Global sympathy travels fast, based on the news in the headlines. The other day it was Yemen. The day before, it was Myanmar. Today it’s all about Afghanistan. It appears…
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Global sympathy travels fast, based on the news in the headlines. The other day it was Yemen. The day before, it was Myanmar. Today it’s all about Afghanistan. It appears…
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They were skating on thin ice together like a pair, but, currently, the prime minister and arguably the most controversial man in his government coalition are drifting in opposite directions….
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Culture is like a little bird in your hand. You want to keep it and nurture it. Grasping it too firmly might stifle it, while holding it too loosely could…
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An early general election has become more likely after Parliament voted on Friday (September 10) to approve a charter amendment bill that restores the two-ballot election system and alters the…
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Do not be fooled by the popular optics portraying China and Vietnam as eternal enemies. They are not, as evidenced by State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi’s weekend visit…
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The quick fall of Afghanistan to the Taliban has made the 20th anniversary of Sept 11 even more sad. The loss of tens of thousands of lives, both American and Afghan,…
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The surprise departure of Palang Pracharath’s secretary-general, Thammanat Prompow, from the Cabinet threatens to cause disarray in the ruling party and impact its performance at the next general election. The…
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The question regarding Prayut Chan-o-cha and Thammanat Prompao is whether it’s a “mountain out of a molehill” situation or a “no smoke without fire” development. In a world where Prayut…
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Halfway through their government’s four-year term, Prime Minister Gen Prayut Chan-o-cha and his brothers in arms – Gen Prawit Wongsuwan and Gen Anupong Paochinda – apparently have no choice but to change tack…
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Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha managed to survive his third no-confidence vote, but a brewing storm in the ruling party is now undermining his once solid position. For analysts, recent developments…
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The news that Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga is to step down later this month and will not stand for re-election has not stirred up any reaction within ASEAN. The…
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The government has started to ease some lockdown restrictions from September 1. Department stores have been allowed to reopen most of their services after being closed for a month. Restaurants…
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Chung Eui-yong, a young South Korean diplomat who served in Thailand 30 years ago, had always dreamed of returning to the country of which he had grown fond. Last week,…
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Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha is bracing for his third censure debate this week when he and five other Cabinet members will be grilled by opposition politicians. The attacks will center…
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Recent weeks have seen the emergence of youth-led violent protests at Bangkok’s Din Daeng intersection – in what observers view as a strategy to help support the mainly peaceful anti-establishment…
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Thanks to social media and a whistle blower, who leaked the chilling video of a group of police officers torturing a drug suspect to death, yet another public outcry against…
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Both anti-government protesters and the authorities may need to reassess their strategies of using force, as the political tension is expected to drag on for quite some tine, a political…
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Vice President Kamala Harris has picked the two outstanding US allies in ASEAN for her first visit to the Southeast Asian region beginning on Sunday. From the US perspective, these…
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The Thai economy rebounded in the second quarter, growing by 7.5 percent year on year, after a 12.1 percent contraction during April-June last year. The high economic growth in the second…
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Thailand’s surging COVID-19 crisis has spawned a series of rumors and scandals, with the latest centered on rapid antigen test kits (ATKs). Initially touted as a tool to control COVID-19,…
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Most armed conflicts in the world have “proxy” written all over them, so one of the most-ridiculed Joe Biden statements regarding America’s withdrawal from Afghanistan is actually spot-on. “They have…
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Many depositors may have to think hard about the safety of their cash deposits in commercial banks after deposit insurance was slashed to a maximum of Bt1 million from Bt5…
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The baht has seen a steady slide for weeks amid a surge in COVID-19 infections and deaths recently. The baht fell to 33.39 to the US dollar at one point…
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Politics, whether it’s an extreme dictatorship, mild fascism, or full-blown democracy, is all about magnifying opponents’ faults and belittling your own in the full glare of the public. Motives are to…
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The brightest minds in the United States and England are fearing that the world is facing a really and progressively gloomy future, but they think slightly differently, though. The US…
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The listing of Kaeng Krachan Forest Complex as a World Heritage Site has added another jewel to Thailand’s collection of globally-recognized natural and cultural treasures. However, UNESCO’s inscription also further…
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Make no mistake, when the UK decides to display its maritime power, the right place to show off is the South China Sea. It is the center of regional concern…
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Thais across the country are suffering the impact of a semi-lockdown after restrictions were expanded from 13 to 29 provinces and extended until at least August 31. Concern is now…
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Thailand’s economic recovery looks set to be delayed further, with many research houses revising down their growth forecasts for this year. The economy contracted 6.1 percent last year amid the…
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The one wish Thaksin Shinawatra made while blowing out 72 candles on his birthday cake on Monday (July 26) was to be able to return home. Thaksin was ousted in…
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The answer will depend primarily on the COVID-19 numbers at Thailand’s popular island resort. But how the Prayut administration will look coming out of a potential Phuket nightmare will also…
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Calling people out has become popular among Thai social-media users in recent times, and now they are pressuring local celebrities and stars to take a stance – usually on political…
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Hopes that two Asian economic giants, Japan and South Korea, would be able to reconcile and improve their soured bilateral ties at the 2020 Olympics have been dashed. South Korean…
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Thailand is finally bidding to join the COVID-19 Vaccines Global Access (COVAX) initiative after being hit by a critical shortage of effective vaccines at the height of its contagion crisis….
