Showing 1 - 10 of 493
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.
Decriminalising sex work needs clarity
Oped, Poramet Tangsathaporn, Published on 04/02/2026
» The world's oldest profession has always been a taboo subject in Thai society, even in our politics so it was encouraging to see at least five political parties -- the Pheu Thai Party, the People's Party, the Movement Party, the Thai Sang Thai Party, and the Democrat Party -- agree that the current Prevention and Suppression of Prostitution Act B.E. 2539 (1996) needs to be repealed.
It's the economic history, stupid
Oped, Iker Saitua, Published on 14/01/2026
» Every year, I walk into a first-year lecture hall in Bilbao at the University of the Basque Country (EHU) and watch shoulders slump. The title of the course I'm teaching -- "Economic History" -- draws a similarly dejected reaction from my students: "Meh." "Boooring." "What's this even for?" Some call it "the history class", as if it belonged to another century.
The end of China's one-child policy, 10 years later
Oped, Yi Fuxian, Published on 09/01/2026
» Jan 1 marked a decade since China repealed its one-child policy. Just ten days earlier, Peng Peiyun, who long oversaw the often-brutal enforcement of China's family-planning rules, died at the age of 96, having never been held accountable for her actions. Some obituaries praised Peng for being "reform-minded", even though, in practice, she only perpetuated an utterly inhumane policy, whose consequences have barely begun to materialise.
What would happen if Khamenei falls?
Oped, Gwynne Dyer, Published on 05/01/2026
» The demonstrations began again in Iran last week, only two years after the "Woman, Life, Freedom" movement convulsed the country for months. However, the current protests are potentially much broader than that episode because they are driven by the collapse in Iran's currency, the rial (now 1,420,000 to the US dollar), and the explosive rise in the cost of living.
'Land bridge' will harm nature
Oped, Kitichate Sridith, Published on 31/12/2025
» The end of 2025 brought Thais the good news that one of the world's most endangered felines -- the flat-headed cat -- has not gone extinct in our nation, as had long been feared. But our natural heritage is under relentless pressure. We need to treat our habitats, flora and fauna as assets that demand science-led protection.
Another wasted year in Thai politics
Oped, Thitinan Pongsudhirak, Published on 26/12/2025
» As Thailand winds down 2025 with an early election looming on Feb 8, the most consequential issue to watch in the coming year will be whether recent topsy-turvy political patterns of polls, protests, and military and judicial interventions give way to a compromise between the old guard clinging on to vested interests and the new generation clamouring for reform and change.
Navigating the new realities of global travel
Oped, Anna Kofoed, Published on 12/12/2025
» In our increasingly turbulent world, travelling for many no longer unfolds as a straightforward endeavour.
Syria's tragic saga a long way from being over
Oped, John J Metzler, Published on 12/12/2025
» Just one year ago Syria's brutal and seemingly eternal Assad family dictatorship was toppled.
Gaza is being offered a big historic chance
Oped, John J. Metzler, Published on 27/11/2025
» The UN Security Council has approved a landmark American-sponsored resolution which just may give long suffering Gaza its final chance for peace and reconstruction. The US resolution enshrines Washington's 20-point plan for Gaza; the current ceasefire, the establishment of a Board of Peace and backs the creation and deployment of an international stabilisation force for the war-ravished territory. There were 13 votes for, none against, and two abstentions, Russia and China.