Showing 1 - 10 of 20
Travel scheme farce
Oped, Editorial, Published on 07/07/2025
» The rollout of the "Tiew Thai Khon La Krung" campaign, or Thailand Travel Co-pay scheme, last week has proved to be unmitigated disaster, with no resolution in sight. This embarrassing episode reflects not only gross incompetence, but entrenched political pettiness among policy-makers.
Uniting against cyber-scam gangs
Oped, Fuad Adriansyah & David Scott, Published on 11/12/2024
» In recent years, a novel form of criminality has rapidly expanded across Southeast Asia, leaving in its wake a trail of human exploitation, financial harm, and, in many parts of the region, a weakening of the rule of law. Cyber-scam centres, operated by sophisticated transnational organised criminal groups, have emerged as a serious threat to both national and human security across Southeast Asia.
Trump's return presents an opportunity for India
Oped, Arvind Subramanian, Published on 10/12/2024
» It might be tempting to assume that Donald Trump's return to the White House augurs stability in US-India relations. After all, there is strong bipartisan support in Washington for deeper ties, particularly as a counterbalance to China's growing economic and geopolitical influence.
Massages need rules
Oped, Editorial, Published on 10/12/2024
» The news about Chayada Prao-hom, a singer who recently passed away from injuries thought to be sustained after having a so-called "neck-cracking" massage, was shocking.
HRC term off to shaky start
News, Editorial, Published on 04/12/2024
» Winning a seat on the United Nations Human Rights Council (HRC) in October is one thing. But walking the line of good human rights protection seems to be a different issue for the Thai government, which starts its three-year term with the body on Jan 1.
Are Trump's tariffs going to be worth it?
Oped, Pinelopi Koujianou Goldberg, Published on 03/12/2024
» US President-elect Donald Trump's promise to impose a 60% tariff on imports from China and a 10-20% tariff on all other imports has triggered a public debate about whether such policies are really so bad. After all, a tariff is a consumption tax, and most economists favour taxes on consumption over income taxes.
TV push in need of a better script
Editorial, Published on 01/12/2024
» In a striking plot twist, it was recently revealed that Thai television dramas and series, which the government envisions as a key driver of the country's "soft power" on the global stage, are struggling to retain an audience at home.
Mae Sot's sour trafficking record
Editorial, Published on 24/11/2024
» Mae Sot, a town on the Thai-Myanmar border in Tak province, is notorious as a hub for cross-border human trafficking and transnational organised crime run by Chinese mafia syndicates. Despite this, government action has been grossly inadequate to combat the problem.
Vietnam gets ready for a new US-China trade war
News, John Boudreau, Published on 12/11/2024
» The last time Donald Trump was the US president, Vietnam reaped big benefits from the trade war he started with China. This time around, the outcome could be different.
Monetary policy really needs to tighten in Japan
Oped, Koichi Hamada, Published on 12/11/2024
» Last month, returning to Japan for the first time since the Covid-19 pandemic, I was struck by how significantly prices had increased. In February 2020, a simple lunch in downtown Tokyo cost about JP¥1,000, then the equivalent of about $10 (324 baht); today, it costs more like JP¥2,000. To some extent, this mirrors the experience in the US, where, even as inflation moderates, prices remain well above their pre-pandemic levels. The difference is that Japan has also experienced a sharp currency depreciation, which benefits foreign visitors: that JP¥2,000 bill translated to just $13.