The thin line between being a whistleblower and shrewd schemer is thinner in Thailand, which boasts one of the world’s biggest numbers of squealers, who exist largely in the political sphere….
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The thin line between being a whistleblower and shrewd schemer is thinner in Thailand, which boasts one of the world’s biggest numbers of squealers, who exist largely in the political sphere….
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Chonsawat Asavahame’s untimely death last Friday (March 31) is expected to hit not only his family’s political empire in Samut Prakan but also the ruling party’s chances of sweeping MP…
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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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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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Four starving men trudge across a vast desert with just one piece of bread left. Sharing it and nobody will die first or immediately, but most likely they all will…
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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,…
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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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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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Today marks the 20th anniversary of the start of the Iraq War, a conflict that is still having significant impacts on the current international order and the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war.In…
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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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Multiverse teases, taunts, gives hope, darkens mood, sells books and inspires new-age movies. Cue quantum physics and screenplay writers can do just about anything, since the very fundamental concept of…
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General Prawit Wongsuwan, leader of the ruling Palang Pracharath Party, has offered himself as the man to lead the country out of its two-decade political conflict. Prawit has floated the…
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Can Washington come to the rescue of the depositors of failed Silicon Valley Bank? Is it even politically possible? That was one of the growing questions in Washington Sunday as…
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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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Thailand’s famous forensic pathologist has been on a rollercoaster ride over the past few decades, and though Dr Porntip Rojanasunan is now bracing for a downhill plunge, she is confident…
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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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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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Paetongtarn Shinawatra has a big couple of months ahead of her. The 36-year-old looks set to become a prime ministerial candidate for the Pheu Thai Party, but she is also…
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Professional sports have long been a male-dominated arena. Both regionally and globally, this prevailing domination of the playing field by men disadvantages women and girls from media to participation. A…
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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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The Thai foodie community was recently in an uproar after a website published a listicle article in which “Kaeng Som” (sour curry) was named as among the world’s top 20…
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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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Prawit Wongsuwan, Jatuporn Prompan and the unbendable Move Forward Party have all expressed sound reasons lately when it comes to the future course of Thai politics. The greatest influencer, though,…
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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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“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…
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Senator Upakit Pachariyangkun is back in the spotlight over his alleged links with a crony of Myanmar’s military ruler Min Aung Hlaing who was arrested in Thailand on drug charges…
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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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Sleepless nights and days have already begun for the Fire Hawk Team. February to May is the peak period for forest fires and that means no rest, no leisure, no…
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People express their individuality in many different ways, among them how they wear their hair. Some color their hair blond. Girls shave their heads. Boys grow their hair long. Some change…
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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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One year into Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the West is convinced that, with more powerful arms support to Ukraine, the country will win the war. After all, the US and…
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More resounding than explosions in Ukraine are words uttered over the past few days by top politicians of the rival superpowers. The statements did not quite offer anything new that…
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Considering the time frame, it is not correct to assume that russia’s war against Ukraine started after 24, February 2022. In February last year, the world witnessed the escalation of…
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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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The concept of a national urban search and rescue (USAR) team set up for large-scale natural or man-made disasters is rather new in Thailand. The country’s only USAR team has…
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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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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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It seems like the right thing to do – a visit by Malaysia’s newly appointed facilitator for the peace process between the Thai Government and the rebel Barisan Revolusi Nasional…
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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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It’s the Pheu Thai Party who has done much of the talking in Parliament this week, but it’s Move Forward who stands to benefit the most. The biggest opposition camp,…
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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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Chuwit Kamolvisit has earned the reputation of an anti-corruption hero after repeatedly exposing police bribery and underground businesses linked to corrupt state officials. Once a self-declared “super pimp”, Chuwit has…
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Irritated by the fact that local history in Thailand’s Malay-speaking South embraces a very different version from that of the Thai State, the Fourth Army Area commander, Lt. General Santi…
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For a change, heavy equipment and machinery are being mobilised from all parts of the world to one destination to save lives, not destroy them; religious and political differences were…
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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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If you think hard work won’t kill you, think again. The story of a senior employee of a television news channel in Thailand, who suddenly died at his desk, recently…
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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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After the dramatic Cabinet shake-up over the past several weeks, Vietnam has been quick to restore confidence in its external relations with allies and friends, near and far. It is…
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The latest statement by hardline politician Piyabutr Saengkanokkul provides the clearest evidence that one of Thailand’s newest political parties, which thrives on unorthodoxy and drastic reforms that border on extremism,…
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Museums and cultural institutions bring learning to life, enabling members of the public to get close to history and culture. They are able not just to educate adults, but also…
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Despite the ambitious goal of freeing Thailand from HIV/Aids by 2030, the authorities have suddenly rationed the distribution of so-called before and after pills that keep infection at bay. “If…
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Right behind San Sebastian Basilica, one of Manila’s most revered churches, a high-rise condominium is under construction, triggering a conflict between developers and conservationists. The unsavoury development also threatens to…
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Newly appointed facilitator for the Patani peace talks, Gen. Zulkifli Zainal Abidin, will arrived in Thailand on February 1stfor a two-day visit to introduce himself to Deputy Prime Minister Prawit…
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With a general election just around the corner, political parties are now competing to woo voters via the popular welfare card scheme. Academics, however, warn that this scheme has already…
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At the very beginning, it must be stressed that Thailand and Türkiye share a common national identity – neither has ever been colonised by the Western powers. They are also…
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Former deputy prime minister Yongyuth Wichaidit is back in the media spotlight after celebrity lawyer Sittra Biabungkerd exposed a sex scandal he said involved a former deputy premier in Yingluck…
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Former red-shirt leader Jatuporn Prompan has shocked political observers by launching stinging criticisms of his former party Pheu Thai and its patriarch, Thaksin Shinawatra. Jatuporn demanded that the core opposition…
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The Pheu Thai Party has decided to spar with Jatuporn Prompan only, but did it really have the choice of going toe to toe with him in full scale? The…
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The Cabinet recently approved a framework for government spending in fiscal year 2024 with planned expenditure of 3.35 trillion baht, up 5.18 percent from the current fiscal year. The spending is equal…
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It may be that the Thai negotiators sitting across the table from the Barisan Revolusi Nasional (BRN) see them as easy pickings, but this low-hanging fruit – the Cessation of…
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Education Minister Treenuch Thienthong has scrapped her ministry’s rule on student hairstyles – a rule that youngsters have long complained about. However, her decision has been panned instead of praised…
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Thailand’s lenient stance as well as the close ties between its armed forces and the Myanmar military — also known as Tatmadaw — would undermine the efforts of ASEAN and…
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Many were surprised to see master powerbroker Thammanat Prompow kneeling on stage to present a garland to Palang Pracharath leader General Prawit Wongsuwan, in a symbolic apology and show of…
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Along with reducing pressure of raising a child, innovative policies such as allowing freezing of eggs and attracting workers from other countries should be considered if Asian countries want to…
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The recent meeting in Zurich between US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen and Chinese Vice Premier Liu He sent a positive signal that the world’s two superpowers are on the path…
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The CEO of online lottery platform Kong Salak Plus, Panthawat “Not” Nakwisut, appears to have his own style of working. At a time when most people would have shifted into…
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A system that allows big corporations to buy carbon offsets in rain forests to cancel out their harmful emissions is essentially “worthless,” an analysis by several media organisations showed Wednesday….
