Showing 1 - 10 of 697
Implications of conservative triumph
Oped, Thitinan Pongsudhirak, Published on 13/02/2026
» The incumbent and conservative Bhumjaithai (BJT) Party has surprisingly swept Thailand's Feb 8 election with a commanding win. With the previously poll-leading and progressive People's Party (PP) coming in a distant second, Thailand appears headed for a conservative coalition government revolving around BJT and like-minded junior partners. Known for its conservative stance and being pro-status quo, it would not be surprising if the BJT-led coalition government, led by Prime Minister-elect Anutin Charnvirakul, were not challenged by the Constitutional Court, the Election Commission, and other supervisory agencies, which have derailed and dissolved reform-minded winning parties in the past.
Reinvent Thailand to revive growth
Oped, Boonwara Sumano, Published on 11/02/2026
» In the 1990s, Thailand ranked second in Asean for state performance, behind only Singapore. Today, we trail several neighbours. This decline has unfolded gradually over three decades -- through repeated economic crises, institutional stagnation, and reforms that never quite went far enough. What is different today is that the cost of inaction has become far more dangerous.
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.
Voters' choice merits respect
Oped, Editorial, Published on 09/02/2026
» Thailand's general election concluded yesterday amidst a nationwide atmosphere of anticipation, civic engagement and hope for the country's direction. By last night and into today, the outcome of the count has, in all likelihood, become broadly apparent to the public, setting the stage for the next crucial phase of our democracy.
Thailand's responses to Board of Peace
Oped, Kavi Chongkittavorn, Published on 27/01/2026
» US President Donald Trump's invitation to Thailand to join the Board of Peace (BOP) has elicited three distinct responses. The first two are succinct and clear in their rationale. The third, however, is more nuanced -- and notable for its ambivalence.
Peace board price tag
Oped, Editorial, Published on 21/01/2026
» Thailand has received an invitation from US President Donald Trump to join his newly proposed "Board of Peace", an organisation ostensibly aimed at overseeing the reconstruction and peace process in Gaza following more than two years of devastating conflict.
Three main parties and two directions
Oped, Thitinan Pongsudhirak, Published on 16/01/2026
» Although Thailand's election campaign is reaching fever pitch ahead of voting day on Feb 8, the dynamics and contours of its final outcome can be gleaned from past polls over the last 25 years. Only once in January 2001, as was indicated in this space last week, were voter results fully honoured and carried out. Other elections were either upended by military coups or manipulated by judicial interventions.
When infrastructure meets AI
Oped, Bertrand Badré & Saurabh Mishra, Published on 16/01/2026
» Infrastructure investment is booming. Around the world, governments are pouring trillions of dollars into roads, power grids, data centres, water systems, and housing, with many responding to intensifying climate shocks and the growing need for adaptation. Yet the construction industry -- the single largest force physically reshaping the planet -- is among the last major sectors to unlock all the benefits that digital technology offers. As a result, it accounts for about 21% of greenhouse-gas emissions, produces half of global landfill waste, and overspends by US$1.6 trillion a year.
Safety failures cost lives
Oped, Editorial, Published on 16/01/2026
» First and foremost, this newspaper extends its condolences to the families of the victims of two deadly crane collapses -- one on Wednesday at a railway construction site in Nakhon Ratchasima province, and another yesterday on a section of Rama II Highway in Samut Sakhon. We join the public in praying for those injured and receiving treatment in hospital, hoping for their full recovery.
Moderate global growth masks regional strains
Oped, John J. Metzler, Published on 14/01/2026
» Global economic growth still continues, but at a moderate pace. That's the verdict from the UN's World Economic Situation and Prospects 2026, which predicts that global economic output will grow by 2.7% this year, or slightly below the 2.8% estimated for 2025, but less than the pre-pandemic average of 3.2%.