Showing 1 - 10 of 59
Living in Thailand's age of impunity
News, Kong Rithdee, Published on 17/01/2026
» There's no place like Thailand. Joyscrolling TikTok and Reels reveals dozens of clips made by international visitors lamenting having to leave our lovely country and return to dreary Europe or joyless America. "Nobody talks about how hard it is to go from this" -- insert a cut of a wonderful beach in Krabi -- "to this"--cut to a drab, damp suburban street somewhere in the West. Add a crying-face emoji. "I want to move here!" the traveller announces. True, everybody loves Thailand.
A year of shocks, but Thailand endures
News, Kavi Chongkittavorn, Published on 30/12/2025
» The year 2025 is not just your typical annus horribilis. Some may say that an appropriate term to describe the year is "hell on earth," or narok bon din in Thai, when many bad things happen all at once.
SAO dodges blame
News, Editorial, Published on 29/12/2025
» The State Audit Office (SAO)'s latest statement on the collapse of its 30-storey headquarters is deeply disappointing. It dwells on technical detail while sidestepping the most fundamental question of all: who must be held responsible?
Crackdown theatre masks border graft
News, Paskorn Jumlongrach, Published on 06/12/2025
» The thunderous explosion that sent a 12-storey building crashing to the ground in the border backwater of Shwe Kokko at midday on Wednesday sounded like a major accident, if not an earthquake.
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.
Dispel steel bar doubts
Oped, Editorial, Published on 27/10/2025
» The decision by the Thai Industrial Standards Institute (TISI) to release 40,000 deformed steel bars, confiscated in the wake of the State Audit Office (SAO) collapse, has stirred controversy. The move came only shortly after the new government took shape, raising questions over timing and transparency.
UN at 80 and multilateralism
News, Michaela Friberg-Storey, Published on 25/10/2025
» Eighty years ago, in the ashes of war, the world came together around a bold idea -- that peace, dignity, and prosperity are possible only when nations work together.
Lumpini gets a facelift
Oped, Editorial, Published on 05/09/2025
» Lumpini Park in the heart of Bangkok is celebrating its 100th anniversary this year, with a much-needed facelift.
Unite for safer roads in Thailand
News, Jean Todt & Michaela Friberg-Storey, Published on 20/06/2025
» Thailand has recently taken a decisive step to protect lives on the road: since the beginning of June 2025, authorities have stepped up enforcement of the helmet law for both motorcycle riders and passengers, with fines of up to 2,000 baht per person for non-compliance. By enforcing helmet-wearing laws, the Royal Thai Police is sending a clear message: wearing a helmet is not a suggestion -- it is the law, and laws are meant to be followed. This one, in particular, saves lives.
Time to curb spending
News, Editorial, Published on 12/05/2025
» Thailand is facing an avalanche of environmental, economic and political crises, without light at the end of the tunnel. Without stronger leadership and more effective governance, the situation is likely to worsen, driven by years of state inefficiency and neglect.