• OPINION

  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.

• OPINION

  The secret new Thai-French relations

  Oped, Kavi Chongkittavorn, Published on 21/11/2023

  » The photos at the Elysee Palace in Paris said it all. French President Emmanuel Macron posing with Somdet Phra Maha Theerajarn -- the abbot of Wat Pho -- their hands firmly clasped, not only manifested the affinity between Thailand and France, but also their leaders and people, as well as their spiritual inspiration.

• 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

  New playbook for Thai diplomacy?

  Oped, Kavi Chongkittavorn, Published on 12/09/2023

  » The Srettha government has started outlining its policies in parliament. Regarding diplomacy and internal policies, two paragraphs in the middle of the draft speech encapsulate the guiding principle of Thailand's new diplomatic trajectory.

• OPINION

  Rebooting South, SE Asian cooperation

  Oped, Kavi Chongkittavorn, Published on 14/03/2023

  » Fresh from the success of the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation last year, Thailand is currently chairing another immense regional economic bloc promoting holistic and sustainable development and smart connectivity amongst South Asia and Southeast Asia. In the coming decades, if not centuries, these combined regions will together form the centre of the Indo-Pacific.

• 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

  Rising S Korea deepens ties with Asean

  Oped, Kavi Chongkittavorn, Published on 20/09/2022

  » To witness the dynamism of South Korea's rise and its relationship with Asean and each bloc member, it is important to attend the reception marking the national day of Vietnam.

• OPINION

  Bolstering Thailand-India ties at 75

  News, Kavi Chongkittavorn, Published on 30/08/2022

  » Thailand and India have taken seven-and-a-half decades to transform their close historical and cultural ties into a more strategic trajectory. It is not an easy task as their leaders have been all too comfortable with their longstanding friendly and relatively trouble-free ties. However, the recent three-day high-profile visit of Indian External Affairs Secretary Dr S Jaishankar has raised the dynamics of Thailand-India relations to a new level.

• 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

  Remembering Abe and Japan's rise

  Oped, Kavi Chongkittavorn, Published on 12/07/2022

  » It is not an overstatement to say that the late prime minister Shinzo Abe single-handedly promoted Japan's regional and international profile through unconventional economic and security policies. Abe linked his country's economic policies with security and strategic twists in its relations with the rest of the world, Asean in particular.

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