Showing 1 - 4 of 4
Time to rethink Thailand's soft power
Oped, Peerasit Kamnuansilpa, Published on 09/04/2025
» For years, Thailand has marketed itself to the world through golden temples, glittering beaches, street food, and warm hospitality. The "Land of Smiles" has become a global brand, but soft power is not a marketing campaign -- it's a long game of developing and nourishing values, trust, and strategic diplomacy. In that game, Thailand is falling behind.
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.
Snakes on screen
Oped, Postbag, Published on 11/09/2024
» Re: "Thai casinos are looming, you can bet on it", (PostScript, Sept 8).
A silly syllabus
Oped, Postbag, Published on 04/11/2020
» Former Education Minister Somsak Prissananantakul favours providing students with a better understanding of history (BP, Nov 3), so long as a process known as chamra prawattisat be undertaken, in which academics with differing opinions come together to agree on a standard interpretation. This proposal sums up much of what is wrong with Thai education, and perhaps Thai culture as well. Why have a standard interpretation of history? So it can be crammed down students' throats for later regurgitation on command? History is like a photograph. It captures events from a specific angle, with a specific depth of field, and perhaps through various filters. Why not expose students to multiple interpretations and let them, through discussion, identify the biases in each and, in the process, develop critical thinking skills?