Longer-form commentary and opinion pieces across all geographic sections
On July 1, at some point during the day, the baht fell to 35.66 to the dollar, its weakest in five years. It closed at 35.63 at the end of the trading session on the first day of this month, according to Kasikorn Research Center. The many swings of the baht Since the 1997 Asian
Thai health authorities are keeping a close eye on two new Omicron subvariants – BA.4 and BA.5 – that are fast becoming dominant COVID-19strains across the world. Dr Supakit Sirilak, who leads the Department of Medical Sciences, said BA.4 and BA.5 accounted for 51.7 percent of all COVID-19 infections in Thailand between June 25 and
Bangkok Governor Chadchart Sittipunt has built a huge following on social media, reaching millions of netizens who read, watch, like and comment on his regular posts and content. The credit for his online appeal goes not just to his communication team and its strategy, but also to Chadchart’s character and easygoing attitude. “Authenticity is the
Low-income groups and small businesses are now getting squeezed by high inflation and potential interest rate hikes. The situation may make it necessary for the government to continue its support for vulnerable groups. People are complaining that banks have tightened mortgages ahead of an impending central bank rate hike. Many banks have abandoned fixed-rate mortgages,
The opposition Move Forward Party has been cleared of serious charges that threatened its dissolution after the Election Commission (EC) decided not to forward an accuser’s complaint to the Constitutional Court. However, the legal headaches may not be over for the party seen as the most progressive outfit in the Thai Parliament. The same accuser
Despite the fast-rising inflation driven largely by food and energy costs, some economic research houses have recently revised upward or at least maintained their economic growth projections for Thailand for the year. Siam Commercial Bank’s Economic Intelligence Center (EIC) recently revised upward its economic growth forecast to 2.9 percent this year, up slightly from the
President Joe Biden is out to sustain the global alliance punishing Russia for its invasion of Ukraine as he embarks on a five-day trip to Europe as the 4-month-old war shows no sign of abating and its aftershocks to global food and energy supplies are deepening. Biden first joins a meeting of the Group of
The Bank of Thailand (BOT) has come under high pressure to react as domestic inflation has been climbing fast and other central banks, especially the US Federal Reserve (Fed), have started to raise their interest rates. Many countries have been suffering from high inflation due to rising prices of oil, natural gas and food, as
Thammanat Prompao has become a party leader for the first time in his career — a crowning success for any politician. However, analysts say his recent rise to head the Thai Economic Party is unlikely to benefit this powerbroker, who is more used to working underground than under the limelight. For them, Thammanat’s latest career
Managing the controversial Skytrain Green Line shrewdly, bogged down as it is by controversies over high fares, court battle over debt and extension of concession, is going to be a major test for newly elected Bangkok Governor Chadchart Sittipunt The high fares of mass transit services in Bangkok have been largely blamed for lower and
Newly elected Bangkok Governor Chadchart Sittipunt has injected new energy into the capital with his distinctive work style. In stark contrast to his predecessors, Chadchart is down-to-earth, highly active, and open-minded. “I am not your boss,” Chadchart told officials of the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) at their first meeting. “We will work together. No matter
The Lao PDR has come a long way, from a land-locked nation to a land-linked hub. Since last December, with a high-speed train linking Southern China to Vientiane up and running, the potential of its future economic development has become unfathomable. With rail networks connecting to Thailand, Vietnam and Cambodia planned, the Lao PDR will
