Showing 1 - 10 of 37
Monastic discipline in the digital age
Oped, Watcharin Ariyaprakai, Published on 23/07/2025
» At a time when Thai society is reeling from scandals in the monastic community -- from leaked audio clips of money transfers via apps to secret relationships with women -- we are not merely shocked that "monks have done wrong", but rather at how swiftly the "image of purity" we've long upheld has collapsed.
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.
Why faith is indispensable to global development
Oped, Alaa Murabit, Published on 04/06/2025
» For nearly two decades, I have worked at the intersection of development, health, and security. In roundtables with heads of state, emergency briefings, and donor forums, I have noticed a glaring pattern: faith-based actors are often excluded from global strategies. When present at all, they are sidelined, treated as symbolic figures rather than as genuine partners. This isn't just a blind spot. It's a strategic failure.
Don't let governments break encryption
Oped, Jessica Dickinson Goodman and Ezequiel Passeron Kitroser, Published on 03/04/2025
» Imagine that some strange man wants a picture of your child. If it were the year 1750, he might commission an artist, who would then knock on your door and ask to paint a portrait. You could say no.
Debt buyback carries risks
Oped, Editorial, Published on 03/04/2025
» The country's household debt is a critical issue that must be addressed, and the idea of a debt buyback is undeniably appealing. However, authorities must approach the proposal with extreme caution. The debt relief measure gained attention after former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra raised the idea at a mayoral election rally in Phitsanulok last week.
Present from Putin
Oped, Postbag, Published on 22/03/2025
» Re: "Putin call 'a test' of deal-making skill", (World, March 19).
The key to universal energy access
Oped, Ingrid-Gabriela Hoven and Francesco La Camera, Published on 18/03/2025
» Our planet and its inhabitants are in trouble. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) estimates that to meet the targets of the 2015 Paris agreement and keep global warming below 2° Celsius (relative to preindustrial levels), renewable energy must supply 70-85% of the world's electricity by 2050. In other words, renewable capacity must triple by 2030 to avert a climate catastrophe.
Less is more in restoring Asia's past
Oped, Jeff Allen & Waraporn Suwatchotikul, Published on 01/08/2024
» For decades, restorations of Southeast Asia's archaeological sites have typically involved transforming the past rather than faithfully presenting it. Conservationists often take a heavy-handed approach, embellishing a site to effectively "manufacture" a ruin that will appeal to visitors. But this tends to do more harm than good.
Clutching at straws
Oped, Postbag, Published on 01/06/2024
» Re: "Thaksin to fight royal insult case: Lawyers raise doctored video concerns", (BP, May 30).
Decarbonisation needs joint effort
Oped, Francesco La Camera & Bruce Douglas, Published on 21/05/2024
» As countries around the world experienced record temperatures last year, United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres declared, "We must turn a year of burning heat into a year of burning ambition." But to move away from fossil fuels and unlock the green transition's economic benefits, such as job creation and universal access to clean energy, industry leaders and policymakers must work together to translate the commitments made at the UN Climate Change Conference in Dubai (COP28) into actual renewable gigawatts.