Showing 1 - 10 of 53
Anutin's new cabinet is a mixed bag
Oped, Thitinan Pongsudhirak, Published on 26/09/2025
» The composition and size of Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul's 36-member cabinet suggest that he intends to stay in office for as long as possible, clinging to the terms of the government-enabling Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) and calling an early election only if circumstances make it unavoidable.
The baht's troubling rise
Oped, Editorial, Published on 22/09/2025
» The Thai baht, since the beginning this year, has appreciated nearly 8% against the US dollar. Such an escalation makes baht the strongest among Asian currencies. While a rapid currency appreciation should have been taken a signal of economic strength, the underlying realities paints a far more complex and worrying situation.
The baht is almost as good as gold
Oped, Chartchai Parasuk, Published on 18/09/2025
» The baht is undoubtedly the strongest currency in the region. Over this year, the baht has appreciated 4.45% against the dollar while the Vietnamese dong has depreciated 8.47%.
New govt may last longer than pledged
Oped, Thitinan Pongsudhirak, Published on 12/09/2025
» Thailand's latest round of political tumult reached a culmination when the Constitutional Court removed Paetongtarn Shinawatra of the hitherto ruling Pheu Thai (PT) Party from office on Aug 29, paving the way for Bhumjaithai Party (BJT) leader Anutin Charnvirakul to succeed her as prime minister with the Lower House's majority support a week later.
Alaska talks will test the desire for peace in Ukraine
Oped, John J Metzler, Published on 13/08/2025
» Is there now a chance to end Russia's war in Ukraine? Are both sides in this bloody stalemate finally willing to give peace a chance, despite real reservations by both Moscow and Kyiv to keep the fighting going just a little longer? More importantly, are Ukraine's backers, notably the US and European countries such as the UK, Germany and Poland, able to exert enough pressure on Vladimir Putin to make a deal?
PM's crisis and Thai political directions
Oped, Thitinan Pongsudhirak, Published on 27/06/2025
» What began just a month ago as a minor border dispute with Cambodia has spiralled into an existential political crisis in Thailand. In what she understood to be a private phone conversation with Cambodia's former prime minister and Senate President, Hun Sen, Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra compromised her premiership and undermined Thai national interests. While she tries to ride out the storm, her tenure appears wobbly and unworkable. What comes next will likely proceed in one of three directions revolving around the Thai parliamentary processes, each with its own scenarios and considerations.
CDU won the German polls, but can it rule?
Oped, John J. Metzler, Published on 26/02/2025
» Another major country has flipped politically to the conservative column. After three years of a drifting centre-left coalition government, voters elected a conservative (small c) Christian Democratic Union CDU government in Germany's parliamentary elections. Yet what was expected to be a massive win for the likely new Chancellor, Friedrich Merz, became a bit disappointing when his party gained 28.5% of the vote.
Household debt plan has many flaws
Oped, Chartchai Parasuk, Published on 28/11/2024
» It is unanimously agreed that household debt is one of the major economic problems of Thailand. Non-performing loans (NPL) from household debt amount to 1.2 trillion baht according to the National Credit Bureau (NCB). If it includes Special Mentioned (SM) debt (31-90 days of default), the bad debt level would rise to 1.7 trillion baht, or about 12.3% of total household debt outstanding.
Monks should know better
Oped, Editorial, Published on 27/09/2024
» It is appalling that a building containing pillars with valuable stucco works created by a national artist was demolished over the weekend at Wat Mahathat Worawihan in Phetchaburi province.
The UK's most working-class government
Oped, Aaron Reeves & Sam Friedman, Published on 09/07/2024
» The United Kingdom has a new Labour government whose class composition are radically different from previous ones. According to our analysis of Labour's shadow cabinet, some 46% of Keir Starmer's cabinet members were raised by parents with "working class" occupations. That figure is well above average in terms of the broader working population, and it stands in stark contrast to the 7% who were of working-class origin in the last Conservative cabinet.