Showing 1 - 10 of 126
Will poll be breakout or more of same?
Oped, Thitinan Pongsudhirak, Published on 06/02/2026
» As Thais go to the polls this Sunday, the most consequential question is whether Thailand will finally break out of its debilitating cycle of political instability and economic underperformance that has marked the past two decades. The signs and signals suggest otherwise -- at least not yet.
Graft body faces test
Oped, Editorial, Published on 14/01/2026
» Two statements issued by National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC) officials, urging a commissioner to resign over bribery allegations involving gold bars, suggest moral hazard at the country's graft-busting office.
The end of China's one-child policy, 10 years later
Oped, Yi Fuxian, Published on 09/01/2026
» Jan 1 marked a decade since China repealed its one-child policy. Just ten days earlier, Peng Peiyun, who long oversaw the often-brutal enforcement of China's family-planning rules, died at the age of 96, having never been held accountable for her actions. Some obituaries praised Peng for being "reform-minded", even though, in practice, she only perpetuated an utterly inhumane policy, whose consequences have barely begun to materialise.
A lesson in geoengineering for grown-ups
Oped, Gwynne Dyer, Published on 18/12/2025
» A few days ago the European Union's Earth Observation programme, "Copernicus", made a special announcement at the end of its monthly report on the state of the climate. It said that the average global temperature for the past three years (2023-2025) has been 1.5 degrees Celsius above the pre-industrial level. That's the level we were warned that we must never exceed.
Give Trump's Gaza peace plan a chance
Oped, Gwynne Dyer, Published on 08/10/2025
» When a bad man does a good thing, we should honour him for it, even if his motives are selfish.
Patronage at work
Oped, Editorial, Published on 29/09/2025
» The appointment of Pol Capt Atitaya Benjapak, better known as "Captain Cat" as deputy district chief officer in Si Sa Ket has sparked an uproar, not only because of her meteoric rise through the civil service but also because of what her case reveals about the chronic flaws in the bureaucratic system.
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.
Reimagining agriculture for young people
Oped, Maximo Torero, Published on 22/09/2025
» Is the agriculture sector fated to die out? Globally, the average age of farmers has been steadily creeping up, approaching 60 in developed countries. This leaves the sector, which supplies roughly one-quarter of jobs worldwide, in a bind: Unless it attracts large numbers of young workers, it could decline precipitously.
Uniting Asia for common growth
Oped, Pisanu Suvanajata, Published on 04/09/2025
» Amidst the current geopolitical turbulence, eminent persons of the Boao Forum for Asia (BFA) gathered in Kuala Lumpur, Aug 26–27, to brainstorm pragmatic strategies and policy recommendations for Asia-Pacific countries to navigate challenges and advance towards a sustainable future.
Crunch time for Phumtham
Oped, Editorial, Published on 15/07/2025
» New interior minister, and current acting prime minister, Phumtham Wechayachai, is a man who can make tough decisions. His recent record includes the decision to return Uyghurs to China early this year, as demanded by Beijing. Last month, he approved a long-delayed, controversial submarine procurement from China -- a call that even junta leader-cum-prime minister Gen Prayut Chan-o-cha shied away from.