Showing 1 - 10 of 71
Trump returns to Asean with a bang
Oped, Kavi Chongkittavorn, Published on 28/10/2025
» The Asean chair, Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, said it all. Acknowledging US President Donald Trump's presence during the signing ceremony on Thailand-Cambodia relations on Sunday, he stated: "We, of course, admire your tenacity and courage because the world needs leaders who promote peace strongly."
Banned bets
Oped, Postbag, Published on 24/10/2025
» Re: "Anutin bans poker, sports gambling nationwide", (BP, Oct 23). So, Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul has banned gambling again. The prohibition specifically aims at poker and other similar sports-themed card games. The Ministry of Tourism and Sport earlier classified poker only as a sport? Well, it's not, is it -- it's a card game that is invariably played for money, unlike many others, such as bridge, which are not.
The rise of secondary destinations
Oped, Published on 26/09/2025
» As we mark World Tourism Day tomorrow, we're turning the spotlight on one of the unsung heroes of travel -- secondary destinations. This international awareness day gives our industry an opportunity to take a pause and reflect on how travel is evolving. At Agoda, we see the growing popularity of secondary cities as a notable development in the travel market.
The incalculable costs of corrupt statistics
Oped, Published on 29/08/2025
» With GDP and employment figures dominating political debates, it is easy to forget that they are hardly timeless truths. In fact, how we measure progress has shifted dramatically over time. The Physiocrats -- eighteenth-century French economists who saw agriculture as the source of all wealth -- regarded farms' output as the most important economic indicator. The Soviet Union, for its part, focused exclusively on goods production and ignored services altogether.
Travel scheme farce
Oped, Editorial, Published on 07/07/2025
» The rollout of the "Tiew Thai Khon La Krung" campaign, or Thailand Travel Co-pay scheme, last week has proved to be unmitigated disaster, with no resolution in sight. This embarrassing episode reflects not only gross incompetence, but entrenched political pettiness among policy-makers.
Temple angst misplaced
Oped, Editorial, Published on 02/07/2025
» Once again, Phu Man Fah temple is dominating headlines as Cambodia has vented its anger about a construction project at the monastery, smearing it as an "Angkor Wat replica".
Thailand to navigate a shifting world
Oped, Kavi Chongkittavorn, Published on 29/04/2025
» The Thai negotiating delegation's failure to meet with their American counterparts last week in Washington, DC, confirmed that Thailand is a low-priority country for the US. That should be a wake-up call for the Paetongtarn government -- the relationship between Thailand and the US is no longer what it used to be.
Local-only jobs
Oped, Postbag, Published on 21/02/2025
» Re: "Cops nab Chinese tour guide", (BP, Feb 8).
Ties that bind and break in Thai polls
Oped, Chairith Yonpiam, Published on 08/02/2025
» If anything, the Feb 1 local poll results paint a clear picture of the future of Thai politics: no party will emerge as the absolute winner in the next national poll in 2027.
Growth requires getting PPPs right
Oped, Mariana Mazzucato, Published on 03/01/2025
» The United Kingdom's Labour government has given serious thought to the public investment needed to get the economy back on track after 14 years of austerity, neglect of social infrastructure, and capital flight triggered by Brexit and uncertain economic conditions.