Showing 1 - 10 of 2,187
Myanmar's robbery of a democracy
Oped, Thitinan Pongsudhirak, Published on 24/04/2026
» Five long years after Myanmar's military seized power on 1 Feb 2021, what has taken place in recent weeks amounts to a delayed fait accompli. Led by Senior General Min Aung Hlaing, then commander-in-chief of the armed forces, the coup diverged from its traditional playbook seen in 1962 and 1988, when tanks rolled and the military ruled by brute force. This time, the takeover nearly unravelled amid a nationwide uprising that evolved into a civil war, waged by an armed and determined resistance comprising the civilian-led National Unity Government (NUG), the People's Defence Forces (PDFs), and a constellation of Ethnic Armed Organisations (EAOs).
What's up, governor?
Oped, Editorial, Published on 23/04/2026
» The countdown to the Bangkok gubernatorial election has begun as incumbent Chadchart Sittipunt is set to complete his four-year term late next month.
How can we future-proof the global economy?
Oped, Mohamed A El-Erian, Published on 23/04/2026
» An uncomfortable reality is becoming increasingly difficult to ignore. The global economy is in a period of "more frequent and violent shocks", as Nobel laureate Michael Spence puts it. Instead of facing isolated and temporary disruptions, we are confronting a structural shift towards unsettling volatility, deepening fragmentation, and a wider dispersion of outcomes for countries, companies, and households. The old world is gone, and virtually everyone risks losing out in the new one. The question is by how much and what to do about it.
Vaping menace shifting more into childhood
Oped, Karnjana Karnjanatawe, Published on 23/04/2026
» The news of primary school children posting themselves vaping on Instagram is a warning sign. Viral images of young students vaping or smoking e-cigarettes have now become strikingly casual and performative, speaking volumes about how far the problem has gone.
Forget births, cut Thai deaths first
Oped, Sergei Scherbov & Vipan Prachuabmoh, Published on 23/04/2026
» Thailand's demographic debate is too often framed as though the country had only one option: raise fertility or accept a shrinking workforce. That view is understandable, but for the next two decades, it is mostly the misaligned policy horizon. If the question is how Thailand can strengthen its workforce before mid-century, the fastest answer is not higher fertility, but rather lower mortality.
Borrowing blindspot
Oped, Postbag, Published on 23/04/2026
» Re: "The question is not borrowing", (InQuote, April 22). Indeed, that is a golden bar of borrowings as expressed simply by our Financial Minister and Deputy Prime Minister, Ekniti Nitithanprapas. If no care is taken on how we spend someone's money once in their hands, then disaster can be expected if accountability in due time to bondholders on how they spend it and follow through is not seriously there.
Building readiness for climate loss
Oped, Chayapat Patarapanchai, Published on 22/04/2026
» The floods that submerged Hat Yai were not just another natural disaster. They were a warning sign that climate change is now hitting harder and faster than Thailand can keep up with.
Mining is killing region's rivers
Oped, Pianporn Deetes, Published on 21/04/2026
» Last week, Thailand's Pollution Control Department (PCD) released a report on its tenth round of water quality monitoring tests on three rivers in the northern region. The report is based on samples taken from the Kok, Sai, Ruak, and Mekong rivers in the country's northernmost area.
Norathip's gaffe shows mistrust still rife
Oped, Veera Prateepchaikul, Published on 20/04/2026
» A campaign is being aggressively launched on the social media to save Lt-Gen Norathip Poynok, commander of the southern-based Fourth Army Region, from being transferred out of the region as demanded by the federation of private religious schools in the Deep South, known as the Pondok and Tadika schools.
The war and its likely consequences
Oped, Thitinan Pongsudhirak, Published on 17/04/2026
» As the joint attack between the United States and Israel against Iran that resulted in a wider regional conflict in the Middle East approaches its two-month mark, the directions of the war remain precarious while some of the longer-lasting consequences appear evident. Unsurprisingly, the war has been detrimental and damaging for all states and societies concerned, not just within the affected region but the wider world. Already we can start counting some of the long-term costs.