Showing 1 - 10 of 23
Rethinking finance beyond aid
Oped, Justin Yifu Lin & Yan Wang, Published on 06/11/2025
» Traditional donors have sharply scaled back their aid commitments to developing countries over the past year. Some, like the United States, have virtually eliminated their aid programmes. According to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), official development assistance (ODA) from member countries declined by 7.1% in 2024, its first annual drop in six years.
It's a fishy start
Oped, Postbag, Published on 04/09/2025
» Re: "Pak Klong Sam Saen to become new tourist hub" & "Fish deaths in canal spark probe", (BP, Sept 3). The ironic juxtaposition of these two headlines in Wednesday's edition appears not to bode well for future grandiose plans. One wonders if the irony was intentional.
Be wary of the TikTokalypse on the radar
Oped, Todd G Buchholz, Published on 31/01/2025
» When the United States president, Congress and Supreme Court are all in a tizzy at the same time, the topic under discussion is usually a global meltdown or, at the very least, income taxes. Today, the concern is dancing cat videos. In his first day back in the White House, Donald Trump launched a strike against the Court and Congress by signing an executive order to pause the ban on TikTok, earning applause from the Chinese-owned company. TikTok's online content creators are relieved, too, for many warn that a ban (or a forced sale to a US company) would devastate them. I call it the TikTokalypse.
Asean navigates China-US rivalry for autonomy
Oped, Syed Nizamuddin & Bin Sayed Khassim, Published on 23/11/2024
» With Donald Trump's return to office, Southeast Asia finds itself -- yet again -- paddling between reefs. For Thailand and Malaysia, this means navigating an especially tricky strait. The region is no stranger to this balancing act, or mengayuh antara dua karang, as the Malay proverb goes.
Beastly diversions
Oped, Postbag, Published on 19/10/2024
» Re: "Thailand's most unlikely A-list celebrity", (PostScript, Sept 22) & "Hippo rescue", (PostBag, Oct 17).
Why don't Japanese give to charity?
Oped, Koichi Hamada, Published on 06/04/2024
» On Jan 1, as Japan celebrated the new year, a 7.5-magnitude earthquake struck the Noto Peninsula, causing buildings to crumble, forcing mass evacuations, and leading to more than 200 deaths. But in the wake of the tragedy, something beautiful happened: an outpouring of support by philanthropic organisations and individuals, including support from beyond Japan's borders. More than 140,000 people donated US$5 million (183.7 million baht) through the Nippon Foundation alone.
How the United States' CHIPS Act hurts Taiwan
Oped, Chang-Tai Hsieh, Burn Lin & Chintay Shih, Published on 01/03/2024
» The concentration of advanced semiconductor manufacturing in Taiwan has raised fears in the United States about the vulnerability of this supply chain should China blockade or invade the island. The US CHIPS and Science Act seeks to address that vulnerability with $52 billion (1.86 trillion baht) in subsidies to encourage semiconductor manufacturers to relocate to America. But the legislation, as designed, will fall short of its objective; it may even weaken Taiwan's most important industry, further threatening the island's security.
Buri Ram is ablaze
Oped, Postbag, Published on 10/02/2024
» Re: "Too early to call a PM2.5 victory", (Editorial, Feb 4).
Time for panda rethink
Oped, Editorial, Published on 02/02/2024
» Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin was thrilled that his request for another panda was well received by Beijing. It's understood the animal will be leased like its predecessors, Lin Hui and Xuang Xuang, formerly the star attractions of Chiang Mai Zoo. The duo arrived in Thailand in 2003, triggering "panda fever" in the tropical country. More than 7.4 million people visited the zoo over the course of 19 years, from 2003 to 2022.
Rice idea!
Oped, Postbag, Published on 01/02/2024
» Re: "Scandal taints Thai rice", (Editorial, Jan 30).