Showing 1 - 10 of 66
The war and its likely consequences
Oped, Thitinan Pongsudhirak, Published on 17/04/2026
» As the joint attack between the United States and Israel against Iran that resulted in a wider regional conflict in the Middle East approaches its two-month mark, the directions of the war remain precarious while some of the longer-lasting consequences appear evident. Unsurprisingly, the war has been detrimental and damaging for all states and societies concerned, not just within the affected region but the wider world. Already we can start counting some of the long-term costs.
Can alliances with the US be replaced?
Oped, Kavi Chongkittavorn, Published on 07/04/2026
» The increasingly loud debate over the future of alliances -- after reports that the US could scale back or even withdraw from Nato -- is nerve-racking. It has caused alarm across Europe and in Southeast Asia, another node of the US alliance network. Even without any official decision, remarks by US President Donald Trump on social media were enough to shake already fragile US alliances. The question now frequently asked by Thai policymakers is: What comes next if alliances weaken?
The perils of creating a power vacuum in Iran
Oped, Stephen Holmes, Published on 05/03/2026
» Critics of the attack on Iran by the United States and Israel point out that US President Donald Trump has no plan for what comes next. And they are not wrong: when Mr Trump boasts that he can resolve wars in a single day, he merely exposes the limits of his attention span. But the real problem is not the shortness of Mr Trump's time horizon; it's the narrowness of his threat perception.
The rise of secondary destinations
Oped, Omri Morgenshtern, Published on 26/09/2025
» As we mark World Tourism Day tomorrow, we're turning the spotlight on one of the unsung heroes of travel -- secondary destinations. This international awareness day gives our industry an opportunity to take a pause and reflect on how travel is evolving. At Agoda, we see the growing popularity of secondary cities as a notable development in the travel market.
When films speak louder than missiles
Oped, Kong Rithdee, Published on 26/06/2025
» Jafar Panahi tells it as he sees it: "An attack on my homeland, Iran, is in no way acceptable," the Iranian filmmaker wrote on Instagram last week. "Israel has violated Iran and should be tried in an international trial as a war aggressor."
US strikes on Iran nuke plants risk backfiring
Oped, Brahma Chellaney, Published on 26/06/2025
» Israel and the United States have dealt punishing blows to Iran's nuclear infrastructure. "Operation Rising Lion" and "Operation Midnight Hammer" have been portrayed as precision strikes that will stop the Islamic Republic's nuclear programme in its tracks. But whatever the bombings might have achieved tactically, they risk forfeiting strategically, as Iran is now more convinced than ever that nuclear weapons are the only way to deter future aggression and ensure the regime's survival.
Time for Thai govt, BRN to talk
Oped, Matt Wheeler, Published on 12/03/2025
» Dialogue between the Thai government and Malay separatists marked its 12-year anniversary on Feb 28, but violence in the southernmost provinces remains an open wound on the Thai body politic. A dreadful routine of bombings, shootings and clashes in these provinces has killed some 7,680 people since 2004, yet the simmering violence goes largely unnoticed outside the region.
Thailand's tense dance of diplomacy
Oped, Kavi Chongkittavorn, Published on 04/03/2025
» Last Thursday evening, Deputy Prime Minister and Defence Minister Phumtham Wechayachai showed his true colours when he addressed the repatriation of 40 Uyghurs to China. Cool as a cucumber, he spoke with authority yet with an apologetic tone. That day's press conference was his perfect coda; other cabinet ministers were mere decorative artefacts.
Indonesia leads Asean with Brics entry
Oped, Kavi Chongkittavorn, Published on 14/01/2025
» Indonesia has scooped Malaysia, Vietnam, and Thailand to become the first Asean country to join the Brics bloc of developing economies as a full member. Brazil, the new Brics rotational chair, announced Indonesia's admission was timely with strategic significance.
Return nameless victims to heal tsunami wounds
Oped, Alan Morison, Published on 26/12/2024
» A leader of the team that identified thousands of victims of the 2004 tsunami now believes that Interpol's 99.9% certainty rule should be adapted out of compassion to try to reunite the remaining 380 nameless victims with their families. Twenty years on, the full story behind the huge detective saga in Thailand that gave names back to thousands of victims of the 2004 tsunami is being told for the first time.