Showing 1 - 10 of 129
A new look at 'gambling'
News, Published on 14/04/2026
» The Sports Authority of Thailand's removal of snooker from the list of prohibited gambling activities under the Gambling Act 1935 seems to be good move, if not long overdue.
A nominee to a criminal is still a criminal
Vanich Kittichai, Published on 12/03/2026
» Operators originating from China artificially suppressing coconut prices for Thai farmers have put the spotlight back on Thailand’s complicated relationship with Chinese entrepreneurs in recent weeks.
Monks and politics
Oped, Postbag, Published on 26/01/2026
» Re: "Statue rivalry sows conflict", (Editorial, Jan 25).
What would happen if Khamenei falls?
Oped, Gwynne Dyer, Published on 05/01/2026
» The demonstrations began again in Iran last week, only two years after the "Woman, Life, Freedom" movement convulsed the country for months. However, the current protests are potentially much broader than that episode because they are driven by the collapse in Iran's currency, the rial (now 1,420,000 to the US dollar), and the explosive rise in the cost of living.
Marking time at the COP30 climate summit
Oped, Gwynne Dyer, Published on 12/11/2025
» Populist parties are already in power in some developed countries and waiting just outside the door in many more. The key trick of populist politicians is to tell the voters what they want to hear, and the voters definitely do not want their lives to be disrupted by global heating, so they are told it is not happening. It's "the world's biggest con", in Donald Trump's words.
Wall Street risks shorting freedom in HK
Oped, Mark L Clifford, Published on 31/10/2025
» In early November, Wall Street's big guns will head to Hong Kong for a global financial summit, dining at the Palace Museum (featuring Chinese imperial works on loan from Beijing) before meeting at the nearby Rosewood Hotel -- one of the city's swankiest. There, the top brass from Goldman Sachs, Morgan Stanley, JPMorgan and another 100 financial firms will enjoy delicious food and breathtaking views as Hong Kong's leaders pitch them on the profits to be made in the former British colony.
Electricity will decide who wins the great AI race
News, Jeffrey Wu, Published on 20/10/2025
» The next stage of the global AI race will be decided not by algorithms or chips, but by electricity -- and that puts China at a distinct advantage. While Western tech giants are emphasising closed, capital-intensive models that demand enormous computing power, China is embracing open source AI and massively expanding its renewable- and nuclear-energy capacity, thereby positioning itself to deploy powerful AI technologies at scale without breaking the bank.
Paper bags, patriotism and mushy peas
Roger Crutchley, Published on 10/08/2025
» One of the more thought-provoking stories of the week was an unnamed Thai hospital being fined after it was discovered private files on patients were being used to make paper bags for popular street snacks. Apparently some people at the business entrusted with destroying the files instead took them home and made paper bags out of them.
The 1970 visa run into a war zone
Roger Crutchley, Published on 15/06/2025
» The Thai/Cambodian border has been in the news lately and let's hope everything is sorted out quickly and amicably. It sparked memories of the first time I crossed into Cambodia from Thailand back in October 1970. Now that's a long time ago.