Showing 1 - 10 of 2,022
Can Pheu Thai retain its grip on power?
News, Chairith Yonpiam, Published on 12/07/2025
» Thaksin Shinawatra reappeared in politics after a conspicuous absence following the leak of the phone conversation between his daughter, Prime Minister Paetongtarn and former Cambodian PM Hun Sen.
Thai politics back at the brink (again)
Oped, Thitinan Pongsudhirak, Published on 04/07/2025
» The Constitutional Court's suspension of Paetongtarn Shinawatra from the premiership is déjà vu, exposing a pattern of systematic manipulation and concoction of political outcomes. After so many dissolutions of leading political parties and repeated bans of elected representatives over two decades, it is time to call a spade a spade. Thailand is a faux democracy. Its core foundations constitute an autocratic regime that does not really care about the country's future and the collective will of its people.
UN turns 80 amid wave of global crises
Oped, Published on 02/07/2025
» Amid wars, global strife and massive refugee dislocations, the current global scene is overwhelmed with crises ranging from the Middle East to Ukraine and a dozen African conflicts, which rarely make the news. The contemporary world situation in many ways resembles 1945 and the end of WWII. There's a strange deja vu of a history most people do not know or would rather forget.
Is being born as an LGBTI person a medical issue?
Oped, Vitit Muntarbhorn, Published on 30/06/2025
» June is a propitious time to remember the history of lesbian, gay, transgender and intersex (LGBTI) people and their struggles to overcome discrimination and violence. One of the difficulties confronting them throughout the ages has been how the medical sector and related science view them, and how they should be treated by medical classifications. What is the situation today both locally and globally?
A 'dangerous' July for the Shinawatras
News, Chairith Yonpiam, Published on 28/06/2025
» The Hun Sen effect -- caused by a controversial private telephone call recording between Cambodia's de facto leader and Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra -- has thrown Thai politics into disarray. Ms Paetongtarn is in treacherous waters as calls for her resignation grow. Her opponents are to gather today in a bid to throw her out of office.
PM's crisis and Thai political directions
Oped, Thitinan Pongsudhirak, Published on 27/06/2025
» What began just a month ago as a minor border dispute with Cambodia has spiralled into an existential political crisis in Thailand. In what she understood to be a private phone conversation with Cambodia's former prime minister and Senate President, Hun Sen, Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra compromised her premiership and undermined Thai national interests. While she tries to ride out the storm, her tenure appears wobbly and unworkable. What comes next will likely proceed in one of three directions revolving around the Thai parliamentary processes, each with its own scenarios and considerations.
Medicine meets politics
Oped, Editorial, Published on 11/06/2025
» Tomorrow marks a significant moment in the contemporary history of the Medical Council of Thailand (MCT), a low-profile yet prestigious association of doctors, with important implications for the medical community and Thai society more broadly.
Will Myanmar's military plan succeed?
Oped, Kavi Chongkittavorn, Published on 10/06/2025
» Following the recent devastating earthquake, Myanmar's military junta leaders are facing increasing pressure at home and abroad. Despite this, they are moving forward with their five-step plan, while still implementing the Asean peace plan. The most crucial part of their plan is to hold a general election between late December 2025 and early January 2026. Senior General Min Aung Hlaing has already promised this to leaders from India, China, Russia, Belarus and Asean countries.
Can Thailand engage with Trump's US?
News, Kavi Chongkittavorn, Published on 03/06/2025
» Thailand must be bold and dynamic in recalibrating its diplomatic ties with the United States under President Donald Trump. Asia's oldest relationship with Washington carries little weight in the era of transactional diplomacy. Although the 1833 Treaty of Amity and Commerce between the US and Siam described their relations "as long as heaven and earth can endure", the two countries now face formidable challenges in living up to that 192-year-old oath. That treaty was the United States' first treaty with a country in Asia, making Thailand America's oldest friend in the region.
US fiscal state is everyone's issue
Oped, Published on 28/05/2025
» As Donald Trump's "big, beautiful" tax bill heads to the US Senate, investors everywhere are growing increasingly uneasy. On May 16, the credit-rating agency Moody's downgraded US sovereign debt from its long-held triple-A status to Aa1 -- following similar decisions by Standard & Poor's (in 2011) and Fitch Ratings (2023). Given the sheer volume of US debt -- which now stands at $36 trillion, or 124% of GDP -- and rising interest costs, these institutions have concluded that US debt metrics are no longer in line with those of similarly rated sovereigns.