Showing 1-10 of 95 results
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We need a steady hand at BoT helm
News, Editorial, Published on 12/07/2015
» The announcement naming Veerathai Santiprabhob as the next governor of the Bank of Thailand last week came as no surprise. In addition to his exceptional credentials, the 45-year-old economist with a PhD from Harvard was a clear choice over the other short-listed candidate, Supavud Saicheua, the managing director of Phatra Securities, because he has earned the trust of the current government under the leadership of Gen Prayut Chan-o-cha.
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A good lesson from Tunisia
News, Editorial, Published on 12/10/2015
» In recent years, the Nobel Peace Prize committee has been criticised for handing out the world’s most respected honour as if it were a political bauble. Last week, it made no such mistake. The four-part Tunisian National Dialogue Quartet is more than just a deserving Peace Prize award recipient. The men and women - and the union they formed - is a democratic ideal. It can even serve as a model in many places. Thailand could try to replicate it, but it would take enormous effort to succeed. The Arab Spring began in Tunisia in 2010 when a street vendor set himself on fire in a political protest. By 2011, revolution was not just underway, but already beginning to wane and to fail. Other countries followed.
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US puts up more walls
News, Editorial, Published on 07/12/2015
» The Islamic State, believed just a month ago to be "contained" in its self-proclaimed caliphate in the Middle East, is suddenly a world concern. A single memo of extremely questionable origin and reliability caused a tizzy in Thailand. European countries from Britain to Germany to Russia were rushing to join the violence against the IS. And in the United States, a confusing but deadly attack by a husband-and-wife terrorist team has sparked demands for reactions that emphasise plans which are either impossible or ludicrous.
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Pyongyang snubs world
News, Editorial, Published on 11/01/2016
» The claim by North Korea that it tested a thermonuclear weapon last week must be taken seriously. So must the reaction of the world. It is clear there must be consequences for this illegal and brazen act. The Foreign Ministry's statement that it is "deeply concerned" is somewhat of an understatement. Yet it clearly epitomises both the abhorrence and the concern at the actions of a regime that is a serial law-breaker.
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Police reform needs to start from within
News, Editorial, Published on 07/02/2016
» The tragic suicide of Police Captain Thawee Meunrak is only the tip of the iceberg in the chronic problem within the Thai police force. The real issue is the need to reform the force, which is long overdue. In the past few years, many police have committed suicide. Pol Cap Thawee, for instance, is believed to have killed himself because of stress related to his work.
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Tracking the forgers
News, Editorial, Published on 16/02/2016
» Police deserve kudos for their arrest last week of a long-wanted man accused of altering, making and selling counterfeit passports. The tale of a forger caught because of his love for take-home pizzas was worthy of a novel. More to the point, taking Hamid Reza Jafary to court is a major accomplishment. When arrested, police found 173 high-quality passports in his Chachoengsao shophouse. Diplomats said they would have fooled most immigration checkpoints in the world.
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Body armour an army job
News, Editorial, Published on 23/03/2016
» Weekend shoppers at Bang Na's Seacon Square were treated to a display of giant bears from children's tales. But there was a disturbing message alongside the huge Paddington, Lotso, Po Ping and Winnie the Pooh, among others. There was a sign and kiosk asking for funds to purchase body armour for troops stationed in the deep South. This is a shocking appeal to the public for help with a problem that is now years old, and which has cost lives.
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Beijing sends Kim message
News, Editorial, Published on 04/04/2016
» Last month was probably a pivotal time for the bellicose and unfriendly Pyongyang regime of Kim Jong-Un. On March 1, North Korean workers took a large shipment of coal and ore to the Chinese border. It seemed to be a standard transaction involving North Korea's single biggest export, using port facilities in China. But for the first time, China turned the shipment back.
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China assails North Korea
News, Editorial, Published on 18/04/2016
» While Thailand was celebrating the traditional new year and South Koreans were watching the final episode of Descendants of the Sun, North Korea was having one of its worst weeks in memory. Of course it wasn't planned that way. It was supposed to be a week of glorious festivities to mark the 104th anniversary of founder Kim Il-sung's birth. Things started falling apart at the planned ballistic missile launch for the annual "Day of the Sun" celebration.
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Obama must be realistic
News, Editorial, Published on 25/05/2016
» US President Barack Obama is in Asia once again. His 10th trip takes him to Vietnam and, later this week, to Japan. The focus of the US leader is to continue his agonisingly slow "pivot" to Asia of US security policy. There is far more on the agenda than upgrading Vietnam ties. China, the Trans-Pacific Partnership, the fight against the Islamic State and Myanmar's halting progress to democracy all are being addressed.
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