Showing 101 - 110 of 128
Tourist tax could work
News, Editorial, Published on 28/05/2019
» The government's fresh initiative to charge a tax on tourists who visit Thailand is not a bad idea. But it should not be executed until the government has mapped out an effective plan to manage and allocate the potentially huge revenue generated from the levy.
Korea needs a Thai fix
News, Editorial, Published on 20/05/2019
» South Korea is a popular destination for Thai tourists, the same way that Thailand is for South Koreans. Unfortunately, the tourism relationship between the countries has been damaged by the continuing influx of Thai visitors who end up being overstayers and illegal workers in South Korea.
Activists need protection
News, Editorial, Published on 14/05/2019
» Thailand's already battered human rights record has fallen another notch following reports of the mysterious disappearance of three activists accused of lese majeste while in exile in Vietnam.
Beware of BRI debt trap
News, Editorial, Published on 27/04/2019
» Amid concerns about China's Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) leaving more developing countries in a debt trap, Thailand cannot be complacent about the Thai-Sino high-speed rail project in its negotiations with China.
Fire battle a team effort
News, Editorial, Published on 18/04/2019
» A massive fire engulfing vast areas of a Chiang Rai forest has intensified the smog problem in this northernmost province, adding to the country's pollution woes.
Has drug reform gone to pot?
News, Editorial, Published on 07/04/2019
» Legal action against a prominent rice expert and biodiversity advocate for possessing marijuana plants and extracts raises questions as to whether the country is serious about drug reform. Or is it just hypocrisy?
Beijing saves Mekong islets
News, Editorial, Published on 12/03/2019
» The revelation that China is backing away from its plans to blow up islands and outcroppings in the Mekong River is welcome news. Foreign Minister Don Pramudwinai said he had raised the issue last month during a visit by Chinese counterpart Wang Yi. It is a wise move by Beijing. It comes more than two years after all riverside communities and civil society in four countries had registered strong opposition.
Horror of the disappeared
News, Editorial, Published on 11/02/2019
» Cases of the sudden disappearance of political dissidents continue to mount. The latest such case occurred in daytime, inside a well-known Bangkok mall. Truong Duy Nhat, a well-known journalist and blogger in Vietnam, was seized and dragged out of Future Park shopping centre. He had just registered his personal details and applied for asylum through the UN refugee office. His disappearance on Jan 26 has received the usual silence from governments involved.
Dam study must be transparent
News, Editorial, Published on 03/02/2019
» After a short confrontation with conservationists and local southerners late last month over the controversial Wang Heeb dam project in Nakhon Si Thammarat, the Prayut Chan-o-cha government has agreed to step back, albeit temporarily.
Time to cast nets wider
News, Editorial, Published on 26/01/2019
» Now that the Thai government has "cleaned up" the country's lucrative fishing industry and saved seafood exporters from potentially huge losses deriving from lost exports to European Union markets, the time is nigh for it to address a bigger problem: saving migrant workers from abuse and exploitation in other sectors.