Showing 1 - 10 of 355
Corruption keeps getting worse
Editorial, Published on 15/02/2026
» Everyone knows corruption in Thailand is bad, but few realise how bad. By global standards, Thailand is slipping into the bottom tier.
One year of marriage equality
Oped, Niamh Collier-Smith, Published on 13/02/2026
» Every year on Feb 14, the world pauses to celebrate love -- traditionally through flowers, romance and promises. But this Valentine's Day in Thailand goes beyond sentiment, marking over one full year of legal marriage equality.
Reflect, respect and celebrate
Oped, Angela Macdonald, Published on 26/01/2026
» Australia Day 2026 is an opportunity to reflect on our nation, history and achievements. We are grateful to celebrate this occasion with our colleagues, partners and friends here in Thailand, a country with whom Australia shares a long and enduring partnership, and a country close to Australians' hearts.
Trump's 'America First' in overdrive
News, Thitinan Pongsudhirak, Published on 23/01/2026
» President Donald Trump's extraterritorial capture of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and his wife on cocaine-trafficking and terrorism-related charges earlier this month and repeated demand to take over Greenland at the World Economic Forum this week are part and parcel of a belligerent and transformative "America First" paradigm that dates back at least four decades.
NY bash takes turn for better
Editorial, Published on 11/01/2026
» A spectacular display of fireworks is traditionally the crowning moment of any major festival, and the recent New Year celebrations were no exception.
‘Mai pen rai’ paradox: from kindness to toxic silence
Juranan Soranet, Published on 07/01/2026
» "Mai pen rai" (It’s okay/never mind) is perhaps the most classic Thai phrase, symbolising kindness, compromise and a go-with-the-flow attitude. It is the hallmark of Thai charm. However, in a modern world driven by consumer rights and accountability, the harmless phrase is becoming a double-edged sword. We are witnessing the rise of "Toxic kreng jai" — an excessive form of considerateness where we suppress our own rights just to avoid being labelled "demanding".
Somaliland: Mixed motivations
News, Gwynne Dyer, Published on 03/01/2026
» Last week Israel was the first country in the world to establish diplomatic relations with Somaliland. Not Somalia, a wreck of a country on the East African coast that has been mired in civil war for the past thirty-five years, but Somaliland, a different country just north of there that has been peaceful, relatively prosperous and even democratic for all those years.
Exit the Snake, enter the Horse
News, Curtis S Chin and Jose B Collazo, Published on 30/12/2025
» As we bid farewell to 2025, and welcome 2026 -- and soon, the lunar Year of the Horse -- we once again highlight the winners and losers of the year gone by in Asia.
Infiltration by a bad lot
News, Editorial, Published on 22/12/2025
» Images of armed clashes along the Thai–Cambodian border have drawn global attention, especially after the Thai military expanded its operations to casinos. While these sites were described as military positions used to stage attacks against Thailand, the symbolism of the strikes extends far beyond the battlefield.
Anutin's credibility shaken by floods
News, Chairith Yonpiam, Published on 29/11/2025
» The southern flood crisis, especially the disaster in Hat Yai, has placed the Anutin Charnvirakul government and his Bhumjaithai Party (BJT) in political difficulties. Some observers have even forewarned that the flood woes are the beginning of the BJT government's downfall.