Showing 1 - 10 of 154
Japanese PM Takaichi comes out on top
Oped, Taniguchi Tomohiko, Published on 11/02/2026
» Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi has just scored an unprecedented victory in the country's general election. The ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), which she leads, won 316 seats in the 465-member House of Representatives (the Diet's lower house), up sharply from 198. The combined strength of two parties that had merged hastily -- despite their fundamentally opposing platforms -- in an effort to bring Ms Takaichi down fell from 167 seats to just 49. The LDP, which celebrated its 70th anniversary last year, has never looked more robust.
Another wasted year in Thai politics
Oped, Thitinan Pongsudhirak, Published on 26/12/2025
» As Thailand winds down 2025 with an early election looming on Feb 8, the most consequential issue to watch in the coming year will be whether recent topsy-turvy political patterns of polls, protests, and military and judicial interventions give way to a compromise between the old guard clinging on to vested interests and the new generation clamouring for reform and change.
Hat Yai flood a saga of merry fools
Oped, Veera Prateepchaikul, Published on 01/12/2025
» Most people are aware of the complete failure of the Anutin administration's failure to handle the flood disaster in Hat Yai.
Parroting lies
Oped, Postbag, Published on 28/11/2025
» Re: "Rising heat needs urgent response", (Opinion, Nov 24). After repeating the obligatory but egregiously false lie that this year was the hottest on record, the UN climate alarmists claim, "By 2060, under a high-emissions scenario, the Islamic Republic of Iran, Mongolia, Myanmar, Turkey and Uzbekistan could lose more than 70% of their glacier mass. These phenomena also add to sea-level rise, raising existential risks for some countries in the Pacific."
Cheers for the absurd rules
Oped, Editorial, Published on 12/11/2025
» The amended alcohol control legislation that imposes fines on individuals who continue drinking alcoholic beverages during restricted hours -- particularly between 2pm and 5pm -- has left the government in hot water.
Digesting Trump's trip through Asia
Oped, Thitinan Pongsudhirak, Published on 07/11/2025
» Storming through Asia last week, US President Donald Trump's first stop in Kuala Lumpur on Oct 26, before moving on to Japan and South Korea over the next four days, capped by his meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping before returning to Washington, was the most consequential for Southeast Asian economies.
Scams grow, as laws lag
Oped, Editorial, Published on 30/10/2025
» Last week, police in Chiang Rai province arrested a 35-year-old Chinese national as he went from one ATM to a multitude of others to withdraw cash. A subsequent search of his rented room showed he had in his possession 2,057 ATM cards, 537,900 baht in cash, 35 bank books, and 39 SIM cards. He was initially charged with illegally possessing ATM cards belonging to others in a manner that may cause damage, a charge carrying a maximum sentence of five years' imprisonment.
An Asean free from 'wars on drugs'
Oped, Gloria Lai, Published on 19/09/2025
» Asean governments recently met in Singapore for a regional meeting about drugs, where the host nation urged renewed commitment to a "drug-free region". The problem isn't simply the recycling of an outdated mantra first declared in 1998, nor the fact that the region's drug markets have only expanded since then, but that this approach ignores how government policies themselves shape those markets -- and the devastating harms that follow.
Guns and guests
Oped, Postbag, Published on 12/09/2025
» Re: "Beijing 'centre' of new world order", (World, Sept 5). The display of China's latest weapons and what its mammoth military parade means on the world stage could be misconstrued as a cruel celebration of the cast of invited autocrats and despots (sans the belligerent and offended Trump).
Thai SMEs are in need of a lifeline
Oped, Dai Kadomae, Published on 07/08/2025
» Thailand's small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) are quietly suffering through a credit crunch with far-reaching implications. Despite accounting for over 90% of registered businesses, SMEs are finding it harder than ever to access capital. The economic recovery has been uneven, and traditional lenders -- still cautious after the pandemic -- are reducing risk exposure. But the core issue is not merely liquidity; it is the absence of a national system for reviving viable but stressed firms.