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President Joe Biden has ordered American troops to pull out from Afghanistan by the end of August. His order effectively ended Washington’s longest war but left behind a country in…
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Simple math and the almost-worldwide belief that good coronavirus vaccines are in the United States make its current situation mind-boggling. Its population is roughly 4.7 times that of Thailand, but…
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Thailand’s Navy has once again shelved plans to buy Chinese submarines, following growing pressure on the government to divert the budget for their purchase to tackle the worsening COVID-19 crisis….
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Thailand is targeting at least one gold medal as 41 Thai athletes launch their campaigns at the Tokyo Olympics, which start on Friday (July 23) under a sealed COVID-19 “bubble”. A Thai…
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Despite being Southeast Asia’s manufacturing hub of AstraZeneca’s COVID-19 vaccine, Thailand is struggling with a severe shortage of jabs for its own population. The situation is so serious that the…
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Like many Thais, veteran journalist Wichit Chaitrong had been looking forward to getting a government-provided COVID-19 jab for months – but not anymore. He changed his mind after hearing the…
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Following in the footsteps of tropical paradise Phuket, three more islands start welcoming fully vaccinated foreign tourists with relaxed quarantine rules from today (July 15). Surat Thani’s Koh Samui, Koh…
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Human beings having several, competing vaccines may be the last thing they need and the first thing the coronavirus wants. Instead of pooling expertise, manpower and financial resources to create…
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It took Japan just two weeks to deliver the 1.05 million doses of vaccines to Thailand following Tokyo’s pledge to donate the shots. The speedy delivery is a strong barometer…
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Government critics and opposition politicians are campaigning for people impacted by COVID-19 and the associated restrictions to sue the state for compensation over the damage caused. They say the government,…
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In order to boost public confidence in Sinovac’s COVID-19 vaccine, Public Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul took the first jab in Thailand on February 28. The Chinese vaccine has since become…
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One possible explanation for the continued, terrifying increase in COVID-19 cases in Thailand is that the country may be arriving at the most unwanted juncture. As news reports focus on “clusters”…
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The failed civil effort to amend the Constitution last year has been revived by Re-Solution, a group of young politicians and activists whose stated goal is to bring down the…
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The fire at a chemical factory in Thailand’s Samut Prakan province raises a lot of questions about city planning and, in particular, about laws on industrial facilities. An expert says…
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Millions of Thais are closely following developments in the country’s acquisition of mRNA-based COVID-19 vaccines, which are believed to be the most effective against the new coronavirus and its variants….
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The Thai government has resumed its tug-of-war with popular social media platforms, particularly Facebook, over the content it deems fake news and insulting to the monarchy. In the latest round…
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Thailand has been quick to respond to the latest US State Department’s Trafficking in Persons Report (TIP), saying unequivocally that it is disappointed with the ranking. The report, which was…
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Many military strategists may quietly admire the coronavirus. In the first wave, it took advantage of human beings’ unpreparedness, striking rich countries with brute force and sparing much of the…
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Thais are deeply worried about the government’s plan to reopen the country and resume normal business operations by October, as daily infections and deaths rise again amid a bumpy vaccine…
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Pheu Thai and Move Forward are reportedly not seeing eye to eye. But neither are Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha and Palang Pracharath, and the latter pair’s conflict can be more…
Read MoreHopes for a new and more democratic Thai Constitution rose this week when the referendum bill sailed through Parliament. The government-sponsored bill paves the way for a public vote on…
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Last week Thailand joined other 35 UN members in abstaining from a major UN Security Council resolution on the situation in Myanmar. The country did so with a heavy heart…
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The opposition is targeting a “secret budget” worth more than Bt1 billion while vetting the Bt3.1-trillion budget for the 2022 fiscal year. The budget bill passed its first parliamentary reading…
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Parliament is scheduled to deliberate 13 charter amendment bills this week, but only a few are expected to make it through to the national assembly, a third of which is…
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The ruling party’s latest internal reshuffle indicates it desperately wants to win the next election, amid speculation that the national poll will be called early. Palang Pracharath Party rejigged its…
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Humans make rules, dissolve parliaments, woo voters, mark ballots, and set up administrations, but the new normal of politics stipulates that they aren’t the ones actually in control. Those activities…
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The opposition Move Forward Party is pushing for an amendment to the Criminal Code that would punish judicial personnel for “distorting the law”. Move Forward, aka “Kao Klai” in Thai,…
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Over the weekend, several hospitals in Bangkok, and many other provinces, postponed vaccination appointments for this week. Today (Monday), the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) did the same for its 25…
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When Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha ordered his Cabinet last week to speed up implementation of public projects as the government only had one year left in office, many saw it…
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The launch of Thailand’s mass vaccination program on June 7 has sparked hope that the country can reopen for tourists and resume normal business activities. But uncertainty remains. The third…
