Showing 1 - 10 of 1,040
The gist of Thai politics over 20 years
Oped, Thitinan Pongsudhirak, Published on 20/02/2026
» Thailand's democratic institutions have been repressed and kept weak to the point that confusion still prevails almost two weeks after the Feb 8 election, which purportedly showed a clear victory for the ruling Bhumjaithai (BJT) Party under Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul. On the one hand, Mr Anutin and BJT stalwarts are busy forming a coalition government with other parties. On the other hand, fraud allegations from civil society groups and the opposition People's Party have reached a critical mass with the plausibility that the recent vote might be nullified to pave the way for a new poll.
For buses, safety first
Oped, Editorial, Published on 19/02/2026
» The government's attempt to raise the standards of public buses powered by compressed natural gas (CNG) by means of a "safety rating list" is welcome news, despite being long overdue.
Why communities pay for mining
Oped, Christopher Rutledge, Published on 19/02/2026
» Last week, policymakers and industry executives of mining companies gathered in Cape Town for the annual African Mining Indaba. They followed a familiar script: governments would court investors, companies would promise jobs and growth, and champagne would flow as speakers tout Africa as indispensable to the global energy transition.
Asean's role in a new world order
Oped, Chartsiri Sophonpanich, Published on 16/02/2026
» Profound shifts are reshaping the global economy as political uncertainty, geopolitical rivalry and changing trade patterns disrupt the old world order, while a new one has yet to fully emerge.
Time to guard schools
Oped, Editorial, Published on 13/02/2026
» The school shooting in Songkhla on Wednesday is a stark reminder that schools -- which should be the safest of places -- remain vulnerable to gun attacks.
Emerging markets stand strong
Oped, Kristalina Georgieva and Mohammed Al-Jadaan, Published on 12/02/2026
» It used to be that when advanced economies sneezed, emerging markets caught a cold. That is no longer true. Following recent global shocks, such as the post-pandemic inflation surge and a new wave of tariffs, emerging markets have held up well. Inflation has continued to slow, currencies have generally retained their value, and debt issuance costs have remained at manageable levels. There has been no sign of the kind of financial turbulence that came with past economic shocks.
Reinvent Thailand to revive growth
Oped, Boonwara Sumano, Published on 11/02/2026
» In the 1990s, Thailand ranked second in Asean for state performance, behind only Singapore. Today, we trail several neighbours. This decline has unfolded gradually over three decades -- through repeated economic crises, institutional stagnation, and reforms that never quite went far enough. What is different today is that the cost of inaction has become far more dangerous.
Climate change discourse takes a new turn
Oped, Bjorn Lomborg, Published on 09/02/2026
» What a difference a single year makes. The once-dominant push to radically reshape society to avert climate catastrophe has collapsed. Look at Davos -- the talkfest long dominated by climate advocacy. That consensus has been abandoned by its once strongest proponents.
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.
Our tariff-era dollar, your problem
Oped, Qiyuan Xu, Published on 04/02/2026
» In 2025, the dollar index, which measures the greenback's strength against a basket of major currencies, fell by roughly 9.4%. Over the same period, the United States' average effective tariff rate rose by around 14.4 percentage points, from 2.4% to 16.8%, according to the Yale Budget Lab. Taken together, these shifts imply that, in the import trade domain, the US experienced an effective exchange-rate depreciation of around 24%.