Showing 1 - 10 of 45
The dark side of vaping
Oped, Editorial, Published on 24/12/2025
» The latest crackdown on e‑cigarette labs in Pattaya and Bangkok this week is a stark reminder that e‑cigarettes -- illegal products that have become a lifestyle accessory for young people and partygoers -- are growing more widespread and more dangerous.
Betting on the wrong horse
Oped, Editorial, Published on 11/08/2025
» In times of economic challenge and amid simmering border tensions with Cambodia, Acting Prime Minister Phumtham Wechayachai, who doubles as interior minister, has quietly overturned a 67-year-old ban on poker, reclassifying it from gambling to a recognised sport. The sudden move, which happened without public consultation, has sparked criticism and fuelled suspicion about the government's true priorities.
Be wary of betting
Oped, Editorial, Published on 18/07/2025
» After the casino initiative, wrapped in a contentious entertainment complex bill, fell flat, the ruling Pheu Thai Party is now touting controversial legislation on legalising online gambling, citing the need to increase state revenues.
Welcome all, equally
Oped, Postbag, Published on 18/07/2025
» Re: "Fast immigration lanes for Chinese students' families at Thai airports", (BP, July 13).
Casinos to entertainment capital
Oped, Glenn McCartney and Joe Lema, Published on 09/07/2025
» Casino "integrated resorts (IRs)" -- framed as "entertainment complexes (ECs)" in Thailand -- have proved to be hugely transformative for tourism, destination image, the economy, policy creation, and society.
On-line betting threat
Oped, Editorial, Published on 15/05/2025
» Amid a surge of contrary opinions, it would be no surprise if the The casino-entertainment complex bill that the Pheu Thai government has sponsored runs into hurdles when it goes for its reading in parliament in July.
Old school forever
Oped, Postbag, Published on 04/03/2025
» Re: "AI has potential, but care needed", (Editorial, Feb 23).
First, fix the rules
Oped, Postbag, Published on 28/02/2025
» Re: "Let the people decide", (PostBag, Feb 23) & "Charter rewrite faces major setbacks", (Opinion, Feb 22).
Casino policy faces doubts
Oped, Editorial, Published on 17/01/2025
» For any government that tries to legalise casino projects in Land of Smiles, public resistance often gets in the way. The latest attempt by the Paetongtarn administration is no different.
New government is new wine in old bottle
Oped, Thitinan Pongsudhirak, Published on 13/09/2024
» On the face of it, the new government under Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra appears to be a generational shift and gender breakthrough. Ms Paetongtarn is the youngest prime minister ever at 38 and only the second female government leader after her aunt Yingluck Shinawatra in 2011-14. The Paetongtarn cabinet features a record eight women among 36 with more ministers in their 30s-50s and fewer above 60. Yet on closer scrutiny, the new and younger faces are largely family legacies and proxies, surrounded by old-style politicians, while the new government's policy directions sound dated not well-suited for the times ahead.