Showing 1 - 10 of 55
A fond farewell to the poster people
Oped, Roger Crutchley, Published on 08/02/2026
» For a couple of months the streets in Bangkok and throughout Thailand have been decorated with posters of political candidates. But now the Big Day has arrived and soon the posters will disappear. In a strange sort of way, I will miss their presence as they were at least something to look at when stuck in the traffic. They generally appeared to be a cheerful lot, beaming at us with big cheesy grins as one would expect in the Land of Smiles.
Plentiful policy on offer
Oped, Editorial, Published on 19/01/2026
» Thailand is heading towards a consequential general election on Feb 8. In the weeks leading up to polling day, voters have been bombarded with policy proposals from across the political spectrum. Many are attractively packaged and, if fully realised, would seemingly transform the country overnight.
People's Party not ready for big league
Oped, Veera Prateepchaikul, Published on 15/12/2025
» Alas, the reformist People's Party (PP) has shot itself in the foot, once again. The latest botch happened on Dec 11 during the joint sitting of the Senate and the House to vote on the second reading of the charter amendment bill.
Where there's Muck there's puffins
Oped, Roger Crutchley, Published on 30/11/2025
» Important news from Northern Ireland. For the first time in more than 25 years puffins have been spotted on the quaintly named Isle of Muck. The isle is a nature reserve on the Antrim coast and derives its unusual name from the adjacent town of Portmuck.
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".
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.
Scrap bridge plan
Oped, Postbag, Published on 17/09/2025
» Re: "Setting a short-term target", (Business, Sept 15) & "Govt's ambitious land bridge project puts residents at risk", (BP, Aug 29). The Kra Canal or Land Bridge project is in the spotlight once again. No matter what critics and proponents of the project may say, the fact of the matter is that the project is neither appealing to businesses nor financially feasible.
Blended finance for climate action
Oped, Imran Arif, Published on 13/08/2025
» It takes policy support, commitment and also money to tackle climate change. For the latter, Thailand needs around 5-7 trillion baht in climate finance to achieve its carbon neutrality and net-zero emissions by 2050 and 2065, respectively. However, that's a target the country is still a long way away from.
Thai-Vietnamese ties enter new phase
Oped, Kavi Chongkittavorn, Published on 17/06/2025
» Vietnam has made significant strides this year in building strong, comprehensive strategic partnerships (CSPs) with four key Asean nations -- Thailand, Indonesia, Singapore, and Malaysia. It is a notable achievement for Hanoi, reflecting its growing confidence and increasing political influence. Earlier batches of CSPs included global powers such as China, Russia, India, South Korea, Japan, the US, and Australia.
Defusing Thai-Cambodian border row
Oped, Thitinan Pongsudhirak, Published on 13/06/2025
» At issue in the ongoing border standoff between the Thai and Cambodian armed forces is timing and circumstance. In less than two weeks, a seemingly minor border skirmish intensified into a full-scale military confrontation. What is being overlooked in the thick of mutual antagonism and ultranationalism on both sides is when and how the current round of confrontation transpired. Getting its origins right is crucial to finding ways and means for conflict resolution.