Showing 1 - 10 of 22
How China won innovation in lieu of freedom
Oped, Jennifer Lind, Published on 28/11/2025
» A decade ago, China's government unveiled Made in China 2025 -- a bold vision for transforming the country from the world's assembly line into a global innovation leader. The plan was met with considerable scepticism, particularly in the West, where a robust scholarly consensus held that authoritarianism was fundamentally incompatible with innovation. China was light-years behind the global frontier. Barring drastic political change, many observers concluded, China would remain a "copycat nation".
Mae Sot's trade vs security dilemma
Oped, Kavi Chongkittavorn, Published on 01/04/2025
» At Mae Sot International Airport, all passengers must now undergo a strict immigration check and police screening before they can board designated flights. The new stringent measures aim to prevent scammers from using this western border hub as a transit route across the border.
Crackdown on Scam City
Oped, Editorial, Published on 22/01/2025
» The arrest this weekend of 32 Indonesians for having entered Thailand illegally after fleeing a city on the Thai-Myanmar border that is notorious for operating scams is maddening, to say the least.
Beyond the world's favourite hippo
Oped, Curtis S Chin & Jose B Collazo, Published on 02/01/2025
» The news from Asia at year-end 2024 that dominated headlines here in the United States included the tragic crash landing of Jeju Air flight 2216 flying from Thailand. As hundreds of millions took to roads and to the air for the holidays, the news seemed especially close to home, even thousands of miles away.
The high cost of GPT-4o 'giveaway'
Oped, Angela Huyue Zhang & S Alex Yang, Published on 08/06/2024
» With the launch of GPT-4o, OpenAI has once again shown itself to be the world's most innovative artificial-intelligence company. This new multimodal AI tool -- which seamlessly integrates text, voice, and visual capabilities -- is significantly faster than previous models, greatly enhancing the user experience. But perhaps the most attractive feature of GPT-4o is that it is free -- or so it seems.
Are all of us ready for AI creative destruction?
Oped, Daron Acemoglu, Published on 24/04/2024
» The ancient Chinese concept of yin and yang attests to humans' tendency to see patterns of interlocked opposites in the world around us, a predilection that has lent itself to various theories of natural cycles in social and economic phenomena. Just as the great medieval Arab philosopher Ibn Khaldun saw the path of an empire's eventual collapse imprinted in its ascent, the twentieth-century economist Nikolai Kondratiev postulated that the modern global economy moves in "long wave" super-cycles.
Time to integrate Myanmar's displaced
Oped, Kavi Chongkittavorn, Published on 26/03/2024
» In the bustling border town of Mae Sot, Julia smiled when I asked her about her new job. "I am very happy with my position," said the young woman who recently completed her Bachelor's degree in Communication Arts from Bangkok University.
How to regulate generative AI
Oped, S Alex Yang & Angela Huyue Zhang, Published on 20/02/2024
» The impending rollout of the European Union's Artificial Intelligence Act represents the bloc's latest attempt to cement its status as a regulatory powerhouse. This ambitious legislation, which aims to impose stringent regulations on AI technologies, underscores the EU's commitment to proactive governance.
NACC in trouble again
Oped, Editorial, Published on 14/12/2023
» A decision of the National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC) to hand swift and severe punishment to a kind-hearted teacher in Chiang Mai has triggered public uproar and raises questions about the need for such a heavy-handed sentence.
Risky buses on our roads
Oped, Editorial, Published on 09/12/2023
» A tragic accident earlier this week involving a double-deck bus in Prachuap Khiri Khan, which claimed 14 lives and injured 32, has renewed concerns over safety standards.