Showing 1 - 10 of 42
A moral exemplar
Oped, Postbag, Published on 03/10/2025
» Re: "Legal eagles voice worries over Thaksin's pardon bid", (BP, Oct 1). Whatever naughtinesses he may have been accused of, it cannot be denied that Thaksin Shinawatra continues to prove a moral exemplar to the nation in at least two areas. The first is that he faithfully follows the traditional example of accumulating the greatest possible sufficiency of extreme wealth; the second is that he entertains as unfailingly as Lisa Manoban herself, albeit with his humorous approach to preached legal norms rather than with her doubtless impressive song and dance routines.
Renminbi debt in a dollar-denominated world
Oped, Paola Subacchi, Published on 25/09/2025
» When governments borrow on international markets, they do so overwhelmingly in US dollars. Roughly two-thirds of international debt issuance is denominated in foreign currencies, of which nearly half is in dollars and about 40% is in euros. The rest is spread across other currencies, including the Chinese renminbi.
US fiscal state is everyone's issue
Oped, Paola Subacchi, Published on 28/05/2025
» As Donald Trump's "big, beautiful" tax bill heads to the US Senate, investors everywhere are growing increasingly uneasy. On May 16, the credit-rating agency Moody's downgraded US sovereign debt from its long-held triple-A status to Aa1 -- following similar decisions by Standard & Poor's (in 2011) and Fitch Ratings (2023). Given the sheer volume of US debt -- which now stands at $36 trillion, or 124% of GDP -- and rising interest costs, these institutions have concluded that US debt metrics are no longer in line with those of similarly rated sovereigns.
Leveraging Thailand's superyacht exposure
Oped, Pun-Arj Chairatana and Andy Treadwell, Published on 19/04/2025
» The feature of the 117-foot (35.7-metre) catamaran Spacecat in the television series The White Lotus Season 3, set in the Gulf of Thailand and in the waters around Phuket, highlights the potential of Thailand's superyacht charter market. Delivered in November 2022 by Silver Yachts, the vessel showcased luxury against the backdrop of Thailand. This visibility presents an opportunity to further develop Thailand's luxury tourism and service industry, moving beyond glamour to build a sustainable sector that could drive economic growth. Thailand has significant assets; strategic support can help this industry thrive.
Economic might and Olympic performance
Oped, Zaki Laïdi, Published on 27/08/2024
» Why do certain countries dominate the Olympics? The answer may lie in the correlation between athletic performance and GDP. The 2024 Paris Olympic Games were a case in point: the top seven medal winners -- the United States, China, Japan, Australia, France, the Netherlands, and the United Kingdom -- are all among the world's 20 largest economies.
Rice roulette
Oped, Postbag, Published on 11/05/2024
» Re: "A rice old business", (Editorial, May 10).
Stats don't add up
Oped, Postbag, Published on 08/05/2024
» Re: "Astra jab blood clots 'rare' insists institute", (BP, May 4). One in 10 million in Thailand and one in 100,000 in the UK? How can the National Vaccine Institute possibly reconcile such a large sigma statistical anomaly and claim the risk of vaccine-induced blood clots is extremely rare in Thailand while it is criminally deadly in the UK? Worldwide, young people have been harmed and have died from blood clots -- a phenomenon that has never before been seen in these huge numbers.
A failed state?
Oped, Postbag, Published on 04/05/2024
» Re: "Thai police graft highlights bigger issues", (Opinion, April 26).
Sanctions need global governance
Oped, Paola Subacchi & Rosa M Lastra, Published on 12/04/2024
» As Russia's war against Ukraine has entered its third year, Western governments are finding it increasingly difficult to muster the funding Ukraine needs to defend itself. The European Union struggled to reach a €50 billion (1.9 trillion baht) aid deal in February, and the United States remains deadlocked over its own US$60 billion (about 2.2 trillion baht) funding package. Now, calls to use Russia's own assets to fund the Ukrainian war effort are growing louder.
Behind bars
Oped, Postbag, Published on 12/04/2024
» Re: "Overcrowded prisons need reforming", (Opinion, April 10).