• OPINION

  Is Huai Khwang really a new Chinatown?

  News, Kavi Chongkittavorn, Published on 18/09/2018

  » Bluntly speaking, Huai Khwang, which has been dubbed a new Chinatown, is not really a Chinatown in the truest sense of the word -- not another Yaowarat for sure. The 400-metre strip along Pracha Rat Bamphen Road at best represents the dynamic and raw passion of new Chinese entrepreneurs, wanting to make money from millions of Chinese tourists through social media. New Chinese restaurants with dishes from Yunnan and Guangxi, especially the spicy mala hotpot as well as Chinese-style coffee shops, give this small business district the facade of a Chinatown.

• OPINION

  New mindsets needed at Suvarnabhumi

  News, Kavi Chongkittavorn, Published on 04/09/2018

  » Warning: Cheap packages tours to Thailand from China for the coming Mid-Autumn Festival (third week of September) and National Day (first week of October) are nearly fully booked. However, some major tourist agencies in the posh Chaoyangmenwai Street still hold out hope that Thailand will waive visa fees for their holidaymakers once again.

• OPINION

  Can Thai passports' power get a lift?

  Oped, Kavi Chongkittavorn, Published on 19/09/2023

  » At the first cabinet meeting last week, Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin announced one of the government's priorities -- improving the power of Thai passports. It is a headline goal that will require extraordinary efforts to achieve. Upgrading a national passport to a higher level involves numerous factors -- economic, socio-cultural, and political -- as well as the general optics of the partnership countries. After all, the large number of visitors to a country is not an indicator of how powerful its passport is. A country might be given more visa-free accessibility and be popular for foreign passports, but its own passport's power can still be low.

• OPINION

  Xi's visit to Bangkok: East wind blowing

  Oped, Kavi Chongkittavorn, Published on 15/11/2022

  » Thai government this week will welcome Chinese President Xi Jinping with three understandings at the forefront of its mind, namely that now is the Asian Century; that China is the undisputed leader; and that Thailand-China ties are consequential to peace and stability in the region. Thailand will do its utmost to further strengthen bilateral ties with China in anticipation of the 50th anniversary in 2025 and beyond.

• OPINION

  ROK-China relations face challenges

  Oped, Kavi Chongkittavorn, Published on 16/08/2022

  » While United States House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has long departed South Korea for home, the news headlines generated by her journey continue unabated around the world.

• OPINION

  India and Asean at 30: What's up?

  Oped, Kavi Chongkittavorn, Published on 21/06/2022

  » On its own, India stands tall and fearless. It long and continued civilisational linkages in the Indo-Pacific are there for all to see. One of the most frequently asked questions today is: Will India lead the Indo-Pacific region? Or, one can turn the question around: Can India lead or does the world's largest democracy have to trail behind the West? It depends on the levels and persons you talk to.

• OPINION

  Thailand plans cultural centre in China

  Oped, Kavi Chongkittavorn, Published on 07/09/2021

  » Sixteen years after the idea was first broached, Thailand is planning to set up its first ever cultural centre overseas. Culture Minister Ittiphol Khunpluem revealed last week that the centre would be in China. This new move comes at a time when Thai-Chinese relations are in an excellent shape, moving at a fast pace even in the time of the pandemic. Since last year, the Chinese Lunar New Year is now a national holiday.

• OPINION

  Communication key to fighting virus

  Oped, Kavi Chongkittavorn, Published on 18/03/2020

  » Covid-19 has already claimed its biggest victim in Thailand -- the government itself. Since the outbreak began 10 weeks ago, the Prayut Chan-o-cha government has displayed varying degrees of complacency and incompetence. Worse still, the prime minister seems to lack the understanding that in times of crisis, the country needs a clear direction.

• OPINION

  Covid-19: Asean must act more boldly

  News, Kavi Chongkittavorn, Published on 24/03/2020

  » The past 12 weeks have displayed Asean's strengths and exposed weaknesses when the grouping has had to respond to an unprecedented common catastrophic crisis, the coronavirus pandemic.

• OPINION

  Understanding Thailand's soft power

  News, Kavi Chongkittavorn, Published on 04/02/2020

  » Thailand is a curious place. On the one hand, it is a country that foreigners love to visit for the scenery, the shopping, partying and street food, even if they have to suffer traffic fumes and dust. They may even find themselves tucking into pad thai in the shadow of the T22 tanks of the Thai Army Regiment 2.

1 2 Next Last