Showing 1 - 10 of 12
Unpacking hidden seismic risks
Oped, Temily Baker & Sanjay Srivastava, Published on 04/04/2025
» A 7.7-magnitude earthquake struck near Mandalay in Myanmar on 28 March, exposing more than 37.2 million people to violent shaking and resulting in more than 3,000 deaths, some 3,900 injuries and over 300 missing. Its shockwaves reverberated far beyond Myanmar's borders, extending over 1,000km to Bangkok.
Why Bua Noi needs a sanctuary
Oped, Jason Baker, Published on 17/07/2024
» Animals at Pata Zoo in Bangkok are condemned to prison for life. Among them is Bua Noi, a gorilla whose existence has been reduced to staring blankly at a television screen from her enclosure, as seen in a viral video. This isn't the life she deserves. Gorillas need freedom, not television.
AI set to reinforce Big Tech's dominance of economy
Oped, Eric Posner, Published on 19/01/2024
» With long-gestating antitrust cases against Google, Apple, and Amazon coming to fruition, many observers think that 2024 could be a turning point for Big Tech. Yet even as authorities press ahead with this litigation, they risk being blindsided by the rise of artificial intelligence, which is likely to reinforce Big Tech's dominance of the economy.
Threat of air pollution, climate change
Oped, Chris Malley & Diane Archer & Johan Kuylenstierna & Eric Zusman, Published on 10/06/2023
» In some parts of the world, air pollution is called an "invisible killer" because it cannot be seen in the atmosphere but greatly impacts human health. Unfortunately, levels of air pollution in Thailand are often so far in excess of World Health Organization (WHO) guidelines to protect health that the invisible killer is recognisable across urban and rural landscapes. At least 40,000 premature deaths occur in Thailand every year due to air pollution exposure and the respiratory, cardiovascular, lung cancer, and other diseases it causes, making it arguably the single greatest environmental threat to the health and well-being of Thailand's population.
Facebook's 'Ugly American' problem abroad
Oped, Eric Posner, Published on 11/11/2021
» The Ugly American, the title of a novel published in 1958 by Eugene Burdick and William Lederer, entered the language to refer to boorish American officials abroad who sought to improve the lives of natives without taking the trouble to learn their language, culture, or needs.
Response to coup requires look at China, military
Oped, Jonathan T Chow & Leif-Eric Easley, Published on 04/02/2021
» In the early hours of Feb 1, the day Myanmar's newly elected parliamentarians were to take their seats, the armed forces arrested senior members of the National League for Democracy (NLD), including State Counsellor and NLD leader Aung San Suu Kyi and Myanmar President Win Myint. The military declared a state of emergency, announcing it will govern the country for one year, after which it promises fresh elections. Understanding this political crisis requires unpacking the role of the military in Myanmar's beleaguered democratisation, the calculus of Commander-in-Chief Min Aung Hlaing, and a geopolitical context dominated by China.
The future of Thailand hangs in the balance
News, Pasuk Phongpaichit & Chris Baker, Published on 20/10/2020
» When General Prayut Chan-o-cha and his allies seized power in 2014, they promised to bring about national reconciliation, but the divisions in society have become worse. They promised to combat corruption, but nothing has really changed. They promised to eradicate any remaining poverty, but the number of people living below the poverty line actually increased for the first time in decades before the pandemic. They promised to drive economic growth, but Thailand continues to lag behind its neighbours. They promised to restore happiness to the Thai people but few are smiling now. The constitution they made is a national headache.
Lack of action guarantees coconut industry ruin
News, Jason Baker, Published on 09/07/2020
» The government and the coconut industry will do or say anything to avoid talking about the abuse of monkeys. Burying their heads in the sand or just plain lying about it isn't going to help the monkeys or the industry.
Demonopolise, decentralise to recover
Oped, Pasuk Phongpaichit & Chris Baker, Published on 17/06/2020
» Thailand is staggering back to life. The public health system has done a superb job. But the rest of the world is still in a mess. And that affects us.
It's time to test and track in earnest
News, Pasuk Phongpaichit & Chris Baker, Published on 21/04/2020
» In late January, Thailand was tipped to be worst hit by Covid-19 after China and Hong Kong. Today, Thailand accounts for only 0.03% of recorded deaths worldwide from the pandemic. New cases are on a declining trend.