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When a student cheats in an exam, the penalty is usually at least a failing grade. So when the Thai public recently learned that many university professors had likely bought…
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Expressing one’s identity and historical-cultural narrative, regardless if it is different from the state-constructed one, should not be a crime in this day and age. But when you have a…
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Prawit Wongsuwan is seeking to persuade skeptical voters that his ruling Palang Pracharath Party has no connection with Prayut Chan-o-cha’s Ruam Thai Sang Chart Party, say political analysts. Palang Pracharath…
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Assoc Prof Jak Punchoopet, a key figure in the now-defunct People’s Democratic Reform Committee (PDRC), is under the spotlight again after taking the post of deputy Democrat Party spokesman on…
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The old “three Ps” were united. The new “three Ps” are anything but, yet there are scenarios where two would join hands and leave the other out cold. After the…
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An astute scholar of ASEAN from Cambodia, Dr. Kao Kim Hourn, has now become the 15th Secretary General of ASEAN. Dr. Kao is no stranger to the academic world, as…
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Could fossil fuel companies be forced to remove planet-heating carbon pollution from the atmosphere? Researchers argue in a new paper that would be a cheaper, fairer solution to the climate…
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Thailand’s gross domestic product (GDP) will expand by around 3-4 percent this year, only slightly higher than last year’s 3.2 percent, the National Economic and Social Development Council, a state…
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Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha might have made headlines by formally joining the United Thai Nation (Ruam Thai Sang Chart) Party on Monday, but he has offered little in terms of…
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The main focus of Thai politics this year will be the general election, bargaining to form a new government, and possible constitutional amendment. Analysts expect the already intense political conflict…
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Thai education is about to enter a new phase as Parliament prepares to vote on the National Education Bill. Yet experts do not expect the bill and its reforms to…
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While several countries have imposed stringent COVID-control measures on travellers from China, Thailand has decided to welcome them with open arms despite concerns about its healthcare sector being overwhelmed. China…
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Thailand’s negotiation with the rebel Barisan Revolusi Nasional (BRN) has reached a critical juncture as both sides continue to struggle to identify a common ground on how to move the…
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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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Looking into 2023, the future of Thai politics remains uncertain, considering major reshuffles and internal rifts in various political parties. General Prayut Chan-o-cha’s future as Thailand’s prime minister is also…
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Thailand’s new national rail terminus has run into trouble even before its official unveiling. Bang Sue Grand Station is setting social media alight with news that signboards for its new…
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This week’s virtual pledge of loyalty to allies by the Pheu Thai Party cannot entirely soothe them, because they know all too well that in politics, even cutthroat one like…
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Bruised, defiant but clueless, humans entered 2022. At that time, COVID-19 was the main plot, but, as 2023 approaches, the bruise has largely gone and defiance has probably morphed into…
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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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Talk about peace has intensified since the visit of Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky to Washington DC last week. At the same time, Russian President Vladimir Putin has said his country…
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It must be clear today that the Japan with which Southeast Asia has been familiar throughout the post-war years is no longer the same. The past 70 years of a…
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“This is my first time backing Argentina in a football match,” declared a Thai football fan. Coming from a Brazil supporter, who loves France’s Thierry Henry and Olivier Giroud to…
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It has taken 18 years for Thailand and the EU to sign the Thailand-EU Comprehensive Partnership and Cooperation Agreement (PCA). The reason it has taken so long has been the…
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During Wednesday’s press conference, at the end of a historic ASEAN-EU summit, Samdech Decho Hun Sen, Prime Minister of Cambodia, stated unequivocally that the EU should treat all ASEAN members…
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It is evident that only mankind can tackle any crisis that is a likely threat. It was only four years ago that a group of young Thai footballers were found…
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Finally, the UK has formulated a foreign policy that is pragmatic and deliverable, rather than rhetorical to please Western liberals. The latest elaboration by UK Foreign Secretary James Cleverly is…
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Thailand’s stock market has been vibrant since the Constitutional Court gave the green light to new electoral bills that are likely to benefit bigger parties. Stock analysts viewed the passing…
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