Showing 1 - 10 of 350
Rethinking Thailand's visa-free policy
Oped, Kavi Chongkittavorn, Published on 31/03/2026
» Thailand is planning to cut visa-free stays from 60 days to 30 days. This long-overdue change reflects growing concern over the effectiveness of immigration surveillance. Moreover, scaling down visa-free stays underscores the seriousness of the Anutin government's efforts to combat scammers, illegal work, and other underground activities that exploit easy visa access to turn Thailand into a base for under-the-table operations.
Trump goes off-script, US gone rogue
Oped, Thitinan Pongsudhirak, Published on 27/03/2026
» It was not supposed to work like this. "America First" and "Make America Great Again" (MAGA) were supposed to be about an inward turn to repair, replenish and rebuild an externally overstretched and internally weakened country, weighed down by unnecessary global entanglements, unsustainable national debt, and unimpeded mass migration. It seemed for a time that the MAGA movement to prioritise America above and beyond the international system and its constituent parts had found its final prophet in President Donald J Trump. But now, somehow, President Trump has betrayed the movement that has carried him to office by waging a disastrous war on Iran in cooperation with Israel.
Visa blowback
Oped, Postbag, Published on 26/03/2026
» Re: "MFA proposes slashing visa-free tourist period in half", (BP, March 25) & "Explainer: Thailand's new visas", (Podcast, Aug 5, 2024).
A prudent path
Oped, Postbag, Published on 11/03/2026
» Re: "Thailand braces for fallout from Mideast war", (Business, March 9). While we wish the leading political party in the new government fortitude and resilience in its efforts to steer Thailand through these turbulent times, we must also remind ourselves of the wise counsel of King Bhumibol Adulyadej the Great when he proposed the Sufficiency Economy as the most viable philosophy to help Thailand surmount the challenges of external threats and global shifts in economics and political destabilisation.
We don't need 'Seven Dangerous Days'
Oped, Peerasit Kamnuansilpa, Published on 27/02/2026
» Every Thai driver recognises the moment. The light turns green. Naturally, you can move; yet in Thai-style traffic, your instincts tell you to be hesitant. Despite the traffic light, a reckless motorcycle may still cross. A pickup may not stop. Drivers behind start honking as they wait to pass through the intersection. For a brief second, drivers just cannot afford to be certain about how others will behave.
Unlocking Thai competitiveness
Oped, Kiratipong Naewmalee & Phumjit Sri-Udomkajorn, Published on 25/02/2026
» Regulatory reform is an urgent priority in restoring growth to Thailand's emerging economy. Rigid rules and excessive red tape have become significant structural barriers to private sector development. Evidence from several key industries demonstrates that outdated, fragmented legislation continues to constrain competitiveness.
Killing the goose that lays the Olympic gold medal
Oped, Nancy Qian, Published on 24/02/2026
» The Olympic Games have always been about more than sports, with the medal count serving as a measure of national vitality. The 2026 Winter Games in Milan and Cortina are no different. The Americans, like everyone else, want confirmation of their preeminence. So important is that outcome that even US Vice President JD Vance briefly acknowledged the value of non-white immigration to the United States when he complained that Eileen Gu, the US-born medal-winning skier for China, should be competing under the American flag.
Airports of Thailand must justify charge
Oped, Editorial, Published on 23/02/2026
» The decision by Airports of Thailand (AoT) to raise the international Passenger Service Charge (PSC) from 730 baht to 1,120 baht marks the steepest increase in nearly two decades.
Surviving the collapse of the population
Oped, Gwynne Dyer, Published on 13/02/2026
» 'To them that hath shall [more] be given" is generally a reliable guide, especially in economic matters, but it doesn't work if the beneficiaries are too stupid to take advantage of the gift. The scarce and precious commodity in this case being people, who are in increasingly short supply.
Japanese PM Takaichi comes out on top
Oped, Taniguchi Tomohiko, Published on 11/02/2026
» Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi has just scored an unprecedented victory in the country's general election. The ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), which she leads, won 316 seats in the 465-member House of Representatives (the Diet's lower house), up sharply from 198. The combined strength of two parties that had merged hastily -- despite their fundamentally opposing platforms -- in an effort to bring Ms Takaichi down fell from 167 seats to just 49. The LDP, which celebrated its 70th anniversary last year, has never looked more robust.