/2023
» A large black gargoyle-like statue situated near a hotel by Huai Khwang-Ratchadaphisek Intersection is courting more controversy with some Buddhist groups requesting the that the effigy, known as Khru Kai Kaeo be relocated.
Stuck on Section 112
Oped, Editorial, Published on 14/07/2023
» Anyone who caught the broadcast of yesterday’s parliamentary debate was in for quite a surprise. Dubbed “D-Day”, the highly anticipated “political showdown” over the eligibility of Move Forward Party (MFP) leader Pita Limjaroenrat’s PM candidacy included a fearsome debate about the party’s plan to amend the infamous Section 112 of the Criminal Code, or the lese majeste law.
Covid doesn't discriminate
News, Editorial, Published on 22/12/2020
» The Covid-19 surge with hundreds of infections in Samut Sakhon and other provinces has come as a profound shock.
Don't politicise the Hagia Sophia
News, Editorial, Published on 19/07/2020
» After it was designated as a museum in 1936 by the founder of modern Turkey, Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, the Hagia Sophia took on a different meaning. It wasn't just a place of worship as it had been under the Byzantines and the Ottomans. It became a meeting place for people of different faiths but held by no religion in particular. It was a place where laymen, leaders, popes and presidents met to marvel at the grandeur of its domed roof, which has seen empires come and go over its long history.
Shared items with no sole 'owner'
News, Editorial, Published on 09/09/2018
» Over the past weeks, social media has buzzed with a number of Khmer netizens jittering over Thailand's registration of khon masked dance performance as intangible cultural heritage with Unesco.