• OPINION

  Putting hearts and minds in Thai-US ties

  News, Kavi Chongkittavorn, Published on 24/07/2018

  » The international rescue of 12 boys and their football coach in Chiang Rai earlier this month quickly permeated into the conference room of the Thai-US dialogue in Washington DC last week. The feel-good atmosphere jump-started the much-needed dialogue between the region's oldest allies.

• OPINION

  Ten ways to sidestep fault lines in Asean

  News, Kavi Chongkittavorn, Published on 27/03/2018

  » Given the unsettled international environment, great powers' competition and regional dynamism, the current Asean chair, Singaporean Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, urged the regional grouping to "maintain its centrality and relevance" in his recent speech at the Institute of Southeast Asian Studies.

• OPINION

  Random thoughts from Trump's nation

  News, Kavi Chongkittavorn, Published on 26/06/2018

  » 'Iknow Bruce Lee. Aargh...aargh...aargh…!," screamed a black driver in front of me at the intersection near the Marriott Hotel in Rockville, Maryland.

• OPINION

  Post-poll policy: Dynamic continuity

  News, Kavi Chongkittavorn, Published on 26/03/2019

  » Speculation is rife about imminent changes in Thailand's diplomatic direction after five years of military-ruled guidance. Political pundits and campaigners ahead of the polls last week also sent out strong signals that they expect a new cabinet in Government House with new policies. One of the casualties would be Thai-Chinese ties, which have progressed and strengthened without waveringly over the past five years. However, the outcome of Sunday's election indicates that whichever parties form the next civilian government, there will be little effect on the country's foreign relations or the current Asean chair. Indeed, Thailand's foreign policy will become more dynamic with continuity.

• OPINION

  Thailand gets ready to take Asean chair

  News, Kavi Chongkittavorn, Published on 13/11/2018

  » A decade after living through the devastating experience of the 2009 Asean summit, the kingdom will have another chance to regain its regional leadership and reputation. Singapore will pass the baton to Thailand on Nov 15 as the Asean chair. Although the official role will kick off in January, Bangkok will get the ball rolling immediately.

• OPINION

  Boosting human rights in Thailand

  News, Kavi Chongkittavorn, Published on 19/10/2021

  » Thailand's human rights record will be the subject of global scrutiny on Nov 10. The members of the UN Human Rights Council will examine the country's performance during its third universal periodic review (UPR). It will be an extraordinary event for Thailand as it is battling both domestic political turmoil and the coronavirus pandemic, which has allegedly led to numerous unwarranted violations of human rights.

• OPINION

  Biden win a boon or bane for Thailand?

  Oped, Kavi Chongkittavorn, Published on 08/09/2020

  » There are only nine weeks to go before Nov 3 when American voters decide on their new president. If former vice president Joseph Biden wins, Thailand must prepare a new strategy to "renew" and "reinvent" engagement with the US that will take be tougher on issues related to China, human rights and democracy. The Biden administration's approach could be a boon or bane for Thailand, one of its five allies in the Indo-Pacific, depending on the country's diplomatic pathway and strategic preparedness. With a new administration under the Democrats, the US State Department would again shape overall policy towards its benign ally.

• OPINION

  Asean-EU ties: seeking a middle path

  News, Kavi Chongkittavorn, Published on 18/02/2020

  » Joseph Borrell, the new EU foreign minister, revealed down-to-earth pragmatism in a recent article, writing: "We Europeans must adjust our mental maps to deal with the world as it is, not as we hoped it would be." If this is the fresh path that the EU is following, Europe may become the most respected and powerful grouping of nations in the world. And it could all start right here in this region.

• OPINION

  US, EU must tread carefully over Cambodia

  News, Kavi Chongkittavorn, Published on 25/09/2018

  » The US and EU must not commit the same mistakes in Cambodia that they made in Thailand. Efforts to pressure strongman Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen to follow their suggested paths will not work. Worse still, they could have serious adverse effects, as the country's domestic and external conditions are very different and unique.

• OPINION

  Covid Catch-22: Saving lives or rights?

  News, Kavi Chongkittavorn, Published on 07/04/2020

  » Faced with the Covid-19 pandemic, several countries have given special powers to their leaders, regardless of the political system in place, to ensure that they can manage and fight the virus efficiently and in a timely manner. There is a high level of anxiety and fear, however, that these special powers, once granted, will be misused in the name of fighting the pandemic. Worse still, in certain countries there is a strong possibility that the special powers might continue and subsequently become a permanent feature in the months and years to come.

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Next Last