Showing 1 - 10 of 53
'Scam-gate' deserves full accounting
Oped, Thitinan Pongsudhirak, Published on 24/10/2025
» The explosive revelations and allegations of regional cybercrimes and scam networks have hit Thailand head-on and placed the government of Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul in an awkward and defensive position. As more facts surrounding what looks like a labyrinthine cross-border multibillion-dollar transnational criminal ring come to light, more questions have surfaced with no clear answers. The Anutin government needs to come clean and avoid a "scam-gate" of cover-ups and lies at the expense of countless scammed victims across many countries.
Druggie's paradise
Oped, Postbag, Published on 07/07/2025
» Re: "Liquor limits", (PostBag, July 3). I read Felix Qui's passionate and poetically written defence of outright drug abuse.
Booze not a narcotic
Oped, Postbag, Published on 02/07/2025
» Re: "Do the same with booze", (PostBag, June 29).
The essence of Thailand in one phrase
Oped, Philip J Cunningham, Published on 05/06/2025
» The glossy brochures tell you it's "The Land of Smiles" or maybe it's just "amazing". Slightly more sophisticated takes suggest the essence of Thailand can be found in its unique expressions of showing consideration to others in the context of a hierarchy.
Time for Thaksin to face the music
Oped, Veera Prateepchaikul, Published on 02/06/2025
» After lying low and staying out of sight -- presumably to lick the wounds inflicted by the Medical Council of Thailand (MCT)'s ground-shaking ruling on May 8 regarding his controversial stay at the 14th floor of the Police General Hospital -- former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra re-entered the public foray on May 27 with a vengeance.
Be wary of Border Guard Force pledges
Oped, Editorial, Published on 18/02/2025
» After Thailand moved to cut electricity supply and internet access to several areas along the Myanmar border to curb the activities of Chinese scam syndicates in Myawaddy township, the Border Guard Force (BGF) -- an ethnic Karen militia allied with the Myanmar junta, led by Colonel Saw Chit Thu -- finally agreed to take action.
Scammers face losing their protection
Oped, Paskorn Jumlongrach, Published on 30/01/2025
» With mounting pressure from Bangkok and Beijing, it is becoming more difficult for Karen Border Guard Force (BGF) chief Maj Gen Saw Chit Thu to protect the grey business empire along the Moei river in Myawaddy and also to lead the force.
Thailand-South Korea dual narratives
Oped, Kavi Chongkittavorn, Published on 03/12/2024
» Thailand-South Korea relations are paradoxical. The countries share a dynamic that boasts both heroic achievements and glaring challenges. While their cultural and economic ties have progressed over the decades, they are black-eyed by labour and immigration issues. Solving these irritating issues can elevate friendship and unleash the potential of bilateral cooperation.
Act on pork smuggling
Oped, Editorial, Published on 14/11/2024
» The Department of Special Investigation (DSI) deserves praise for tackling the high-profile pork smuggling saga, but broader government action is still needed to solve the overall issue.
'Bulldozer justice' reigns in an unchanging India
Oped, Debasish Roy Chowdhury, Published on 11/09/2024
» Politically motivated bulldozing has returned with a vengeance in India. Earlier this month in the state of Madhya Pradesh, a local Muslim leader and member of the opposition Congress party watched his home, supposedly "illegally built", reduced to rubble. A district official then gloated on social media that justice had been served for recent attacks on the police. Meanwhile, in the neighbouring state of Uttar Pradesh, bulldozers flattened an "illegal" shopping complex owned by a Muslim functionary of an opposition party who had recently been arrested on charges of gang-raping a minor girl.