Showing 1 - 10 of 154
Scams grow, as laws lag
Oped, Editorial, Published on 30/10/2025
» Last week, police in Chiang Rai province arrested a 35-year-old Chinese national as he went from one ATM to a multitude of others to withdraw cash. A subsequent search of his rented room showed he had in his possession 2,057 ATM cards, 537,900 baht in cash, 35 bank books, and 39 SIM cards. He was initially charged with illegally possessing ATM cards belonging to others in a manner that may cause damage, a charge carrying a maximum sentence of five years' imprisonment.
Climate hysteria in the media has really got to stop
News, Bjorn Lomborg, Published on 14/10/2025
» Reading the news, you would believe that the Great Barrier Reef -- the aquatic wonder off Australia's coast -- is on its deathbed, bleached beyond recognition by climate change. Recent headlines shouted in unison: "Great Barrier Reef suffers worst coral decline on record." Environmental journalists are in panic mode about irreversible damage. This is advocacy campaigning, not impartial reporting.
Fraud sweep causes fallout
Oped, Editorial, Published on 18/09/2025
» In principle, any government deserves praise for efforts to tackle online fraud and mule accounts. However, the latest attempt by the Bank of Thailand (BoT), the cyber police under the Ministry of Digital Economy and Society, the police, and commercial banks has drawn condemnation, rather than praise.
Curb S112 abuse
Oped, Postbag, Published on 05/09/2025
» Re: "Thaksin acquittal sparks debate", (BP, Aug 31). To prevent abuse of our lese majeste law, S112, we should follow law Professor Olarn Thinbangtieo of Burapha University's suggestion that all lese majeste complaints be vetted by a body of prosecutors, judges, academics, and civil society representatives, operating like a prosecutor's screening panel but with broader representation, before proceeding to court.
Monastic discipline in the digital age
Oped, Published on 23/07/2025
» At a time when Thai society is reeling from scandals in the monastic community -- from leaked audio clips of money transfers via apps to secret relationships with women -- we are not merely shocked that "monks have done wrong", but rather at how swiftly the "image of purity" we've long upheld has collapsed.
Tackling the basics
Oped, Postbag, Published on 22/07/2025
» Re: "Thais revise trade offer with US", (Business, July 8).
5 ways for Thai unis to tackle population
News, Published on 05/07/2025
» On June 16, the Bangkok Post published an article about the future of Thai education in light of a declining population. Addressing the problems and answering the questions has been left for the next person in charge -- to till the hard ground of comfort for new growth.
Bad monks erode trust
News, Editorial, Published on 19/05/2025
» The recent scandal involving a former abbot of the renowned Wat Rai Khing, accused of embezzling over 300 million baht to fund an online gambling addiction, is deeply disturbing but not surprising. It will not be the last blow to public faith in the Thai Sangha unless meaningful and fundamental reform is made.
Reform needs more than just a chainsaw
News, Published on 10/03/2025
» Billionaire and Department of Government Efficiency (Doge) czar Elon Musk and UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer could not be more different. But they share a stated common goal: cutting red tape and reducing the burden of government on businesses.
Hold Facebook accountable for scams, hoaxes
News, Published on 20/01/2025
» Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg's decision to fire his fact-checking team has opened the floodgates to a deluge of scams, hate speech, propaganda and lies. I first discovered how the platform used by 3.2 billion people was being misused when I started sub-editing at the Post in 2017. Every news story about the plight of the Rohingya was followed -- in seconds -- by dozens of crude memes and copy-and-paste hate speech in comments demonising the stateless people as usurpers, animals and even cannibals. The campaign was later linked to propaganda farms run by Myanmar's Tatmadaw military.