Longer-form commentary and opinion pieces across all geographic sections
The global financial markets are highly interconnected. When Thailand’s banking system suffered a collapse and the baht’s value plummeted in 1997, the contagion effect spread to other Asian countries. Similarly, one saw the global financial crisis triggered by the collapse of Lehman Brothers Bank in the United States in 2008. Recently, US regulators had to
In a surprise move, former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra last Friday (March 24) announced he was ready to return and serve his prison term in Thailand regardless of the May 14 general election results. His declaration drew widespread skepticism though, with many observers suspecting it was simply meant to woo voter support for his proxy
The SEA Games, Southeast Asia’s regional “Olympics” held every two years, has earned a reputation as a gold-medal mine for its host nations. Since its birth in 1959, when the event was known as the SEAP (Southeast Asian Peninsular) Games, the hosts have often finished top of the final medal tally. Even countries not known
“How did I know that I was pregnant? I knew it because I had missed my period but, then I was just a kid, I thought it was probably delayed. Finally, I found out after three months of pregnancy after seeing a doctor at a hospital.” Maneerat got pregnant with her first child when she
Thailand’s justice system was forced to swing into damage control mode after a series of disclosures pointed to senior judges and police officers attempting to spare a senator prosecution for alleged drug trafficking and money laundering after the arrest of Myanmar arms dealer Tun Min Latt. Supreme Court President Chotiwat Luengprasert has ordered an investigation
The latest statistics show an overall improvement in Thailand’s labor market, nearly returning to the pre-COVID level, but questions remain about the availability of well-paying jobs. Unemployment fell to 1.15 percent in the fourth quarter of 2022, from 1.23 percent in the third quarter, compared to 1 percent in the fourth quarter of 2019, prior
“Thailand will be a full-fledged aging society this year, as citizens 60 years old and above will represent 20 per cent of the total population,” said Worawan Plikhamin, deputy secretary-general at the National Economic and Social Development Council (NESDC), a state-run think-tank. Senior citizens will comprise 30 percent of the country’s population in 2037, making
A deep connection between Myanmar’s arms dealer Tun Min Latt and the Thai elite has triggered a political controversy in Thailand at a time when Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha is about to dissolve the House of Representatives, paving the way for a new election. Opposition MP Rangsiman Rome of the Move Forward Party was on
Thailand’s economic growth in the fourth quarter of last year has disappointed many people. Real gross domestic product (GDP), a broader measure of economic output, grew just 1.4 percent year on year, decelerating sharply from 4.6 percent growth in the third quarter. The 1.5 percent negative contraction quarter on quarter has raised questions whether the economy might
It is common sense for politicians to campaign on a platform of tax cuts in the run-up to an election, as opposed to making a case for tax hikes, which would be unpopular with the majority of voters. But there are some rare circumstances and ways in which policymakers can articulate the idea of a
Bangkok has become a bigger target for political parties campaigning for the upcoming election as it now offers more MP seats. After redrawing of boundaries, the number of constituency seats in Bangkok has risen from 30 at the 2019 general election to 33 in this year’s national poll. The capital has more than twice as
Resolving the logistics bottleneck at the Customs checkpoint in the South and increasing overall trade and investment were high on the agenda of Malaysia’s newly elected Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim when he visited Thailand last week. Anwar paid an official trip to Thailand on February 9-10 to introduce himself after taking the helm of his
