Showing 1 - 10 of 2,228
Election Commission under new pressure
Oped, Editorial, Published on 12/02/2026
» As accusations of vote-counting irregularities mount, the Election Commission (EC) is encountering a crisis of confidence amid fading levels of public trust.
Roaring global growth is emerging
News, Mike Dolan, Published on 11/02/2026
» The chaotic newsflow, geopolitical shape-shifting and wild market swings of 2026 have clouded one basic signal: the global economy is racing forward.
Japanese PM Takaichi comes out on top
Oped, Taniguchi Tomohiko, Published on 11/02/2026
» Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi has just scored an unprecedented victory in the country's general election. The ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), which she leads, won 316 seats in the 465-member House of Representatives (the Diet's lower house), up sharply from 198. The combined strength of two parties that had merged hastily -- despite their fundamentally opposing platforms -- in an effort to bring Ms Takaichi down fell from 167 seats to just 49. The LDP, which celebrated its 70th anniversary last year, has never looked more robust.
50-party race comes down to just this
Oped, Veera Prateepchaikul, Published on 09/02/2026
» By the time this opinion piece goes into print, the unofficial outcome of Sunday's election will already have been announced by the Election Commission. Which of the two front-running parties, Bhumjaithai and the People's Party, has emerged the winner and earned the right to form the new government will also be known.
A fond farewell to the poster people
Oped, Roger Crutchley, Published on 08/02/2026
» For a couple of months the streets in Bangkok and throughout Thailand have been decorated with posters of political candidates. But now the Big Day has arrived and soon the posters will disappear. In a strange sort of way, I will miss their presence as they were at least something to look at when stuck in the traffic. They generally appeared to be a cheerful lot, beaming at us with big cheesy grins as one would expect in the Land of Smiles.
All eyes trained on coalition maths
News, Chairith Yonpiam, Published on 07/02/2026
» As the election campaign enters its final stage, with more than 53 million eligible voters heading to the polls tomorrow, experts are making their final tea-leaf readings.
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.
Efficiency over pomp
Oped, Editorial, Published on 04/02/2026
» The video of Bangkok governor Chadchart Sittipunt opening the new Phran Nok-Phutthamonthon Sai 4 Road lasts only a few seconds, yet it has gone viral for that exact reason. In an era of elaborate ceremonies, the footage is a testament to bureaucratic restraint -- proving that when leaders prioritise pragmatism over pageantry, the public wins.
No easy road ahead for PP greenhorns
News, Veera Prateepchaikul, Published on 02/02/2026
» The latest opinion polls, conducted by the National Institute of Development Administration (Nida) and Rajabhat University ahead of the general election on Sunday, have put the People's Party (PP) ahead of its rivals and its leader, Natthaphong Ruengpanyawut, as the most favoured prime ministerial candidate among voters.
Hedgehoppers in search of good news
Roger Crutchley, Published on 01/02/2026
» Being the very first day of February it would have been nice if there was some good news worth celebrating, but unfortunately nothing immediately springs to mind. Cheerful news is an increasingly rare commodity these days. It all seems to be gloom and doom and hardly portends a joyful 2026. It can get a bit wearying grappling with news reports featuring contradictions, cover-ups and cock-ups, often accompanied by half-truths, prevarications and porky pies. But this is the world we now live in.