Showing 1 - 9 of 9
We don't need 'Seven Dangerous Days'
Oped, Peerasit Kamnuansilpa, Published on 27/02/2026
» Every Thai driver recognises the moment. The light turns green. Naturally, you can move; yet in Thai-style traffic, your instincts tell you to be hesitant. Despite the traffic light, a reckless motorcycle may still cross. A pickup may not stop. Drivers behind start honking as they wait to pass through the intersection. For a brief second, drivers just cannot afford to be certain about how others will behave.
Thailand's unfinished 'Lodi' journey
News, Peerasit Kamnuansilpa, Published on 24/11/2025
» It all began with a song. "Lodi", written by John Fogerty and sung by Creedence Clearwater Revival, tells of a musician stranded in a small town -- out of luck but not out of hope. "Oh Lord," he sings, "stuck in Lodi again".
The effects of unfinished momentum
News, Peerasit Kamnuansilpa, Published on 08/11/2025
» Why do some nations surge confidently into the future while others advance only in half-steps, not declining but not accelerating either? In their influential book Why Nations Fail (first published in 2012), Daron Acemoglu -- now a Nobel Prize economist -- and James Robinson, both economists and political scientists at the University of Chicago, offer a helpful lens for understanding Thailand's development path without casting blame or provoking division.
Rethinking what it means to be human
News, Peerasit Kamnuansilpa, Published on 05/07/2025
» In the decades ahead, Thailand will not collapse in a blaze of war, disease, or climate catastrophe. Rather, it will quietly wither from within. The twin forces of demographic decline and digital automation are converging with astonishing speed, and yet our political and moral imaginations remain unprepared.
The roadway to enabling governance
Oped, Peerasit Kamnuansilpa, Published on 30/04/2025
» On May 11, communities across Thailand will vote in 2,469 municipal elections. Despite these polls being routine, they are a pivotal test of the country's commitment to moral leadership and enabling governance at the grassroots level.
Provincial Administration Organisation polls a gamechanger for Thais?
Oped, Peerasit Kamnuansilpa, Published on 16/01/2025
» On Feb 1, Provincial Administration Organisation (PAO) elections will be held in 47 out of 77 provinces. Late last year, there were elections in 29 provinces, where the PAO presidents resigned before their terms ended.
Less local control a threat to Thai democracy
Oped, Peerasit Kamnuansilpa, Published on 19/11/2021
» After an almost seven-year suspension, Thailand held its first local elections for chief executive officers (CEO) and council members of provincial administrative organisations (PAO) on Dec 20, 2020, followed by the election of mayors and city council members on March 28 of this year.
PAO polls: An illusion of democracy?
Oped, Peerasit Kamnuansilpa, Published on 24/12/2020
» Last Sunday, Thailand had a long-overdue election of the chairs and council members of all Provincial Administration Organisations (PAO). Are these elections really meaningful?
The quest for equity in Thai university rankings
News, Peerasit Kamnuansilpa, Published on 15/10/2018
» In his recent article, "Rankings not be-all, end-all for Thai unis", Mike Hayes astutely addressed the problems in the international university ranking systems vis-à-vis Thai universities, and there is little point in rehashing the faults he correctly brought to light. In his final paragraph, however, he offered an alternative ranking system that would incorporate official rankings but seems to be far more applicable to Thailand by incorporating Thai universities' contribution to local communities, national development and a democratic society.