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  • News & article

    Thai-EU free trade deal on the horizon

    News, Kavi Chongkittavorn, Published on 17/04/2024

    » If everything goes as planned, Thailand and the EU could sign a free trade agreement by mid-next year, in what is another example of the European Union's increasing engagement in the Indo-Pacific region.

  • News & article

    Asean juggles triangular power game

    Oped, Kavi Chongkittavorn, Published on 09/04/2024

    » A rising China, a trusted Japan, and a declining America are three cogs dictating the global geopolitical landscape in Southeast Asia in the months, if not years, to come. Amidst intensifying geopolitics, Asean is in a position where this could either be a blessing or a curse.

  • News & article

    What joining OECD means to Thailand

    Oped, Kavi Chongkittavorn, Published on 02/04/2024

    » Thailand's bid to become a member of the OECD (Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development) could be extremely challenging owing to the ever-changing geopolitical landscape, particularly in the Indo-Pacific region. Since the release of the OECD's Indo-Pacific Strategic Framework last year, the Paris-based intergovernmental organisation has been doubling its efforts to woo more members from the region. Both the region's No.1 and No.2 economies, Indonesia and Thailand, are high on the list.

  • News & article

    Myanmar crisis: security and humanity

    Oped, Kavi Chongkittavorn, Published on 19/03/2024

    » The situation inside Myanmar remains fast-changing and unpredictable, leaving the Srettha government having to recalibrate its policies towards our strife-torn neighbour.

  • News & article

    Asean now 'really' matters to Australia

    Oped, Kavi Chongkittavorn, Published on 27/02/2024

    » The Albanese government has repeatedly declared that Asean matters to Australia. In the past, such an assertion often drew a quick response, with "really?" being the most common reply. Today, that is no longer the case. Asean "really" does matter to Australia. However, whether Australia matters to Asean remains to be seen.

  • News & article

    Thailand's 2043 security outlook

    Oped, Kavi Chongkittavorn, Published on 20/02/2024

    » Under an increasingly polarised world underlined by the strategic competition between global superpowers -- along with their friends and alliances, it is not surprising that Thailand views the global security landscape with trepidation. Such a trend is a litmus test for middle and smaller power nations to navigate their security policies and engagements. They do not have many choices; nevertheless, these small and medium-sized countries can either align themselves with the most prominent powers or lesser ones that can protect their national interests, or they can get together and use their combined strength to deter the hegemonic ambition of outside powers. Staying alone and pursuing one's pathway without supporting partners is not an option.

  • News & article

    Myanmar eyes return to Asean fold

    Oped, Kavi Chongkittavorn, Published on 13/02/2024

    » To understand the current game plan of Myanmar's military regime, it is perhaps a good time to remind ourselves of the letter written by former Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen to Senior General Min Aung Hlaing on Aug 19, 2022. The rather blunt personal letter urged the junta leader to implement the Five-Point Consensus (5PC), saying that if he fails to do so, his Asean colleagues might ban Myanmar from all meetings and recognise the National Unity Government (NUG). In short, Asean would give the seat to the NUG. The letter angered the general, and Hun Sen's practical advice was ignored, including his call for amnesty for four activists who had been sentenced to death. For the past three years, Myanmar's seat at Asean's high-level meetings has been left vacant. Then, on Feb 29, the seat was occupied temporarily.

  • News & article

    Lao Asean chair: better comfort level

    Oped, Kavi Chongkittavorn, Published on 06/02/2024

    » The outgrowth of the latest Asean foreign ministers' retreat in Luang Prabang last week palpably shows a better comfort level between the host and their colleagues. Such a casual atmosphere generated better outcomes without politicising or dragging on contentious issues. Most importantly, Vientiane's diplomatic finesse is highly visible in its third chairmanship in approaching Asean-related issues and challenges: the thinking is less is more with clear-cut priorities. If this trajectory continues, the Lao chair will be lauded.

  • News & article

    Thai-Cambodian ties enter a new era

    Oped, Kavi Chongkittavorn, Published on 30/01/2024

    » Exactly 37 days before Samdech Moha Borvor Thipadei Hun Manet was due to fly to Bangkok on Feb 7 for a one-day official visit, Cambodia extended Thai border pass access to Siem Reap, where Angkor Wat is located. This was an act of goodwill as the proposal has been on the table for discussions since Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin's visit to Phnom Penh in September -- his first official foreign destination after being elected Thai leader.

  • News & article

    Meaningful policy on Myanmar needed

    News, Kavi Chongkittavorn, Published on 09/01/2024

    » The fall of Laukkai in Myanmar's Kokang Self-Administered Zone to rebel forces is one of the most significant developments in the conflict in Myanmar since the coup took place in 2021. Why? It shows the State Administration Council's (SAC) inability to protect its territory from the Three Brotherhood Alliance, which launched a fierce offensive dubbed "Operation 1027" at the end of October last year, threatening the junta's hold on the northern Shan state, which borders China, and other remote areas in the region.

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