Showing 1 - 10 of 2,015
War tests energy policy
Oped, Editorial, Published on 06/03/2026
» The ongoing war in the Middle East is a new litmus test for the energy policies of governments around the world, including the new administration in Bangkok. This time, the government and our energy policymakers hope -- and indeed pray -- that this Middle East conflict will be brief.
Put guns in the crosshairs
Oped, Editorial, Published on 04/03/2026
» On Feb 19, caretaker Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul, in his capacity as interior minister, issued an order to freeze the issuance of permits to carry firearms in public for one year, supposedly to reduce gun-related violence.
Heat back on State Audit Office
Oped, Editorial, Published on 27/02/2026
» A music video released by the State Audit Office (SAO) came at just the right time. Without this house track, the harrowing collapse of its under-construction building might have begun to fade from public attention.
Carney's speech signals end of Western illusions
Oped, Antara Haldar, Published on 27/02/2026
» When the late playwright Tom Stoppard's Rock 'n' Roll first opened 20 years ago, it was deeply personal for me as a student at Cambridge studying film in Prague. A meditation on the clash between communism and capitalism in Czechoslovakia (now the Czech Republic and Slovakia), it dwelt on the confrontation between high theory and lived reality in a way that moved me profoundly. Two decades later, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney's recent speech in Davos felt like the sequel.
The fuss about Thailand and Trump's Board of Peace
Oped, Kavi Chongkittavorn, Published on 24/02/2026
» Thai media were perplexed by the appearance of the Thai flag in the background at the inaugural meeting of the Board of Peace (BOP) in Washington, DC last Thursday. After all, Thailand is not a BOP member. In a swift response, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said the country was attending as an observer.
Diplomacy over silence
Oped, Editorial, Published on 24/02/2026
» Caretaker Foreign Minister Sihasak Phuangketkeow is garnering praise for his open diplomacy aimed at re-engaging with Myanmar. Last Wednesday, he formally met his counterpart Than Swe in Phuket. There, Mr Sihasak was quoted by international media as saying that Thailand will serve as a "bridge" to bring Myanmar back into Asean.
People's Party needs to sort out its mess
Oped, Veera Prateepchaikul, Published on 23/02/2026
» Two weeks have passed since the election on Feb 8, and yet no one has come up with proof that the barcodes and QR codes printed on ballot sheets used on the day can be traced back to individual voters, showing for whom and which parties they voted for.
The gist of Thai politics over 20 years
Oped, Thitinan Pongsudhirak, Published on 20/02/2026
» Thailand's democratic institutions have been repressed and kept weak to the point that confusion still prevails almost two weeks after the Feb 8 election, which purportedly showed a clear victory for the ruling Bhumjaithai (BJT) Party under Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul. On the one hand, Mr Anutin and BJT stalwarts are busy forming a coalition government with other parties. On the other hand, fraud allegations from civil society groups and the opposition People's Party have reached a critical mass with the plausibility that the recent vote might be nullified to pave the way for a new poll.
Could a Brics currency rival the dollar?
Oped, Jim O'Neill, Published on 18/02/2026
» Could the Brics (Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa) ever launch a shared currency to challenge the US dollar's dominant position in the world economy? Like many conventional international economists, I have generally dismissed the idea, despite my own role in coining the Brics acronym, which led to the creation of a formal Brics club (since expanded into the Brics+, with the addition of five new members).
Time to guard schools
Oped, Editorial, Published on 13/02/2026
» The school shooting in Songkhla on Wednesday is a stark reminder that schools -- which should be the safest of places -- remain vulnerable to gun attacks.