Longer-form commentary and opinion pieces across all geographic sections
For many observers, the hope surrounding Bangkok’s newly elected governor is matched by excitement over the team he has chosen to work alongside him. As Chadchart Sittipunt takes charge of the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA), supporting his bid to turn policies into concrete gains for the city will be a group of experts and leaders
While most newly elected politicians enjoy a “honeymoon period” with the public, incoming Bangkok Governor Chadchart Sittipunt expects nothing of this kind. “There’s no time for a honeymoon,” Chadchart declared, even before the May 22 election vote count showed he had won by a landslide. Instead, he wanted to start working right away in an
Vote tallies from the recent Bangkok Council elections show that support for the liberal camp is growing at the expense of the conservatives in the capital. If the Election Commission endorses all winners of the May 22 poll, Pheu Thai will be the biggest party in the Bangkok Metropolitan Council (BMC), occupying 20 of its
Pursuing an ambitious agenda, Chadchart Sittipunt, 56, is all set to become Bangkok’s first elected governor since the 2014 coup, after receiving a record-high mandate in the May 22 election. The independent candidate on Tuesday (May 31) got the long-awaited nod from the Election Commission to take the reins of the Thai capital. The new
Given the results of opinion polls in the runup to the May 22 gubernatorial election, Chadchart Sittipunt’s victory came as no surprise. However, his landslide win — the largest in history — defied the expectations of most analysts. It seemed that the votes he garnered — 1,386,215 in total, according to the unofficial count —
The 2022 Bangkok gubernatorial election, which saw independent candidate Chadchart Sittipunt win by a landslide, looks set to change Thailand’s politics in a big way. Its impacts are now being felt not just in the capital but also in many other parts of the country. “Bangkok’s political maturity has risen significantly with this gubernatorial election
Chadchart Sittipunt’s landslide victory at last Sunday’s governor election — with more than 1.38 million votes or over 50 percent of all ballots cast — was viewed by many as Bangkok voters’ verdict on the current coalition government and its junta predecessor, which came to power in the 2014 military coup. As a result, government
Less than a month after it lifted COVID-19 travel restrictions, Thailand is facing the threat of another virus causing outbreaks around the world. The kingdom is now raising its guard against monkeypox, a disease that has never reached Thai shores but is spreading quickly in Europe, the United States, Australia and the Middle East –
Thailand’s residential market is still facing several challenges that will prevent it from making a full recovery in the short term. Research indicates that such unfavorable factors as the pandemic and the war in Ukraine have prompted home buyers to delay their purchases. Speaking at a recent virtual press conference on the property outlook, Kamolpat
In his inaugural speech, newly elected South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol was very succinct about his administration’s foreign policy agenda, which will focus on the promotion of a liberal democracy, freedoms and human rights. It is rather exceptional to witness South Korea’s commitment to promoting liberal values as part of its diplomatic priorities. It can
Although independent candidate Chadchart Sittipunt topped most recent opinion polls for this Sunday’s Bangkok governor election, his four main rivals from the conservative camp remain hopeful of causing an upset. Support from conservative and royalist voters is likely to be shared among the conservative quartet – former governor Aswin Kwanmuang, Suchatvee Suwansawat (Democrat), and independents
Only diplomatic platitudes in the joint vision statement plus a small financial package demonstrated the Joe Biden administration’s commitment to maintain momentum in the US’ Indo-Pacific strategy in Southeast Asia, in what could be described as a vague and weak second special ASEAN-US Summit held in Washington D.C. on May 12-13. Prime Minister Hun Sen
