Showing 1 - 10 of 16
In an uncertain world, gold is a comfort
Oped, Chartchai Parasuk, Published on 05/02/2026
» With Thai citizens heading to the polls this Sunday to decide which party will form the next government, I have decided to postpone my article on the economic crisis for another two weeks.
Is a return to gold standard possible?
Oped, Chartchai Parasuk, Published on 11/12/2025
» We are now in the middle of the holiday season. Therefore, I will refrain from writing about heavy and depressing issues like the Thai economy and the outlook for 2026 and beyond. In this moment of joy, I will write about the possibility of returning to the gold standard, which some supporters say can be seen in central banks aggressively buying gold bullion to replace the dubious US dollar. The last article of the year will be about the Sovereign Wealth Fund (SWF).
Reform lending laws
Oped, Postbag, Published on 03/09/2025
» Re: "Buy now, bankrupt later", (Business, Sept 1). Little is ever said about the so-called many (often SET-listed) prolific finance companies here, which charge very high interest rates, levy late fees very quickly, and impose other strict rules that are often, may we say, not very consumer-finance friendly.
Donors must still beware
Oped, Editorial, Published on 21/08/2025
» The Revenue Department's decision to require Buddhist temples to adopt an e-donation system, beginning in January, is a welcome development -- if long overdue.
Trump, Bitcoin and the dollar
Oped, Carla Norrlöf, Published on 13/03/2025
» In a March 6 executive order, US President Donald Trump established a "digital gold" Bitcoin reserve, to be capitalised with any BTC seized by federal law enforcement. With the supply of BTC capped at 21 million coins, the administration wants the United States to secure a first-mover advantage as a major holder of an emerging store of value. But since it is unlikely that seized BTC alone can achieve the desired scale, the US also may purchase it on the open market.
GDP figures don't reflect real situation
Oped, Chartchai Parasuk, Published on 26/12/2024
» This article is the last for 2024. I have made many bad predictions about the Thai economy throughout the year. Many became true, like the contracting credit market, the NPL explosion, and an ineffective cash handout programme. Many have not become true (or have they?). One was GDP growth. Instead of shrinking as I predicted, GDP growth rates improved from quarter to quarter. They were 1.6% for Q1, 2.2% for Q2, and 3.0% for Q3. And it is expected to be 3.5% for Q4 to fulfil the annual 2.6% growth projection.
Save our fading modern architecture
Oped, Weerapon Singnoi, Published on 30/03/2023
» If you are reading this, you probably hope that we will start taking better care of our historic architecture here in Thailand. But you might not immediately think of our modern buildings constructed during the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s.
Crypto shelf life
Oped, Postbag, Published on 25/11/2022
» Re: "Is this the end game for crypto", (Opinion, Nov 20).
'Worthless, risky' cryptocurrencies should be banned
Oped, Willem H. Buiter, Published on 12/02/2022
» The price of Bitcoin has undergone yet another wild gyration, rising from $41,030 (1.3 million baht) on Sept 29, 2021, to $69,000 on Nov 10, 2021, before falling back to $35,075 on Jan 23. That is its second-largest decline in absolute value, though it has suffered larger declines in percentage terms, such as between Dec 15, 2017, and Dec 14, 2018, when it fell by 83.8%. More broadly, the cryptocurrency market (comprising some 12,278 coins) was estimated to be worth $3.3 trillion on Nov 8, 2021, before plummeting to $1.75 trillion as of Jan 30.
Weighing the value of cryptocurrencies
Oped, Chartchai Parasuk, Published on 16/12/2021
» I am sure that almost everybody has heard about cryptocurrencies. Some might even be investing in them. But few understand what are they really for and, most importantly, how should they be valued? As of Dec 15, one Bitcoin had a market price of US$48,144 (slightly over 1.6 million baht per coin).