Showing 1 - 10 of 19
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.
End Japan's loans to Myanmar's Tatmadaw
News, Yuka Kiguchi, Published on 26/11/2024
» More than 3.5 years after the Myanmar military (Tatmadaw) attempted to seize control of the country through a coup, the Japanese government continues to provide Official Development Assistance (ODA) and public funds that benefit the military junta. Despite the sacrifices of the Myanmar people to end the Myanmar military's decades-long oppression, Japan's "assistance" risks burdening survivors with enormous loans that potentially enable the military to continue its atrocities against the very people it is meant to aid.
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.
Lawyers in the spotlight
Oped, Editorial, Published on 12/11/2024
» The arrest of lawyer Sittra Biabungkerd last week has spotlighted celebrity lawyers who gain influence and public trust in Thai society.
Financial flexibility key to growth
News, Konchawan Kanthasut and Thanthip Srisuwannake, Published on 06/11/2024
» Trade associations in Thailand are stuck with a frustrating rule -- they can only keep their income in savings accounts. This limits their ability to make smarter investments that could grow their funds. Without a change in the law, they will keep missing opportunities to increase resources and offer more value to their members.
All eyes on central bank
News, Editorial, Published on 04/11/2024
» Today, all things going well, Bank of Thailand (BOT) governors will choose a new chairman. It's a role crucial to the stability and independence of the country's central bank.
Invest in WHO for outsize returns
News, Gordon Brown, Published on 23/10/2024
» In August, 14 of Africa's poorest countries, alongside international organisations and private companies, pledged over US$45 million (1.5 billion baht) to the World Health Organization's (WHO's) new Investment Round, which aims to raise $7.1 billion in voluntary contributions to close its current funding gap for the next four years, improve primary care, and build a more robust, better-trained health workforce.
The promise and peril of green bonds
News, Sarinee Achavanuntakul, Published on 16/10/2024
» Once occupying a tiny fraction of global financial markets, "green bonds" have grown exponentially in the past decade to become one of the world's fastest-growing asset classes.
Time to deal with e-waste
Oped, Editorial, Published on 15/10/2024
» Electrical appliances, from television sets to refrigerators, mobile phones to tablet computers, have become an essential part of our daily lives. However, most consumers aren't aware of what happens to the obsolete gadgets that they have discarded. A lot of electronic waste, in fact, contain toxic, heavy elements, such as nickel, cadmium, lead and mercury, along with traces of precious metals like gold and silver.
Scams know no limits
News, Editorial, Published on 14/10/2024
» For decades, Thailand has been plagued by financial scams, often in the form of Ponzi schemes, leaving countless citizens financially devastated. The evolving sophistication of these scams, driven by advances in digital communication and legal loopholes, continues to outwit all consumer protection enforcers.