Showing 1 - 10 of 147
Nuanced Thai smiles
Oped, Postbag, Published on 09/01/2026
» Re: " 'Mai pen rai' paradox: from kindness to toxic silence", (Life, Jan 7). This is an excellent article, but alas goes down a rabbit hole, akin to mitigating daily road fatalities and addressing other issues often lamented in this column that we're acquainted with.
No special species
Oped, Postbag, Published on 29/11/2025
» Re: "Jakarta dog meat ban sparks debate", (World, Nov 27). Yes, if an animal is infected with rabies or any other disease, it is probably better not to eat its meat, however tasty, albeit recognising that the starving might reasonably have different priorities. This is true whether the animal is a dog, a cow, a cat, a pig, a chicken, or another of our animal relatives.
Why climate finance is no longer enough
Oped, Laura Carvalho, Published on 11/11/2025
» With the UN Climate Conference (COP30) in Belém, Brazil, kicking off, it is clear that the world's widely shared commitment to a just energy transition is falling by the wayside. In the year since governments signed on to the agreement at COP29 to scale up climate finance -- with a goal of mobilising $1.3 trillion (42 trillion baht) annually by 2035 -- wealthy countries have been retreating from their pledges. Worse, these signs of bad faith are coming just as the costs of climate adaptation and decarbonisation in developing countries are mounting.
Cute posts, cruel trade
Oped, Editorial, Published on 04/11/2025
» For years, CITES -- the United Nations' multilateral treaty aimed at protecting endangered plants and animals from threats posed by international trade -- has focused on combating wildlife trafficking networks that smuggle exotic animals from forests and breeding centres to meet demand from private zoos and the traditional medicine trade.
Can Trump achieve eternal peace in Gaza?
Oped, Joschka Fischer, Published on 30/10/2025
» Past wars in the Middle East have not only brought immense human suffering but also created new paths toward peace. The same holds for the war in and around Gaza. Israel and the United States have significantly, and perhaps decisively, weakened the so-called Axis of Resistance -- led, financed, and armed by Iran -- and Iran's nuclear programme. The leaders of Hezbollah (in Lebanon) and Hamas (in Gaza) have been eliminated, and the Assad regime in Syria has been overthrown. The Middle East is now a different place, and Iran and its Axis of Resistance are among the biggest losers.
A paradigm shift for animal tests
Oped, Peter Singer & Sankalpa Ghose, Published on 17/10/2025
» Even in an era of intense political polarisation, there are still moments when a bipartisan consensus can emerge around important ethical issues. One such moment is happening now. Last April, the United States Food and Drug Administration released its "Roadmap to Reducing Animal Testing in Preclinical Safety Studies". The FDA said that it was taking "a groundbreaking step" that would advance public health and limit wasteful expenditure by replacing animal testing with "more effective, human-relevant methods".
SET expat problems
Oped, Postbag, Published on 09/10/2025
» Re: "Capital market task force unveils 'quick win' reform", (Business, Oct 7). One still unresolved issue is foreigners/expats at times not getting their freely issued warrants, even those who reside here in permanence and own the so-called NVDR shares.
No time to wait for Thai fiscal reform
Oped, Wichit Chantanusornsiri, Published on 17/09/2025
» The daunting mission of the four-month-old government led by Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul is to revive an economy that has been sluggish for a long time. Can the Anutin government deliver? After all, tackling "bread-and-butter" issues requires fiscal sustainability.
Why cattle matter in the Thai economy
Oped, Khanitha Pakinamhang, Published on 10/09/2025
» The milk in your morning coffee. The beef in your favourite menu. Both come from small Thai farms now struggling to survive.