Showing 1 - 10 of 14
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.
Bad for democracy
Oped, Editorial, Published on 04/09/2025
» A House dissolution is meant to be a democratic coup de grâce -- a final option when governments can no longer govern and lawmakers cannot form a new coalition or find a leader to continue running the country. Once the House is dissolved, the nation must quickly hold a new general election.
Trump-era elections in the Anglosphere
Oped, Gwynne Dyer, Published on 23/04/2025
» The dictionary defines a "horse whisperer" as "someone who is skilled at training horses using gentle, non-violent methods based on understanding horse behaviour and psychology". By that standard, the only "Trump-whisperer" in Europe is Vladimir Putin (although Hungary's Viktor Orbán and Italy's Giorgia Meloni might get bit parts in the movie).
People's Party's poll losses lead to vital lessons
Oped, Saritdet Marukatat, Published on 24/12/2024
» What a year for the People's Party in 2024. The orangemen are black and blue after two successive political defeats. But that should be treated as good news for them as the two losses gave them a crucial lesson.
Middle Kingdom and 'boomerang effect'
Oped, Kasit Piromya, Published on 25/10/2024
» President Xi Jinping, on the eve of assuming the supreme leadership of China, came forward with the notion that China, the Middle Kingdom, lost its grandeur and supremacy in the middle of the 19th century to Western influence and encroachment, as well as the Japanese and island kingdoms that essentially acted as imperial Western powers inflicting military defeats against the massive but inadequate Chinese forces.
Time for Myanmar aid, trade rethink?
Oped, Thomas Kean, Published on 11/05/2024
» The Myanmar military's recent defeats in and around the border town of Myawaddy at the hands of the Karen National Liberation Army (KNLA) and pro-democracy resistance forces should serve as a wake-up call for Thailand.
End monopoly for cheap, clean energy
Oped, Areeporn Asawapongphan, Published on 22/11/2023
» If Thailand hopes to honour its global pledge to mitigate climate change by becoming carbon neutral by 2050, there is one way to do it -- electricity liberalisation.
US's semiconductor subsidy is counterproductive
Oped, Anne O. Krueger, Published on 06/04/2023
» Last year's US CHIPS and Science Act created large subsidies for investments in domestic semiconductor fabrication facilities (fabs) because microchips are essential to the US economy and national security. But while no one disputes the importance of chips (which are used in everything from cruise missiles to refrigerators), there are serious questions about whether subsidising such investments is the best way to secure a reliable supply.
Myanmar's military takeover falters
Oped, Thitinan Pongsudhirak, Published on 03/02/2023
» Global news headlines this month will be focused on the one-year anniversary of Russia's invasion of Ukraine, which falls on Feb 24. This external aggression, where a bigger state unilaterally takes territory from a smaller neighbour by force, can be juxtaposed to an internal subjugation in Myanmar, where a military coup took place two years ago this week. Whether the aggression is externally between states, or internally within a state, the oppressors behave the same way and pursue similar objectives of conquest and dominance. Reversing an internal subjugation is as morally compelling as turning back an external aggression. What Myanmar's civilian-led resistance coalition needs is a fraction of the aid the Ukrainians have been receiving.