Showing 1 - 10 of 46
Give BMA cooling centres a chance
Editorial, Published on 08/03/2026
» The Bangkok Metropolitan Administration's (BMA) initiative providing air-conditioned "cooling centres" may be met with a degree of scepticism but the initiative is an undeniably novel and humane response for a city increasingly pushed to its limits by climate risks -- marked by long summers and more frequent extreme heat events.
Timor-Leste finally joins the Asean fold
News, Kavi Chongkittavorn, Published on 14/10/2025
» Timor-Leste will be made a full member of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) on Oct 26. President José Ramos-Horta of Timor-Leste often joked that joining Asean was more difficult than going to heaven. Not anymore.
New words I probably won't be using
Roger Crutchley, Published on 31/08/2025
» The Cambridge Dictionary recently announced the inclusion of 6,000 new words mainly derived from their common usage in social media. I fear those words will simply be added to an already lengthy list of vocabulary I am totally unfamiliar with. As one observer noted "internet culture is changing the English language."
Singapore turns 60 with much to show
Oped, Thitinan Pongsudhirak, Published on 08/08/2025
» No country turns 60 like Singapore. In a neighbourhood of political dynasties and varying shades of autocracies and flawed democracies, the little island state of six million got lucky with its strongman rule. When he died in 2015, Singapore's patriarchal founder Lee Kuan Yew left a great country behind. This weekend, Singaporeans can take stock of what's gone by and rightly celebrate its milestone with much to show for.
Myanmar's 'my way' vs Asean norms
Oped, Kavi Chongkittavorn, Published on 08/07/2025
» It appeared to be a done deal. During their summit on May 26, Asean leaders agreed to admit Timor-Leste as the 11th member of the regional bloc. Since then, Nay Pyi Taw has raised an unexpected objection, with the junta issuing an official statement that could potentially embarrass Asean and its current chair, Malaysia.
Tariff man Trump vs united Asean
Oped, Kishore Mahbubani, Published on 09/06/2025
» US President Donald Trump's tariffs -- especially the ultra-high "reciprocal tariffs" that he says will be reintroduced on July 8 for any country that has not struck a trade deal with his administration -- have sent countries around the world scrambling to respond, adapt and limit the fallout. Asean's 10 members -- Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam -- have been among the most proactive.
Betting on bitcoin
Oped, Postbag, Published on 14/01/2025
» Re: "Buying bitcoin, more firms bet on rewards over risks", (Business, Jan 10).
Treaty could end our plastic crisis
Oped, Salisa Traipipitsiriwat & Penchom Saetang, Published on 29/11/2024
» On Nov 13, a coalition of 160 civil society organisations in Thailand made a historic plea, submitting a joint statement urging the Thai government to champion a strong Global Plastics Treaty at the upcoming fifth and final negotiations in Busan, South Korea. This treaty, initiated in 2022, aims to establish a legally binding global framework to address plastic pollution across its entire life cycle.
Celebrating 60 years of firm ties
News, Catherine Wong, Published on 27/11/2024
» Singapore's Prime Minister and Minister for Finance Lawrence Wong will make his introductory official visit to Thailand tomorrow. He will be the first foreign head of government that Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra will host in the kingdom.
Moving towards a fifth world order
Oped, Gordon Brown & Mohamed A El-Erian, Published on 26/10/2024
» The Bretton Woods institutions -- the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank -- are now 80 years old. But they are as under-resourced and poorly supported by national governments as at any time in their history. Their predicament is perhaps the clearest sign that economic and financial multilateralism is fragmenting along with the global economy. Worse, this fragmentation comes at a time of rising international tensions, financial fragility, sputtering growth, rising poverty, and mounting reconstruction bills in Gaza, Lebanon, Ukraine, and elsewhere.