Showing 1 - 10 of 11
Travel scheme farce
Oped, Editorial, Published on 07/07/2025
» The rollout of the "Tiew Thai Khon La Krung" campaign, or Thailand Travel Co-pay scheme, last week has proved to be unmitigated disaster, with no resolution in sight. This embarrassing episode reflects not only gross incompetence, but entrenched political pettiness among policy-makers.
Uniting against cyber-scam gangs
Oped, Fuad Adriansyah & David Scott, Published on 11/12/2024
» In recent years, a novel form of criminality has rapidly expanded across Southeast Asia, leaving in its wake a trail of human exploitation, financial harm, and, in many parts of the region, a weakening of the rule of law. Cyber-scam centres, operated by sophisticated transnational organised criminal groups, have emerged as a serious threat to both national and human security across Southeast Asia.
Trump's return presents an opportunity for India
Oped, Arvind Subramanian, Published on 10/12/2024
» It might be tempting to assume that Donald Trump's return to the White House augurs stability in US-India relations. After all, there is strong bipartisan support in Washington for deeper ties, particularly as a counterbalance to China's growing economic and geopolitical influence.
Massages need rules
Oped, Editorial, Published on 10/12/2024
» The news about Chayada Prao-hom, a singer who recently passed away from injuries thought to be sustained after having a so-called "neck-cracking" massage, was shocking.
Are Trump's tariffs going to be worth it?
Oped, Pinelopi Koujianou Goldberg, Published on 03/12/2024
» US President-elect Donald Trump's promise to impose a 60% tariff on imports from China and a 10-20% tariff on all other imports has triggered a public debate about whether such policies are really so bad. After all, a tariff is a consumption tax, and most economists favour taxes on consumption over income taxes.
Monetary policy really needs to tighten in Japan
Oped, Koichi Hamada, Published on 12/11/2024
» Last month, returning to Japan for the first time since the Covid-19 pandemic, I was struck by how significantly prices had increased. In February 2020, a simple lunch in downtown Tokyo cost about JP¥1,000, then the equivalent of about $10 (324 baht); today, it costs more like JP¥2,000. To some extent, this mirrors the experience in the US, where, even as inflation moderates, prices remain well above their pre-pandemic levels. The difference is that Japan has also experienced a sharp currency depreciation, which benefits foreign visitors: that JP¥2,000 bill translated to just $13.
Trump redux and US-Thai-Asean ties
Oped, Kavi Chongkittavorn, Published on 12/11/2024
» Under President Donald Trump, the trajectory of US-Thai-Asean relations will be defined by three factors -- rising trade imbalances, intensifying US-China rivalry and Asean's long-term aspirations under its Community Vision 2045. Donald Trump's "America First" policies will impose many challenges.
Age begins to show for Chinese Communists
Oped, Gwynne Dyer, Published on 08/10/2024
» 'No one can stop the wheel of history," said China's President Xi Jinping on the recent 75th anniversary of the day when the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) proclaimed the creation of the People's Republic of China. And the wheel is indeed still turning -- but that may not be good news for the fourth-generation heirs of that revolution.
Stimulus packages need paradigm shift
Oped, Chartchai Parasuk, Published on 03/10/2024
» Ever wonder why Thailand's economic growth is consistently lower than its peers? Even with a flood of foreign tourists of 28.1 million (154.4% growth) in 2023, our GDP growth was 1.9% compared to 5.5% in the Philippines, 5% in both Indonesia and Vietnam, and 3.7% in Malaysia. The growth figure for the first half of this year of 1.9% is far worse than many of our Asean friends.
We don't need to kill animals for food
Oped, Gwynne Dyer, Published on 24/09/2024
» A bit behind the curve (it was first posted last April), I have stumbled across "The New York Declaration on Animal Consciousness".