This article is translated from an article originally called “In the Movement (ในความเคลื่อนไหว)” on decode.plus: https://decode.plus/author/prajakkong/ By Associate Professor Dr. Prajak Kongkirati The upcoming 2023 General Election is taking place in a new…
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Despite the rise of social media, campaign posters still seem to be the main channel of communication for political parties and candidates going all out to woo voters as election…
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Most of the major political parties campaigning for the general election on May 14 are focusing heavily on reaching out to voters through populist platforms, such as cash handouts, farm…
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The world’s population is getting older. And Thailand is among the fastest-aging societies in the world. Of its 67 million population, more than 12 million Thais are elderly, according to…
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The Thailand Development Research Institute has criticised the Election Commission for its failure to check whether populist campaign policies, promised by political parties in their election manifestos, are worth the…
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Security guard Nopporn Net-aram does not expect much on Labor Day, marked on May 1 every year. Nor does he have high hopes of the May 14 election. “I always…
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At a time when book publishing is in decline, any release is liable to receive a lot of attention. But that’s not the main reason why a new title by…
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Vote buying can be a deciding factor in Thai elections at any level – whether for a village head, a local administrator, or a member of Parliament. And the upcoming…
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Lots of colour, smiles, elaborate costumes, fanfare and, of course, a herd of elephants will enchant visitors to Surin in Northeast Thailand, as the country’s oldest mahout community celebrates the…
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Although Thailand’s Personal Data Protection Act has been in force since May 2020, people’s concern about the security of their sensitive online information has hit new heights following the recent…
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Global military spending grew for the eighth consecutive year in 2022 to an all-time high of $2.24 trillion, with a sharp rise in Europe, chiefly due to Russian and Ukrainian…
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The huge number of so-called populist promises being made in campaigning for Thailand’s election may have overwhelmed many voters. But political parties are hoping that at least some of these…
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Looking back at 2022’s weather with months of analysis, the World Meteorological Organization said last year really was as bad as it seemed when people were muddling through it. And…
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Sixty-three candidates for prime minister have been nominated by 43 political parties contesting in the May 14 general election. Thai PBS World offers a guide to the upcoming contest for Thailand’s…
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This is the world’s northernmost research station, located in Ny-Alesund, a tiny town high above the Arctic circle on Norway’s Svalbard archipelago. It is also the fastest-warming place on Earth….
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Bakery owner Sean Young was thrilled when high school art students covered the big blank wall over his doorway last spring with a painting of the sun shining over a…
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Jakarta’s Grand Istiqlal Mosque is busy with worshippers this Ramadan. This year they are being encouraged to donate to boost the mosque’s green credentials. A major renovation in 2019 installed…
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Thailand expresses gratitude and respect for the older generation every year on April 13, National Elderly Day. Yet, every year the number of senior Thais in dire straits, struggling to…
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The Faculty of Medical Technology at Khon Kaen University has recently developed the third version of its pressure relief bed for patients with pressure sores. Professor Dr. Wichai Eungpinichpong of the…
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While family gatherings are common during the Songkran festival, many elderly Thais will be spending the holiday alone just as they do for the rest of the year. At the…
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It’s been less than a week since news of highly classified military documents on the Ukraine war surfaced, sending the Pentagon into full-speed damage control to assure allies and assess…
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Press freedom remains a challenge in Thailand, especially when it comes to political issues. According to the 2022 World Press Freedom Index, by Reporters Without Borders, Thailand’s press is considered…
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The latest populist promise by the Pheu Thai Party of digital currency handouts has stirred a hot debate on the policy platforms of parties contesting the May 14 general election….
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Political parties campaigning for the May 2023 general election should spell out their policies on migrants and refugees because of its significance for Thailand’s stature on the international stage, according…
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World food prices are still high but have fallen by a fifth compared to a year ago when prices soared to a monthly record high after Russia invaded agricultural powerhouse…
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Think of Suphan Buri, and your mind probably conjures up images of endless rice paddies, water buffaloes chewing the cud mindfully, small-town charm, country music and farmers with a unique…
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While the young Generation Z adults may not be the biggest group of voters yet, their keen interest in politics is set to have a super-sized influence on the outcome…
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08:50 Prayut Chan-o-Cha and Prawit Wongsuwan, both to be prime ministerial candidates, sit together at the Bangkok Youth Centre and support their parties’ candidates. Election Commission to draw candidate numbers soon….
