Showing 1 - 10 of 18
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.
Rethinking local flood management
News, Peerasit Kamnuansilpa, Published on 12/12/2025
» As global temperatures rise, extreme rainfall and severe flooding are happening around the world. The science is clear; with every 1 degree Celsius increase, the atmosphere will hold 7% more water vapour. This may explain why storms are more intense as the world warms.
From FDI to homegrown growth
Oped, Peerasit Kamnuansilpa, Published on 11/09/2025
» For decades, Thailand has leaned heavily on foreign direct investment (FDI) as the engine of growth. That strategy once delivered jobs and exports, but today it yields diminishing returns. Inflows are volatile, competitiveness is slipping, and dependence on external capital leaves the economy vulnerable to global shocks. Thailand must change course.
Thailand still has chance to shine
Oped, Peerasit Kamnuansilpa, Published on 31/07/2025
» Thailand's economy is losing momentum. Growth rates have steadily declined, from 7.2% in 2012 to just 1.9% in 2023. Without a new vision for development, the country faces the real possibility of becoming stuck in permanent stagnation. The absence of bold leadership and structural reform has left Thailand vulnerable, while its regional peers -- Singapore, China, and South Korea -- surge ahead. These countries have demonstrated that visionary and compassionate leadership, combined with political reform and good governance, can transform the economic fortunes of an entire nation.
Lessons and hopes from May 11 poll
Oped, Peerasit Kamnuansilpa, Published on 22/05/2025
» The May 11 municipal elections across Thailand, although extensive in scope, offered little to celebrate in terms of democratic progress. Rather than signalling a political shift or new energy in local governance, the results underscored a deeply familiar pattern: vote buying remains the dominant strategy in Thai politics.
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.
Drug crisis deepens our economic woes
Oped, Peerasit Kamnuansilpa, Published on 11/12/2024
» Thailand faces a dual crisis that threatens the foundation of its future economic development: declining fertility rates, leading to a shrinking population and a simultaneous surge in drug addiction rates.
Harnessing Thailand's human capital
News, Peerasit Kamnuansilpa, Published on 28/06/2024
» Thailand is currently on a distressing trajectory towards depopulation, with the number of deaths each year surpassing the number of births. The latest available data from the Department of Provincial Administration paints a grim picture, showing over 48,000 more deaths than births last year. This number is set to escalate as the number of births continues to plummet and death rates surge. Should the current trend persist, by 2083, Thailand's population is projected to shrink by half to 33 million. The leading cause of this demographic dynamic is the decline in fertility rates among Thai women. These declining fertility rates have severe repercussions and thus warrant the attention and actions of national leaders.
On why Thailand is politically unstable
Oped, Peerasit Kamnuansilpa, Published on 15/11/2023
» Since the 1932 revolution -- triggered by a coup by progressive elites that replaced the absolute monarchy with a constitutional monarchy -- Thailand's politics have been marked by persistent conflict and instability.