Showing 1 - 10 of 71
Efficiency over pomp
Oped, Editorial, Published on 04/02/2026
» The video of Bangkok governor Chadchart Sittipunt opening the new Phran Nok-Phutthamonthon Sai 4 Road lasts only a few seconds, yet it has gone viral for that exact reason. In an era of elaborate ceremonies, the footage is a testament to bureaucratic restraint -- proving that when leaders prioritise pragmatism over pageantry, the public wins.
Real barriers to temple reform
Editorial, Published on 01/02/2026
» After a year of temple scandals, Thailand's top monks have promised a great clean-up. The orders sound bold. The question is whether a feudal system built on censorship, obedience and patronage can truly reform itself.
Honest monks hung out to dry
Editorial, Published on 28/09/2025
» A series of monk scandals and temple corruption cases in recent months has prompted the Ecclesiastical Council to order all temples to make their accounts transparent. But good intentions are not enough. Without systemic support, the order may prove hollow.
Reform clergy with your wallet
Editorial, Published on 03/08/2025
» The recent sex scandal involving high-ranking monks has shaken public faith to the core. But the responses from the clergy, the state, and the public all miss the point. This crisis in Thai Buddhism is not about monks and sex -- it's about monks and money. Address the problem incorrectly, and the sex scandals and temple corruption will never end.
Rethink the South
Oped, Postbag, Published on 10/05/2025
» Re: "Govt 'ready for new talks' on peace in deep South", (BP, May 7).
Lanna Buddhist legend merits revival
Oped, Suddan Wisudthiluck, Published on 19/12/2024
» When religious pilgrims trek to sacred sites, they reaffirm not only their faith but also their own culture and communities. One example is Spain's ancient route of Santiago de Compostela, which leads to the tomb of St James the Greater, one of the apostles who spread Christianity. It was established more than a thousand years ago, yet this route attracts millions of pilgrims and tourists today. Unesco recognised it as a World Heritage Site in 1985.
Don't write the obituary of the lunch hour just yet
Oped, Jackie Mansky, Published on 26/11/2024
» Rewatching Modern Times the other day, I realised it's only a matter of time before something like the Billows Feeding Machine gets shilled on TikTok Shop.
With Israel and Iran it's tit for tat for tit for tat...
Oped, Gwynne Dyer, Published on 31/10/2024
» It's more like a courtship ritual between exotic birds than a 21st-century war. First the Israelis assassinate Revolutionary Guard generals in an Iranian embassy on foreign soil. Tag. You're it.
Temple, state forever tied at the hip
Oped, Guanxiong Qi, Published on 12/10/2024
» On Oct 2, the Lower House rejected a bill to liberalise the liquor industry. Such a decision reflects the desire of Thai policymakers and legislators to control and reduce alcohol consumption and related industries. Earlier this year, the bicameral parliament passed the strictest alcohol control act to date -- a complete prohibition of alcoholic advertisements and sponsorships, regardless of whether they are explicit or implicit.
Time to address today's learning crisis
Oped, Soohyun Kim, Published on 04/10/2024
» Every May, an alert on my phone nudges me to purchase carnations for my former political science teachers, Prof Lee and Prof Kim. Three decades after I last sat in their classrooms, I wonder if they would still recognise the name written on the tag. But sending my flowers on South Korea's National Teachers Day is the least I can do to thank them for paving the way for my career as a diplomat.