Showing 1 - 3 of 3
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.
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.
Can Thailand ever move forward?
Oped, Peerasit Kamnuansilpa, Published on 28/04/2021
» In 2013, the People's Democratic Reform Committee (PDRC) was formed, with members branding themselves as true patriots who maintained that the majority of those who were in the opposition came to power through vote-buying. They pushed for heavier legal punishments and removing the statute of limitations in cases involving corrupt politicians. They organised political rallies, obstructing many polling stations. The leaders were arrested and tried. The court saw this as a disruption of public services, which they saw as tantamount to terrorism and insurrection. On Feb 24, 2021 they were sentenced to imprisonment but released on bail.