Showing 1 - 10 of 54
Anti-populism law not for greater good
News, Surasak Glahan, Published on 09/05/2018
» Raising one finger during her campaigning to symbolise her party's ballot number ahead of the 2011 election, Yingluck Shinawatra rode a wave of popularity all the way to victory. And now the man who threw her caretaker government out of office in 2014 by force has demonstrated he is not shy of using a similar gimmick.
How will post-poll Thailand look?
News, Surasak Glahan, Published on 20/08/2018
» Now the Election Commission and the National Council for Peace and Order have promised to hold the general election on Feb 24 next year, should we remain hopeful that the move will eventually lead Thailand to transition into a more democratic state? The answer largely depends on our expectations of the outcome, as well as the form of democracy that we want -- and we can look southeasterly to Cambodia, or westerly to Myanmar to get a rough idea of what Thailand's new beginning may be like.
Talking about sex, meth and other 'taboos'
News, Surasak Glahan, Published on 23/06/2016
» How comfortable are we letting our teenage children sit next to a former drug addict in a classroom, or socialising with a female colleague who openly speaks of having an abortion, or congratulating our former high school for installing condom dispensers? No, many of us would not be at ease with such ideas.
Old transport laws taking us for a ride
News, Surasak Glahan, Published on 08/03/2017
» No sooner did Chiang Mai residents and visitors think they had better taxi options than authorities and those giving "worse choices" try to tear these services away from them.
Virus crisis reveals skeletons in our closet
Oped, Surasak Glahan, Published on 16/04/2020
» It was a desperate call for help. About 100 people gathered at the Finance Ministry on Tuesday and demanded the minister tell them why they were denied the 5,000-baht cash handout the government has granted to informal workers.
Thai-style rule by law lands new blow
Oped, Surasak Glahan, Published on 12/03/2020
» With the Election Commission (EC)’s decision on Tuesday to pursue criminal charges against Thanathorn Juangroongruangkit over a much-disputed media share transfer case, many observers may have stopped questioning how Thailand’s law-enforcement system could have come this far, and started wondering whether the worst of things is yet to come.
Political nitpicking stymies our progress
News, Surasak Glahan, Published on 06/02/2020
» If the Constitutional Court rules on Friday that the 2020 budget bill is invalid, let's not blame the delay in budget disbursement on proxy voting by a tiny number of MPs. Who should take the blame then? The culprit is our parliamentary system, for its inability to resolve this tiny technical hiccup in the Lower House, which allowed it to get out of hand.
Tackling Asean's corporate cronyism
News, Surasak Glahan, Published on 03/10/2019
» Many Southeast Asian countries, particularly Thailand and Malaysia, have been breeding grounds for unchecked and unregulated relations between government and big conglomerates, which have kept a handful of crazy rich Asians increasingly wealthy and widened the income gap between them and the rest of the population.
Silly conspiracy theories fall flat with young folk
News, Surasak Glahan, Published on 17/10/2019
» The latest attempt to try to find fault with Future Forward Party leader Thanathorn Juangroongruangkit for having his picture taken with Hong Kong democracy activist Joshua Wong is not only misplaced, but very silly.
Political purge all in the name of law
News, Surasak Glahan, Published on 09/06/2019
» What's next for Thailand after things went according to (the military regime's) plan, with junta leader Prayut Chan-o-cha as our prime minister?