Showing 1 - 10 of 80
France stumbles through an autumn of woe
Oped, John J. Metzler, Published on 05/11/2025
» France has faced a tumultuous autumn. The usual strikes, government shuffles, and sensational events -- from a high-profile daylight heist at the world-famous Louvre Museum to the imprisonment of a former president -- have characterised a disquieting period.
Scams grow, as laws lag
Oped, Editorial, Published on 30/10/2025
» Last week, police in Chiang Rai province arrested a 35-year-old Chinese national as he went from one ATM to a multitude of others to withdraw cash. A subsequent search of his rented room showed he had in his possession 2,057 ATM cards, 537,900 baht in cash, 35 bank books, and 39 SIM cards. He was initially charged with illegally possessing ATM cards belonging to others in a manner that may cause damage, a charge carrying a maximum sentence of five years' imprisonment.
Karma finally reaches the 14th floor
Oped, Veera Prateepchaikul, Published on 06/10/2025
» Former justice minister Pol Col Tawee Sodsong, leader of the Prachachart party, has always been a loyalist and strong supporter of former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra.
Thaksin chapter closes, another opens
Oped, Thitinan Pongsudhirak, Published on 19/09/2025
» In yet another dramatic twist in Thai politics, erstwhile anti-establishment political juggernaut and former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra accepted a one-year jail sentence and began serving his time behind bars on Sept 9. After his return from a 15-year self-imposed exile in August 2023 and a concomitant royal pardon that reduced his eight-year imprisonment on corruption convictions to just one year, Thaksin cited his gravely ill health and spent the time comfortably at the Police General Hospital before being released on parole. The Supreme Court's ruling that his get-out-of-jail health card was invalid means Thaksin's renewed imprisonment and its aftermath are likely to reshape and realign Thailand's political landscape ahead of the next election, due by mid-2027.
An Asean free from 'wars on drugs'
Oped, Gloria Lai, Published on 19/09/2025
» Asean governments recently met in Singapore for a regional meeting about drugs, where the host nation urged renewed commitment to a "drug-free region". The problem isn't simply the recycling of an outdated mantra first declared in 1998, nor the fact that the region's drug markets have only expanded since then, but that this approach ignores how government policies themselves shape those markets -- and the devastating harms that follow.
Army culture of impunity
Oped, Editorial, Published on 23/07/2025
» The Military Court delivered a ruling yesterday over a fatal assault at a cadet school in 2017. Despite the verdict finding the defendants guilty of assaulting the young cadet, it is unlikely to deter a culture of hazing and impunity within the Thai military.
In the 'kingdom of silence', the caged bird raps
Oped, Mohammad Abu Hajar, Published on 18/07/2025
» In Syria, the caged bird raps. On my first night imprisoned, I began to write:
Reshuffle casts cloud
Oped, Editorial, Published on 19/06/2025
» Now that a cabinet reshuffle is inevitable for the Paetongtarn Shinawatra government, the prospective changes are aimed primarily at solving political problems with regard to the government's nose-diving popularity, rather than tackling the real crises facing the country, such as the protracted economic slump, social maladies and border conflicts with Cambodia.
Thaksin could still escape jail time
Oped, Veera Prateepchaikul, Published on 16/06/2025
» What does it mean for former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra now that Public Health Minister Somsak Thepsuthin's last-ditch attempt to shield his master from the prospect of being sent back to jail to serve his one-year jail term was crushed by the Medical Council of Thailand at a crucial meeting last Thursday?
ABOUT POLITICS: A sound bit of advice
Oped, Published on 10/05/2025
» A message has been conveyed by a former finance minister to an aspiring one -- don't be too agreeable with the government when it comes to money matters.