Showing 1 - 10 of 158
Will poll be breakout or more of same?
Oped, Thitinan Pongsudhirak, Published on 06/02/2026
» As Thais go to the polls this Sunday, the most consequential question is whether Thailand will finally break out of its debilitating cycle of political instability and economic underperformance that has marked the past two decades. The signs and signals suggest otherwise -- at least not yet.
Plentiful policy on offer
Oped, Editorial, Published on 19/01/2026
» Thailand is heading towards a consequential general election on Feb 8. In the weeks leading up to polling day, voters have been bombarded with policy proposals from across the political spectrum. Many are attractively packaged and, if fully realised, would seemingly transform the country overnight.
Thailand's political trajectory in 2026
Oped, Thitinan Pongsudhirak, Published on 09/01/2026
» What happens in Thai politics this year and the immediate horizon will be determined by the upcoming election on Feb 8. While contesting political parties are in full campaign mode, the contemporary history of Thai polls so far in the 21st century is not encouraging. Only once in the past 25 years have voting results went the way they were meant to, in accordance with the popular will. Whether the vote in four weeks will follow the same pattern will depend on whether the conservative establishment gets its preferred outcome.
People's Party battles shift in voter mood
Oped, Anucha Charoenpo, Published on 08/01/2026
» We now find ourselves in a crunch time when voters begin to firm up their choices ahead of the Feb 8 general election. This may explain why political parties are starting to reveal their aces, floating names for key ministerial portfolios at strategic moments.
Understand choices
Oped, Postbag, Published on 08/01/2026
» Re: "Long-term structural issues hobble Thailand's growth", (Business, Jan 5).
Trash tells Phuket's story
Oped, Editorial, Published on 06/01/2026
» On Friday, images of Patong Beach in Phuket, strewn with garbage, went viral.
The treacherous sycophancy of the populists
Oped, Michael Burleigh, Published on 15/12/2025
» Until a few days ago, it had never crossed my mind that people across Europe -- including Londoners like me -- were living in a strife‑afflicted hell hole, "suffocated" by regulations, stripped of political liberties, and bound for "civilisational erasure". So, it was with some surprise that I read this assessment in the new US National Security Strategy -- a document that echoes pseudo‑intellectual propaganda more than resembling any serious foreign‑policy analysis.
Marking time at the COP30 climate summit
Oped, Gwynne Dyer, Published on 12/11/2025
» Populist parties are already in power in some developed countries and waiting just outside the door in many more. The key trick of populist politicians is to tell the voters what they want to hear, and the voters definitely do not want their lives to be disrupted by global heating, so they are told it is not happening. It's "the world's biggest con", in Donald Trump's words.
Crushing dissent widens rifts with governments
Oped, Amitabh Behar, Published on 31/10/2025
» Thousands of civil society organisations (CSOs) and activists are gathering in Bangkok during the International Civil Society Week from Nov 1–5. The event will be organised by the CIVICUS Alliance. CIVICUS is an international non-profit organisation focused on civil rights and citizen action. It was founded in 1993 and is based in Johannesburg, South Africa.
Lottery retirement savings plan risky
Oped, Wichit Chantanusornsiri, Published on 23/10/2025
» Lotteries are among the oldest forms of betting. Yet in modern times, various governments have used this popular form of gambling to encourage financial savings among citizens and even retirees.