Showing 1 - 10 of 2,496
Will poll be breakout or more of same?
Oped, Thitinan Pongsudhirak, Published on 06/02/2026
» As Thais go to the polls this Sunday, the most consequential question is whether Thailand will finally break out of its debilitating cycle of political instability and economic underperformance that has marked the past two decades. The signs and signals suggest otherwise -- at least not yet.
Rethinking global health finance
Oped, Walter O Ochieng & Tom Achoki, Published on 06/02/2026
» For the past half-century, the economics of global health were straightforward. Under the so-called "grant-based" approach, rich countries donate to poor countries, which use the funds to meet their populations' health needs. Success was measured by services provided or lives saved, rather than by balance sheets. While this model was far from perfect, the latest approach replacing it -- focused on using tools like guarantees and blended finance to crowd in private capital -- threatens to produce even worse outcomes.
Monks and politics
Oped, Postbag, Published on 26/01/2026
» Re: "Statue rivalry sows conflict", (Editorial, Jan 25).
Speed confusion
Oped, Postbag, Published on 20/01/2026
» I am not sure if I am in the minority who now resorts to a mapping app with speed limit warnings to help monitor my speed when driving on Thailand's country roads to ensure I comply with the speed limit and avoid a fine.
2026 outlook calls for recalibration
News, Mohamed A El-Erian, Published on 17/01/2026
» For global markets, 2025 was defined as much by what did not happen as by what did. The year offered a masterclass in the power of a single narrative, with massive, concentrated bets on AI masking various other unanswered questions. Yet as we move further into 2026, the AI narrative is unlikely to prove strong enough to continue overshadowing other lingering uncertainties, many of which reflect deeper structural shifts. For investors, central banks, and governments alike, the situation demands adaptation.
National history in Children's Day mottos
Nonthawat Phakham, Published on 14/01/2026
» In Thailand, Children's Day falls on the second Saturday of January, a tradition that began in 1955 to raise public awareness of the importance of children. Each Children’s Day, the prime minister provides a motto that apparently reflects national situations during that period.
Spoiled for choice
Postbag, Published on 11/01/2026
» Re: "Govt looks at bringing a Disneyland to Thailand", (BP, Jan 9).
Thailand's political trajectory in 2026
Oped, Thitinan Pongsudhirak, Published on 09/01/2026
» What happens in Thai politics this year and the immediate horizon will be determined by the upcoming election on Feb 8. While contesting political parties are in full campaign mode, the contemporary history of Thai polls so far in the 21st century is not encouraging. Only once in the past 25 years have voting results went the way they were meant to, in accordance with the popular will. Whether the vote in four weeks will follow the same pattern will depend on whether the conservative establishment gets its preferred outcome.
A bright spot in global landscape
Oped, John J. Metzler, Published on 02/01/2026
» It's time to consult the crystal snow globe and try to peer ahead to what may be on the horizon for the new year. Without question 2025 has been tumultuous but the year ahead holds cautious promise to finally solve some political crises mixed with some epic events on tap.
When the news is wrong about my homeland
Oped, José González Vargas, Published on 11/12/2025
» The people of Venezuela conjure contradictory images, particularly for those living in the Global North. We're starved and oppressed masses under a totalitarian thumb, but also arrogant and pigheaded émigrés living in golden exile from Miami to Madrid. More recently, we are hordes of criminals, the scum of the Earth, flooding into the United States. Where's the truth? Where's the lie?