Showing 1 - 10 of 4,047
Control and fear inside the clergy
Editorial, Published on 12/04/2026
» Silence in the Sangha -- the official institution of Buddhist monks -- is often mistaken for virtue. In reality, it is driven by manipulation and a culture of fear.
It can even get a bit chilly in Hell
Roger Crutchley, Published on 12/04/2026
» The pause in the Middle East conflict is very welcome although with the opposing elements both claiming a "great victory" it's all a trifle confusing. Prior to the ceasefire, we had witnessed increasingly belligerent exchanges from both sides containing sombre warnings that the opposing forces were destined to end up in "hell". In fact the word "hell" was appearing so frequently it was in danger of losing its intended impact.
Temple aid halt signals deeper crisis
News, Anucha Charoenpo, Published on 11/04/2026
» Wat Suan Kaew in Nonthaburi's Bang Yai district has announced a temporary suspension of its long-running social charity programmes for needy groups due to mounting financial pressures.
Countering the fallacy of the buffer zone
Oped, Daoud Kuttab, Published on 10/04/2026
» Territorial buffers rarely, if ever, deliver the peace and security their advocates promise. After the collapse of the USSR, Ukraine was seen as a neutral cordon between Russia and Nato. Instead, it became a zone of increasingly fierce geopolitical contention, followed by open war.
Projecting hope for a world in turmoil
Oped, Vitit Muntarbhorn, Published on 10/04/2026
» Today, the world is witnessing the most explosive situation since World War II, all too visible in conflicts such as the Iran war.
Modern-day mispricing of war
Oped, Antara Haldar, Published on 09/04/2026
» In the space of just a few weeks, the throttling of shipping traffic through the Strait of Hormuz has revealed the true nature of the US-Israeli war with Iran. This is no regional conflict, because the entire world is being invoiced. While the size of the bill remains to be determined, it is already obvious that the belligerents won't be the only ones paying the tab.
Laws must unlock food waste value
News, Chanisara Dumkum & Theerat Dejitikul, Published on 08/04/2026
» Thailand has been throwing away food on a massive scale. Yet much of what ends up in the bin could have been used to feed people, animals, or even generate energy. The question is what needs to be done. To find a proper solution, we must acknowledge a hard fact: waste is not the problem in itself. The real issue lies in the system that manages it.
Fanatics, an obsessive, and a belligerent fool
Oped, Gwynne Dyer, Published on 07/04/2026
» We don't have to look very far to find a useful historical analogy for the current crisis in the Middle East. In 1967, Egypt closed the Strait of Tiran to Israeli ships, and Israel replied with a surprise air attack that destroyed almost the entire Egyptian air force on the ground.
Iran's water weapon against Gulf
Oped, Michael Christopher Low, Published on 07/04/2026
» The oil-rich monarchies of the Persian Gulf are often described as petrostates. But the US-Israeli war with Iran has highlighted that they are also saltwater kingdoms, societies whose survival depends on desalination, or converting seawater into potable water at industrial scale.
Can alliances with the US be replaced?
Oped, Kavi Chongkittavorn, Published on 07/04/2026
» The increasingly loud debate over the future of alliances -- after reports that the US could scale back or even withdraw from Nato -- is nerve-racking. It has caused alarm across Europe and in Southeast Asia, another node of the US alliance network. Even without any official decision, remarks by US President Donald Trump on social media were enough to shake already fragile US alliances. The question now frequently asked by Thai policymakers is: What comes next if alliances weaken?