Showing 1 - 10 of 4,166
'Paris of the East' turns 'Concrete Oven'
Oped, Drew B Mallory, Published on 29/04/2026
» If you stand on the banks of the Khlong Saen Saep today, near the glossy high-rises of Wireless Road, you are witnessing a battle for the soul of Bangkok. On one hand, you see the future: concrete embankments and new walkways, part of a government push to connect the city in the vein of European capitals or our neighbour, Singapore. On the other hand, you see the ghosts of the past: fresh stumps of rain trees that stood for decades, severed to make way for the very cement intended to "beautify" the city. It is a paradox that defines modern Bangkok. We are a city desperate to be green, yet addicted to grey.
Donald Trump and his tragedy of errors
Oped, Joseph E. Stiglitz, Published on 29/04/2026
» It is true, as Alexander Pope once said, that to err is human. But while everyone is fallible, some humans are more prone to error than others. The history of authoritarian and absolutist political rule is rife with figures whose mistakes proved calamitous not just for themselves but for the societies they ruled.
A bridge too far
Oped, Postbag, Published on 29/04/2026
» Re: "Singapore eyes bridge potential", (BP, April 28) & Land Bridge plan due for cabinet", (BP, April 26). PM Anutin Charnvirakul says the proposed southern Land Bridge project is suddenly vital due to a temporary shift in global trade routes. Of course, such a quickly grabbed upon straw is put forth by politicians in their blind adoration of public–private partnerships, the mother of all graft mechanisms. What else have they got?
Land Bridge not viable
Oped, Editorial, Published on 28/04/2026
» The Southern Land Bridge project -- the Thai government's long-standing plan to build a logistics corridor linking the Gulf of Thailand and the Andaman Sea -- is back on the agenda.
The deafening silence about offshore wealth
Oped, Frederik Obermaier & Bastian Obermayer, Published on 28/04/2026
» When John Doe, the anonymous whistleblower behind the Panama Papers, approached us, he handed us an opportunity. When the resulting investigation into the offshore finance industry was published on April 3, 2016, the world was handed a test. As investigative journalists, we seized the opportunity. Sadly, the world has failed the test.
The art of speaking English badly in Africa
Oped, Gwynne Dyer, Published on 28/04/2026
» It is a matter of chronic surprise that politicians, otherwise well-trained in saying just the right thing for the audience they are addressing, forget that whatever they say can be heard everywhere. Right away. By anybody who cares to listen, including journalists always hungry for the next story.
Volunteer firefighters left to plight
News, Sanitsuda Ekachai, Published on 27/04/2026
» They die quietly, one by one, doing the forest officials' job, rewarded with little more than praise that masks state hypocrisy.
Visa change misses mark
News, Editorial, Published on 27/04/2026
» The government's plan to cut visa-free stays from 60 days to 30 is more than a routine policy adjustment. The U-turn exposes a deeper uncertainty at the heart of its tourism strategy.
A temple graft turning point
Editorial, Published on 26/04/2026
» The 50-year jail term handed down last week to the former abbot of Wat Rai Khing is as harsh as it is telling. The court rightly called it a grave offence.
What have we learned about education?
Vanich Kittichai, Published on 25/04/2026
» The Ministry of Higher Education, Science, Research and Innovation has had a rare moment in the headlines lately under the leadership of former prime ministerial hopeful Yodchanan Wongsawat. He has outlined several major plans not only for schooling in Thailand, but also for the development of its workforce to meet global demands.