Showing 1 - 10 of 16
Tenure ruling a massive test
Oped, Editorial, Published on 23/08/2022
» Tomorrow will bring forth another test for both the Thai political system and our society. All eyes will be on the Constitutional Court, which is due to decide on a petition filed by the opposition on the limit of the prime minister's tenure.
Tenure saga needs care
Oped, Editorial, Published on 25/02/2022
» As the Constitutional Court's president, Worawit Kangsasitiam, gears up to celebrate his 70th birthday next week, a debate is brewing on whether or not he should step down from the helm of one of the country's top courts. Many people, including several well-known critics, believe he should.
How to Name Your Car Like You're One of the 0.1%
Guru, Pornchai Sereemongkonpol, Published on 19/02/2021
» The 0.1% of Thais (not 1% 'cause Thailand has the highest wealth inequality in the world, you see) may rejoice at the recent news that soon you can pay an extra fee to give your vehicle a real name on a licence plate instead of the two-alphabets-and-numerals combo the 99.9% are familiar with. The new rules will allow a combination of more than two alphabets, vowels, tone marks and numbers in a vehicle registration plate for a personal car with no more than seven seats. In short, you can name your car after you or give it a person's name. For example, PM Prayut Chan-o-cha can name his "ประยุทธ์ 2 กรุงเทพมหานคร (Prayut 2 Bangkok)" to commemorate his second term. The plan is expected to be implemented around the middle of this year and you can bid for such a plate with starting price of B1 million. Money raised this way will be spent to improve road safety.
Lead by example
News, Editorial, Published on 26/07/2019
» As Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha declared fighting corruption in the public sector as one of his government's policies in parliament yesterday, he and his cabinet ministers must not just live up to this promise, but also lead by example. Submitting their asset and debt declaration to the National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC) in a transparent and honest manner is the first step for them to prove that this is not just an empty promise.
Scandal needs closer watch
News, Editorial, Published on 03/12/2018
» It has been a year since Deputy Prime Minister Prawit Wongsuwon showed off his diamonds and a costly watch too ostentatiously to miss. It occurred at Government House as ministers gathered for a portrait-photoshoot of the "Prayut 5" cabinet. Gen Prawit raised his hand to shield his eyes from the sun, his cuff shot up, and Bangkok Post photographer Chanat Katanyu framed and caught the display of costly bling in a now-classic photo.
What's holding up the watch probe?
Oped, Editorial, Published on 04/11/2018
» The National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC) has disappointed the public once again this week with its lame excuse for not completing a long-overdue probe into the high-profile watch scandal involving Deputy Prime Minister Prawit Wongsuwon.
Failure of Alpha probe
News, Editorial, Published on 29/05/2018
» One of the worst and most costly fraud cases in recent memory was wrongly declared over last week. The National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC) brought its investigation of the purchase of Alpha-6 fake narcotics detectors to a close. Astoundingly, this relatively simple case took the self-styled graft busters 10 years to conclude. The announcement that formally closed the books on the case echoed the supreme failure to tackle the case forthrightly, investigate honestly, act transparently and, finally, identify and bring accountability and the law to bear on those responsible.
Watch saga tests patience
News, Editorial, Published on 12/05/2018
» It has been more than five months since the luxury wristwatch scandal broke. Yet the anti-graft agency still cannot decide if Deputy Prime Minister Prawit Wongsuwon is unusually wealthy and concealed his assets as suspected or whether he is innocent as he has claimed.
NACC fails major test
News, Editorial, Published on 02/04/2018
» The National Anti-Corruption Commission has often dropped the ball over the past few years. But its failure both to press the investigation of Deputy Prime Minister Prawit Wongsuwon's wristwatches and inform the public plumbs new depths. The public have rightly responded to last week's statements in both a disappointed and angry manner. It is now a question of whether the current NACC can survive the disdain it has caused.
Don't let history repeat itself
News, Postbag, Published on 01/04/2018
» Last December, whistleblower CSI LA alerted us that DPM and Defence Minister Prawit Wongsuwon had worn 22 ultra-luxurious watches, allegedly worth up to 36 million baht -- or about a decade of the DPM's government salary.