Showing 1 - 10 of 13
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.
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.
HRC term off to shaky start
News, Editorial, Published on 04/12/2024
» Winning a seat on the United Nations Human Rights Council (HRC) in October is one thing. But walking the line of good human rights protection seems to be a different issue for the Thai government, which starts its three-year term with the body on Jan 1.
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.
Speed up border talks
News, Editorial, Published on 11/11/2024
» The controversy surrounding the 2001 memorandum of understanding (MoU) on the overlapping maritime claims in the Gulf of Thailand between Thailand and Cambodia has resurfaced, as the Pheu Thai administration seeks to restart talks with Phnom Penh in a bid to extract the area's natural resources.
iCon case will test PPRP's ethics
Editorial, Published on 03/11/2024
» The Department of Special Investigation (DSI) has accepted the iCon Group's alleged pyramid scheme as a special case, involving over 8,000 complaints claiming combined losses of more than 2.4 billion baht.
'Amazing Thailand' just won't go away
Roger Crutchley, Published on 13/10/2024
» I must confess to groaning just a little this week upon seeing the headline "Amazing Thailand is back". I am not sure it ever went away. We were informed that next year we are in for "Amazing Thailand Grand Tourism Year" with the aim to attract more than 40 million visitors to these sunny shores. That's all a bit scary.
China's stimulus could be a boon
News, Shang-Jin Wei, Published on 07/10/2024
» The timing of China's new stimulus package is not coincidental. Arriving just before the 75th anniversary of the People's Republic, the announcement was well-received by equity investors, leading to a surge of more than 15% in the country's main stock indices.
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.