Showing 1 - 10 of 15
TRC's checkmate move backfires
News, Soonruth Bunyamanee, Published on 13/02/2019
» After the Thai Raksa Chart (TRC) Party submitted its nomination of Princess Ubolratana as a sole prime ministerial candidate to the Election Commission (EC) last Friday morning, Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha at first looked almost hopeless. As a prime ministerial candidate himself, he obviously has an eye on reclaiming power after the upcoming general election on March 24.
Slump shows govt must clean up tourism act
News, Soonruth Bunyamanee, Published on 24/10/2018
» The sharp drop in the number of Chinese tourists visiting Thailand in recent months has become a cause for concern for the Thai government. This is mainly because tourists from China have been the largest revenue contributors to the Thai tourism industry.
Investment rush is harming environment
News, Soonruth Bunyamanee, Published on 30/05/2018
» The recent massive crackdown on recycling factories processing hazardous electronic waste allegedly smuggled from abroad seems to be just the tip of the iceberg.
Economic prosperity is in the eye of beholder
News, Soonruth Bunyamanee, Published on 23/05/2018
» With GDP growth in the first quarter of this year reaching 4.8% year-on-year, the regime under Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha may believe it has good reason to boast of its performance, especially when it is marking its fourth year in power. But wait, such economic prosperity may not be the reality for many.
Squeezing the blood out of a durian
News, Soonruth Bunyamanee, Published on 25/04/2018
» With Thai durians selling like hot cakes on Alibaba's Tmall platform, the regime has every reason to believe its deal to have the e-commerce giant promote Thai products will be a resounding success. But Thai farmers may not necessarily gain as much from this as they expect.
Sibling sightings part of political PR game
News, Soonruth Bunyamanee, Published on 28/02/2018
» The recent sightings of two former prime ministers, Thaksin Shinawatra and his sister Yingluck, in many countries in the region are not a coincidence. Rather, they mark a ramping up of their power game.
Slower than a speeding bullet train? No way
News, Soonruth Bunyamanee, Published on 31/01/2018
» Pending agreement from Japan, a plan to run bullet trains along a 670km stretch of track from Bangkok to Chiang Mai may be downgraded so the trains run at top speeds of 180-200kph instead of the originally planned 300kph.
Government mustn't get carried away by good news
News, Soonruth Bunyamanee, Published on 20/12/2017
» Of late, there has been a lot of "feel-good" news about Thailand, ranging from the improved economic outlook to international recognition. But doubts remain over whether it is time to celebrate.
To learn English, we must think outside box
News, Soonruth Bunyamanee, Published on 15/11/2017
» A recent report about the low proficiency in English of Thai students came as no surprise to many. What this tells us is that we cannot not give up, but must try harder.
Thai-Sino rail 'cooperation' is in name only
News, Soonruth Bunyamanee, Published on 21/06/2017
» As Gen Prayut Chan-o-cha's government pushes for the Thai-Sino high-speed train project by invoking special powers under Section 44, questions over transparency and possible breaches of ethics have come to the fore.