Showing 1 - 10 of 271
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.
Exit the Snake, enter the Horse
News, Curtis S Chin and Jose B Collazo, Published on 30/12/2025
» As we bid farewell to 2025, and welcome 2026 -- and soon, the lunar Year of the Horse -- we once again highlight the winners and losers of the year gone by in Asia.
Time, ladies and gentlemen, please
Roger Crutchley, Published on 16/11/2025
» Well it looks like a decision has finally been made even though it has taken 53 years. According to Deputy Prime Minister Sophon Zarum, that quirky ban on the sale of alcohol in Thailand from 2pm to 5pm will soon be lifted. The ban had always defied logic. Let's hope there's not a catch, as the build-up to it, which involved several U-turns, has been a trifle confusing to say the least.
What to learn from enforced errors of the past
Oped, Jacques Attali, Published on 28/10/2025
» Every generation believes it is living in an unprecedented era with unique challenges. But time and again, the same patterns and motivations have weakened and even destroyed civilisations, or strengthened them and enabled them to flourish. To learn from the past requires recognising its symmetries and resonances.
Diamonds are forever; Lisa of Blackpink isn't.
News, Saritdet Marukatat, Published on 20/10/2025
» The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) has hired superstar Lisa -- Lalisa Manobal -- as a tourism ambassador for 12 months. The move clearly illustrates the country's attempt to regain the tourist momentum, which has been lost in recent months.
History beyond race, ultra-nationalism
Oped, Sanitsuda Ekachai, Published on 09/10/2025
» The hall fell silent as the 87-year-old anthropologist began to speak. His voice was weak, punctuated by pauses to catch his breath, yet every word carried the weight of decades of scholarship.
Vaccine risk data
Oped, Postbag, Published on 01/10/2025
» Re: "Dept quick to dispel vaccine naysayers", (BP, Sept 29). Unfortunately, this article, in which the Department of Disease Control dismisses claims that vaccines are unnecessary or harmful, uses authoritarian declarations. There are copious testimonies and a recent definitive paper presented to the US Congress committee investigating vaccine safety.
Honest monks hung out to dry
Editorial, Published on 28/09/2025
» A series of monk scandals and temple corruption cases in recent months has prompted the Ecclesiastical Council to order all temples to make their accounts transparent. But good intentions are not enough. Without systemic support, the order may prove hollow.
Anutin's new cabinet is a mixed bag
Oped, Thitinan Pongsudhirak, Published on 26/09/2025
» The composition and size of Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul's 36-member cabinet suggest that he intends to stay in office for as long as possible, clinging to the terms of the government-enabling Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) and calling an early election only if circumstances make it unavoidable.