Showing 1 - 10 of 19
LGBT vote push will pay off at polls
News, Umesh Pandey, Published on 06/05/2018
» The coup-led government of Gen Prayut Chan-o-cha is looking to tap into yet another source of valuable votes after announcing plans to enact a law allowing same-sex civil partnerships by the end of this year.
Power play - with nation's image at risk
News, Umesh Pandey, Published on 08/04/2018
» Deputy Prime Minister Somkid Jatusripitak has faced a media storm over his comments backing incumbent Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha as a potential candidate to be an "outsider" premier (that is, a leader who is not linked to a political party).
Chicanery can only go on so long
News, Umesh Pandey, Published on 25/03/2018
» The week ahead is going to be intense as political parties prepare to attend a meeting on Wednesday with those who seized power to negotiate the possibility of a total lifting of the ban on political activities.
Poll delays do nobody any favours
News, Umesh Pandey, Published on 21/01/2018
» Once again, hopes of an election in November this year seem to be slipping with each passing day -- the latest blow coming courtesy of the National Legislative Assembly (NLA) vote on Friday to change Section 2 of the organic law on the election of members of parliament.
PM must pick allies with more care
News, Umesh Pandey, Published on 22/10/2017
» Once again a key ally of our dear leader Prayut Chan-o-cha has become embroiled in yet another controversy, and in the days and weeks ahead it is very likely that the prime minister is going to come out to defend this action.
Censors should not go 'OTT'
News, Umesh Pandey, Published on 11/06/2017
» The decision by the National Broadcasting and Telecommunication Commission (NBTC) to more strictly regulate over-the-top (OTT) services comes as a welcome move for those who want to see these companies pay their dues.
VAT increase low on govt priorities
News, Umesh Pandey, Published on 21/05/2017
» The rubber-stamp parliament of the coup leaders gave Thai people yet another scare over the past week when it announced it was looking to raise value-added tax (VAT) by another percentage point.
Valuable lessons from falling ranking
News, Umesh Pandey, Published on 19/03/2017
» Many of my friends were excited to see their universities continue to rule the charts in Thailand when the annual ranking of universities in Asia was announced late last week. The jubilation of those graduating from the likes of Mahidol, King Mongkut's University of Technology Thonburi (KMUTT) or Chulalongkorn University was all good, but little did anyone appreciate that all of these revered institutions actually saw their rankings slip from the previous survey.
Time ripe for PM to revisit amnesty plan
News, Umesh Pandey, Published on 06/01/2017
» After having been rejected and buried many times, the idea of granting an amnesty to those involved in political violence in past years has emerged again. This time the bid comes from Suchon Chaleekrea, a member of the National Reform Steering Assembly (NRSA), who proposes an amnesty be granted to those charged with minor offences during political unrest, excluding major crime and lese majeste offenders.
'Set zero' dangerous in wrong hands
News, Umesh Pandey, Published on 18/11/2016
» Of late the debate on "set zero" -- a scenario in which certain political institutions are dissolved and reset or re-established in accordance with a new organic law -- has dominated news headlines. But this time, political parties look set to be spared the gallows.