Showing 1 - 10 of 296
Can alliances with the US be replaced?
Oped, Kavi Chongkittavorn, Published on 07/04/2026
» The increasingly loud debate over the future of alliances -- after reports that the US could scale back or even withdraw from Nato -- is nerve-racking. It has caused alarm across Europe and in Southeast Asia, another node of the US alliance network. Even without any official decision, remarks by US President Donald Trump on social media were enough to shake already fragile US alliances. The question now frequently asked by Thai policymakers is: What comes next if alliances weaken?
US must let IAEA do its job in Iran
Oped, Helen Clark, Published on 31/03/2026
» The US-Israeli war on Iran has already destabilised the global economy and the geopolitics of the Middle East. Even more alarming, recent reporting shows that US President Donald Trump is deploying ground troops, a prospect that immediately evokes memories of past failed interventions -- from Vietnam to Iraq -- with their high costs in American and especially local lives.
Power rivalry heats up Mekong region
Oped, Kavi Chongkittavorn, Published on 24/03/2026
» The Thai saying, maenam maimee promdan (rivers have no boundaries), fittingly applies to the mighty Mekong River, known in China as the Lancang.
Impacts of Iran war on Southeast Asia
Oped, Thitinan Pongsudhirak, Published on 20/03/2026
» For the most part, Southeast Asia as a region has taken a neutral stance toward the joint attack between the United States and Israel against the Islamic Republic of Iran. Even the Philippines and Thailand, two formal US treaty allies, have distanced themselves, calling for restraint and de-escalation.
75 years of Thai-Lao relations
Oped, Krongkanit Rakcharoen, Published on 18/03/2026
» December is a meaningful month for the peoples of Thailand and the Lao People's Democratic Republic (Lao PDR), as it marks the national days of both countries -- 2 Dec for Lao PDR and 5 Dec for Thailand. December 2025 is particularly significant as it commemorates the 50th anniversary of the founding of the Lao PDR and, on 19 Dec, the 75th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Thailand and the Lao PDR when both countries launched the formal establishment of diplomatic relations on 19 Dec 1950.
Can artificial intelligence kill imaginary friends?
Oped, Naomi R Aguiar & Marjorie Taylor, Published on 13/03/2026
» Will we someday have nostalgia for a time when children talked to an imaginary friend instead of an AI companion?
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.
Minilateralism's necessary rise
Oped, Prabhat Upadhyaya & Saliem Fakir, Published on 23/02/2026
» If there was any doubt remaining about the return of great-power politics, it has been dispelled by US President Donald Trump's attack on Venezuela, threats to annex Greenland, and refusal to extend the New Start treaty limiting the nuclear arsenals of the United States and Russia. Such geopolitical upheavals are driven by "the will to power", as Adam Tooze has pointed out -- including "power over resources, purchasing power, the ability to resist the influence of others."
Why communities pay for mining
Oped, Christopher Rutledge, Published on 19/02/2026
» Last week, policymakers and industry executives of mining companies gathered in Cape Town for the annual African Mining Indaba. They followed a familiar script: governments would court investors, companies would promise jobs and growth, and champagne would flow as speakers tout Africa as indispensable to the global energy transition.
Japan's Takaichi wins strong new mandate
Oped, John J. Metzler, Published on 19/02/2026
» A political Tsunami swept across Japan as recent national elections delivered a resounding victory for the incumbent party and its maverick leader, Sanae Takaichi. Though the outcome was assumed, her stunning triumph in the Feb 8 election was unexpected.