Showing 1 - 10 of 139
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.
Will poll be breakout or more of same?
Oped, Thitinan Pongsudhirak, Published on 06/02/2026
» As Thais go to the polls this Sunday, the most consequential question is whether Thailand will finally break out of its debilitating cycle of political instability and economic underperformance that has marked the past two decades. The signs and signals suggest otherwise -- at least not yet.
Politics at the border
Oped, Editorial, Published on 06/02/2026
» Amid a fierce election campaign, Bhumjaithai -- once a mid-sized party -- has ridden a wave of nationalism, becoming a force to be reckoned with in Sunday's poll.
NY bash takes turn for better
Editorial, Published on 11/01/2026
» A spectacular display of fireworks is traditionally the crowning moment of any major festival, and the recent New Year celebrations were no exception.
What Sudthisak's return means
News, Alona Fisher-Kamm, Published on 29/12/2025
» The return on Dec 10 of the remains of Sudthisak Rinthalak, the last Thai national abducted by Hamas on Oct 7, 2023, closes a painful circle; but it does not close the wound. His return is not only a moment of relief but a moment of remembrance. It forces us to confront, once again, the human cost of the massacre carried out by Hamas on that dark day.
Another wasted year in Thai politics
Oped, Thitinan Pongsudhirak, Published on 26/12/2025
» As Thailand winds down 2025 with an early election looming on Feb 8, the most consequential issue to watch in the coming year will be whether recent topsy-turvy political patterns of polls, protests, and military and judicial interventions give way to a compromise between the old guard clinging on to vested interests and the new generation clamouring for reform and change.
Domestic drivers of bilateral conflict
News, Thitinan Pongsudhirak, Published on 19/12/2025
» The latest flare-up and intensification of the armed conflict between Thailand and Cambodia should be understood less as a new crisis and more as a resumption of a bilateral clash that erupted in late July.
Border crisis is a measure of national resolve
News, Anucha Charoenpo, Published on 19/12/2025
» The latest fighting between Thailand and Cambodia is now in its second week without any sign of abating.
Hat Yai flood a saga of merry fools
Oped, Veera Prateepchaikul, Published on 01/12/2025
» Most people are aware of the complete failure of the Anutin administration's failure to handle the flood disaster in Hat Yai.
When flood warnings come too late
News, Simon Wang, Published on 29/11/2025
» Pictures can speak a thousand words; images can induce rivers of tears and break so many hearts. Viral images are too grim to look at. Thirty newborns in a darkened ward. Nurses working by flashlight. Outside, streets had become rivers. Parents could not reach their children. In Hat Yai, the water pushed past the second floor.