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Registration of constituency candidates nationwide on Monday (April 3) marks the official start of the May 14 general election, as candidates and their parties will now have to comply with…
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Some of the much-loved paintings by Dutch Impressionist Vincent Van Gogh are dancing around the walls in a brand new multimedia art exhibition that opens in Thailand’s capital today. “Van…
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The United Nations just announced a program, in corporation with the European Union and Thailand, including the Thailand International Cooperation Agency (TICA) and the Ministry of Public Health, to push…
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Former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra, who has lived in self-imposed exile overseas since 2008, can expect at least 10 years behind bars if makes good on his pledge to return…
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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…
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Fine dust is back. It accumulates, covering parts of the city and many provinces. Individuals have been exposed to unhealthy levels of tiny air pollutants, known as PM 2.5, with sensitive people…
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While there are plans to develop and invest in the Thai province of Trat, alongside the Eastern Economic Corridor project, the province itself has never really felt a serious push….
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Most Thais are trying to piece together patchy information about the Cesium-137 cylinder that went missing from a plant in Prachin Buri and the possible impacts after radiation was detected…
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Two hours south of Bangkok by car, Phetchaburi province offers everything from cultural heritage and a royal palace to sandy beaches and tasty food. Until March 26, the Phra Nakhon…
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The Thai capital’s historical Italian Neo-Renaissance-style Hua LamphongRailway Station has burst back into life and is now greeting visitors eager to experience a light and sound extravaganza dubbed “Unfolding Bangkok”….
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While Thais may be familiar with overcrowded state hospitals, that familiarity should not be grounds for dismissing political parties’ policies on public health in campaigning for the May 14 election….
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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…
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Thailand is to hold a general election in under two months. While parliament is still officially in session, political parties began to campaign weeks ago, mostly offering populist policies ranging…
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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…
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“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….
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Although now synonymous with hoax, fraud and corruption, the GT200 was once considered a vital tool in the armory of security forces in many countries across the globe. Those false…
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Chiang Mai-based Living River Association (LRA) has joined forces with seven local communities along the Ing River to protect Pulu or big-headed turtle (Platysternon megacephalum), an endangered species which is…
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The fate of Thailand’s cannabis industry may hang on who wins the upcoming general election. Several parties are keen to undo the herb’s decriminalization that went into full effect in…
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For decades, an unknown number of Chinese nationals have been involved in illegal or “gray” businesses in Thailand but managed to stay clear of trouble with the law thanks mainly…
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It was called Silicon Valley Bank, but its collapse is causing shockwaves around the world. From winemakers in California to startups across the Atlantic Ocean, companies are scrambling to figure out…
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With a funfair and plenty of festive vibes, the Mask Festival 2023 is all set to rev up the hot season in Thailand’s northeast this month. Taking place in Loei…
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The marking of Women’s Day on March 8 in Thailand is considerably “political”. But it’s political “constructively”. Demands for free tampons at workplaces, extended pregnancy leave or legalised prostitution, whether…
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Thailand’s love affair with its checkered cloth, the Pha Khao Ma, goes back many, many generations. This common item is now so closely intertwined with the Thai way of life,…
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Women hit the streets from Kabul to Mexico City on Wednesday to mark International Women’s Day and stand up for rights that are coming under increasing attack. With Afghanistan’s Taliban…
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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…
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When a 17-year-old recently confessed to throwing the body of her eight-month-old son into a canal and reporting him missing, she exposed huge flaws in Thailand’s three major social systems….
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Household debt has become an alarming issue for the country, and as Thailand heads towards a general election this year, it’s a ticking bomb that needs the urgent attention of…
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We have heard people expressing their frustration of being called ‘girls’ at work, along with many other workplace micro-aggressions related to race, age and gender in recent years. Meanwhile, in…
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Despite Thailand gaining global recognition for its world-class medical and wellness facilities, lessons learned from the Covid-19 pandemic, rising health expenditure, and the surge in the aging population are putting…
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Located eight kilometres northwest of downtown Ratchaburi, the Khao Ngu Stone Park, once a stone mill, is made up of scattered caves and small limestone mountains. Not only will you…
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Thailand’s local talents must be “armed” if they are to take their place in the highly competitive and crowded content market. And that could well be about to happen thanks…
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The ruling party appears to be reinventing the image of its leader, General Prawit Wongsuwan. His wardrobe has been updated with trendy clothes popular among fashion-conscious young celebrities half his…
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Nearly 300 migratory birds have been recorded in the middle alluvium ground of the Red River, which flows through Hanoi. This is a particularly rare occurrence as many migratory species…
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Despite Thailand’s increasing desperation to boost the quality of its education, authorities have decided that teacher trainees only need to be tested on one subject to get a license. This…
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Hackers working for online gambling platforms have hijacked the webpages of many Thai government agencies and turned them into portals for illegal gaming sites. Websites of state agencies under all…
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Teenagers who endure pregnancy without any support, especially from their school, are likely to have babies who grow up in poverty and eventually become young parents themselves. “Research shows the…
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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…
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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,…
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Tucked away on the Thai-Malaysian border, Betong is Thailand’s southernmost point. The small border town – which is isolated in a misty mountain valley – is well worth visiting and…
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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…
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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…
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The red Songthaew minibuses in Chiang Mai have been an iconic form of transport for several decades, for both tourists and locals alike who do not have cars or motorcycles….
