Showing 1 - 9 of 9
Implications of conservative triumph
Oped, Thitinan Pongsudhirak, Published on 13/02/2026
» The incumbent and conservative Bhumjaithai (BJT) Party has surprisingly swept Thailand's Feb 8 election with a commanding win. With the previously poll-leading and progressive People's Party (PP) coming in a distant second, Thailand appears headed for a conservative coalition government revolving around BJT and like-minded junior partners. Known for its conservative stance and being pro-status quo, it would not be surprising if the BJT-led coalition government, led by Prime Minister-elect Anutin Charnvirakul, were not challenged by the Constitutional Court, the Election Commission, and other supervisory agencies, which have derailed and dissolved reform-minded winning parties in the past.
Time to end BTS drama
Oped, Editorial, Published on 25/11/2022
» Tweets by BTS Group Holdings and the firestorm surrounding the hashtag #DebtMustBePaid on Twitter in recent weeks show how nasty the debate over the country's management of public transport concessions can get. The furore on social media followed the grievances of BTS -- which holds the concession to run the city's Green Line electric rail route -- over the debts owed by Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) to the company for running Bangkok's skytrain system.
BMA sorely needs financial advisers
Oped, Chartchai Parasuk, Published on 22/09/2022
» On Sept 7, 2022, the Central Administrative Court ordered the Bangkok Metropolitan Authority (BMA) and its wholly owned subsidiary Krungthep Thanakom (KT) to pay Bangkok Mass Transit System Public Company (BTS) back overdue Operating and Maintenance (O&M) fees on extensions 1 and 2 of the Green Line (Sky Train) in the amount of 11.75 billion baht within 180 days.
Plaudits for revealing deal
Oped, Editorial, Published on 09/08/2022
» The decision by Krungthep Thanakom’s new management to disclose parts of the memorandum of understanding and contract signed by the Bangkok Mass Transit System (BTSC) to operate train services along the extension of the capital city’s Green Line deserves praise.
Shed light on BTSC deal
News, Editorial, Published on 11/07/2022
» Contracts pertaining to the operation of Bangkok's Green Line electric train network are complicated yet critical for a decision to determine fair rates along routes.
Concession transparency
Oped, Editorial, Published on 22/06/2022
» Bangkok governor Chadchart Sittipunt has made a plausible move in ordering a review of the Green Line skytrain concessions.
Virus axes noble deeds
Oped, Editorial, Published on 22/08/2020
» Covid-19 has dealt a heavy blow not only to the public, but also to state agencies. Among them is the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) which has found that its revenue from services and fees has shrunk considerably by 15 billion baht this year.
Our car-free days just token effort
News, Editorial, Published on 22/09/2019
» For another year, today's Bangkok Car Free Day, the local version of an annual awareness-raising event observed in cities across the world, has been reduced to a PR stunt by the city administration and central government.
Public utilities are not a game of Monopoly
News, Sirinya Wattanasukchai, Published on 19/07/2019
» For years, the sight of tangled utility cables hanging and dangling from electric poles in Bangkok has been a topic of derision for tourists and city residents alike. Now that the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) has kicked off a plan to move those eyesores underground, another problem has emerged.