Showing 1 - 10 of 1,621
Stuck in Senate
Oped, Postbag, Published on 08/04/2026
» Re: "BJT pulls support for Clean Air Bill", (BP, April 7). This article chose to single out and quote Bhumjaithai (BJT) party list-MP Supachai, voicing concerns about "fast-tracking" and the economic fallout caused by the Clean Air Bill (CAB) during a recent House debate on a severe PM 2.5 crisis in the Northern region.
Rethinking Thailand's visa-free policy
Oped, Kavi Chongkittavorn, Published on 31/03/2026
» Thailand is planning to cut visa-free stays from 60 days to 30 days. This long-overdue change reflects growing concern over the effectiveness of immigration surveillance. Moreover, scaling down visa-free stays underscores the seriousness of the Anutin government's efforts to combat scammers, illegal work, and other underground activities that exploit easy visa access to turn Thailand into a base for under-the-table operations.
PM apology a good start
Oped, Editorial, Published on 30/03/2026
» The recent public apology by Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul regarding the fuel management hiccups during the first half of March is a rare and welcome gesture of political accountability.
MPs' pensions on the line
Oped, Editorial, Published on 26/03/2026
» A bleak economic outlook driven by the oil crisis has prompted renewed calls for a review of the pension scheme for former members of parliament, which critics say has become a heavy burden on taxpayers.
News bulletins are going 'off-ramp'
Roger Crutchley, Published on 22/03/2026
» An expression that is being used with increasing frequency in recent news reports, particularly concerning the goings on in the Middle East, is "off-ramp". Switch on the TV and it won't be long before a "talking head" will be authoritatively discussing "off-ramp" opportunities.
Peepo's story exposes lack of child support
Oped, Karnjana Karnjanatawe, Published on 20/03/2026
» The story of a 13-year-old boy in Nakhon Si Thammarat who lived on the streets, was hit by a car, and later rebuilt his life has gone viral. Yet the life of Peepo -- as the boy is called by the media -- offers not just inspiration. His story exposes years of parental neglect and a lack of state mechanisms to help abandoned children.
Can we design universal access to compassion?
Vanich Kittichai, Published on 19/03/2026
» In the midst of a major war with global impacts, including tangible effects here in Thailand, it would seem ill-advised to devote an opinion piece to an incident easily be written off as just another case of tensions running high in Bangkok.
75 years of Thai-Lao relations
Oped, Krongkanit Rakcharoen, Published on 18/03/2026
» December is a meaningful month for the peoples of Thailand and the Lao People's Democratic Republic (Lao PDR), as it marks the national days of both countries -- 2 Dec for Lao PDR and 5 Dec for Thailand. December 2025 is particularly significant as it commemorates the 50th anniversary of the founding of the Lao PDR and, on 19 Dec, the 75th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Thailand and the Lao PDR when both countries launched the formal establishment of diplomatic relations on 19 Dec 1950.
Ireland ready to lead EU amid global challenges
News, Patrick Bourne, Published on 17/03/2026
» In a world as fast-moving and unpredictable as the one we are navigating right now, it is good to know there are reliable lighthouses on the horizon and at least a few certainties upon which we can depend. One of those is that St Patrick's Day, every March 17, is an occasion that Irish people, and people of Irish heritage, and friends of Ireland, will be keen to celebrate all over the world, including here in Thailand. And for our small island, from which so many people emigrated throughout our history, this really is a global celebration of our history, culture, connections and shared values.
Preparing for AI-enabled bioweapons
Oped, Sania Nishtar, Published on 11/03/2026
» We don't know when the next epidemic or pandemic will hit, or where the next infectious threat will emerge. But we do know that the nature of the threat is constantly evolving. One of the most sobering takeaways from this year's Munich Security Conference was that AI-enabled gene editing has radically lowered the barrier to developing genetically engineered bioweapons. We must prepare to live with even deeper uncertainty about whether emerging infectious threats are natural or man-made, and whether they have been accidentally or deliberately released.