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Rights groups are up in arms over the government’s delay in implementing key provisions of the new torture and forced disappearance prevention act, citing a frivolous reason, such as lack…
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The vast majority of health claims used to advertise baby formula worldwide are not supported by rigorous scientific evidence, a study said Thursday, leading researchers to urge the breast milk…
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Statistics show that hundreds of thousands of Thais risk going to jail if a draft ministerial regulation supporting Public Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul’s so-called war on drugs is enacted. The…
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Four high school students in the southern province of Yala have earned high praise from Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha for winning the New Gen Inventors Award 2023 with their innovative…
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“Do you have a boyfriend?” “When are you getting married?” “When will you come down off the ‘kaan’?” These are the most common sayings heard in daily conversation among Thais,…
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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…
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The 10th Prime Minister of Malaysia, Dato Seri Anwar Ibrahim, was on formal visit to Thailand. He discussed various issues, from the South of Thailand, economic cooperation between the two…
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Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim has called on ASEAN to explore new approaches to resolving the ongoing crisis in Myanmar which, he said, can no longer be treated as the…
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Despite making Thailand’s haze crisis national agenda in 2019, the government has made little progress in meeting people’s need for clean air. The slow response has allowed seasonal PM2.5 dust…
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As the general election approaches, rival political parties have unveiled their policy pledges designed to lure voters. Parties usually make promises that could make an immediate impact, without taking into…
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This year’s Bangkok Design Week challenges visitors to plan well to appreciate overwhelming art projects in 9 areas of the Thai capital in just 9 days. Held on the theme…
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Thai media professional organizations have raised objection to a bill seeking to set up a council to regulate media ethics due to be taken up for deliberation by the House…
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“If the Mekong were a human, she would be half-dead, because everything has completely changed,” said Niwat Roykaew, a Goldman Environmental Prize recipient who has been leading the movement for…
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The late National Artist Thawan Duchanee lived in two houses, each of which tells a different story about his life. While art lovers are familiar with Thawan Duchanee’s Black House…
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“Ai Kwai!!!” literally translated as “you buffalo”, as in “you idiot”, is one of the most common insults in the Thai language. In light of a recent controversy, where the…
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The ongoing Covid-19 pandemic has been tough on small- and medium-sized enterprises, which are the backbone of Thailand’s economic growth and development. Increased digital transformation, changes in customer behaviour, restrictions…
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Thailand’s real estate sector did not fully recover in 2022 due mainly to the economic decline and the impacts of the Russia-Ukraine war as well as higher inflation and interest…
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Bangkok Governor Chadchart Sittipunt has been handed a “passing grade” by keen observers. However, the man who won the 2022 gubernatorial election by a record-breaking majority is expected to achieve…
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After months of ambiguity, Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha finally shed light on his political future just days before the end of 2022. General Prayut is set to seek another term in office,…
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Life in Thailand began returning to normal at the start of this year after two years of COVID-19 crisis that turned lives, businesses and the education sector upside down. Though…
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Trends change by the year, with some things in and others out and 2023 will be no exception. Remember, when the SMS was “in” some years ago? Here’s what we…
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After bolting the doors for two years following the outbreak of the pandemic, Thailand decided to fully reopen the country in 2022, removing the COVID-19 restrictions that had throttled tourism, a…
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Thailand’s nightlife scene was hit by a tragedy of historic proportions this year when an inferno tore through the Mountain B nightclub in Chon Buri province, killing 26 people and…
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Thais do read and they read a lot according to data collected by Thailand Knowledge Park (TK Park), so let’s erase that old belief that Thais read just eight lines…
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The opposition Pheu Thai Party is gearing up for the general election in 2023 by showcasing Paetongtarn Shinawatra, the youngest daughter of its patriarch Thaksin, and is expected to announce…
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As 2022 draws to a close, politicians and parties are busy preparing for a general election due sometime in the next few months. Small parties are opting to merge as…
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Despite significantly lower caseloads and high rates of vaccination, Covid-19 will continue to shape how we exercise and live our lives, pushing us to increase our focus on self-care and…
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2022 was likely the most challenging year in Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha’s political career, which began when he came to power via the military coup he led in May 2014….
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A 17.8-billion-baht offer by SCBX, the holding company of Siam Commercial Bank, for a majority stake in Bitkub Online was supposed to be the deal of the year in 2022….
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Thailand suffered a day of unmatched carnage and cruelty in 2022, when a crazed individual entered a nursery on October 6. The bloodbath that ensued was even worse than the…
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