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The government launched its latest stimulus package on June 1 in a bid to shore up the economy and aid those impacted by Thailand’s third wave of COVID-19. Worth Bt140.4…
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“This year, I don’t know why we fight, it will not make a difference. We have been making sacrifices for a whole year already. This is not ‘back to zero,’…
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This month marks a year since Thai government critic Wanchalearm “Tar” Satsaksit disappeared following his apparent abduction in Cambodia on June 4, 2020. His family, friends, and fellow activists have…
Read MorePolitics should be normalised, was Amanda Obdam’s key message during a recent interview with Thai PBS World, as beauty pageants in recent years have undeniably became a platform for women…
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Proposed amendments to the Official Information Act are aimed at protecting state secrets, contrary to the law’s original goal of securing the public’s right to access government data, critics warn. …
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Critics say the 2022 budget bill scheduled for debate in Parliament next week has several flaws, ranging from the size of total spending to how it is allocated. The 2022…
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First, it was China’s “comfortable survival”. Then, it was the intriguing question of whether or how much states should “provide” or “facilitate” vaccination. Now, it’s the anger and disbelief following…
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COVID-19 will top the agenda when the new session of Parliament kicks off this week, with battle focusing on executive decrees including the bill for another Bt 500 billion in…
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Controversy has erupted over the government’s move to borrow another huge sum to aid recovery from the virus crisis. The government opted for an emergency decree to sanction an extra…
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A lot can go wrong if or when “Walk-in” (or whatever they call it) vaccination facilities are opened. People may scramble to receive jabs, creating potentially dangerous clusters. Untoward incidents…
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Thais’ generosity has never been lacking when it comes to pleas for donations. And thanks to mobile banking, money can now be transferred almost immediately to people in need. But…
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Thai politics has taken a surprising twist amid the worsening COVID-19 crisis, with supporters of Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha now joining loud calls for him to quit. Previously seen as…
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A cry for help – Prevent civil war and restore human rights by officially recognizing us, Myanmar’s pro-democracy government pleads Myanmar’s pro-democracy unity government is urging the international community and…
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Thai politicians and academics are showing a growing interest in China’s experience in poverty reduction. Leaders of the ruling Palang Pracharath Party recently met with their Chinese Communist Party (CCP)…
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Alarm is growing in Thailand after the Department of Corrections revealed that 2,835 COVID-19 cases had been found inside two major Bangkok prisons. Critics are questioning the Department of Corrections’…
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Intensifying vaccination drama in Thailand is taking place against an intriguing international backdrop featuring an apparent race between the West on one side and a Chinese-Russian alliance on the other…
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The third wave of COVID-19 that rolled into Thailand last month has rocked not just the fragile economic recovery but also the government’s vaccination plans. The resurgent virus has spawned…
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The Constitutional Court’s controversial ruling last week in favour of Deputy Agriculture and Cooperatives Minister Thammanat Prompow has upset many people, including supporters of the government. Thammanat, a key dealmaker…
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Dissatisfaction with politics may be the main reason Thais are joining the campaign to “migrate to another country”, but dismay at Thailand’s economy can’t be far behind. Under the impact…
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The ongoing third wave of COVID-19 underlines one thing: Thailand is no longer a champion in managing the contagion, and that has a lot to do with its government. As…
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Disappointment, anger and despair is rumbling through Thai society after Thammanat Prompow was let off the hook by the Constitutional Court on Wednesday. Though many were unsurprised by the verdict,…
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Yesterday’s Constitutional Court verdict, which allows controversial Deputy Agriculture Minister Thammanat Prompow to retain his ministerial post and MP status, despite his drug trafficking conviction in Australia in the 1990’s,…
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An icon for the youth-led movement seeking to topple General Prayut Chan-o-cha’s government, detained protest leader Parit “Penguin” Chiwarak is gambling with his life by refusing to consume solid food…
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The prime minister is taking a big gamble with his future, something intertwined with the national course. The opposition has proposed an ironic and controversial way to handle COVID-19. The…
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Only about 5 percent of Thailand’s vulnerable population have so far booked a free COVID-19 vaccination jab since the government’s appointment process was launched on Saturday. The slow uptake is…
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When General Prawit Wongsuwan took control of the ruling Palang Pracharath Party in June last year, among his core tasks was to manage the internal power struggle between party factions….
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As a media, we have to ask ourselves whether the information we have is enough to support what is to be published. If it is enough, with solid evidence, there…
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After 46 days on hunger strike, Parit “Penguin” Chiwarak failed again on Thursday (April 29) to secure bail release for himself and several other anti-establishment protest leaders. This was the…
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Bangkok is now home to the world’s largest parliament complex, after almost eight years and Bt22.9 billion was spent on its construction. The complex, officially called “Sappaya Sapasathan,” covers a…
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It goes without saying that “Doing nothing” does not include wearing face masks, hand washing, and some exercise. The time has come once again for Thais to “de-group”, “de-party”, “de-politicize”,…
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Although the third wave of COVID-19 has hit Thailand hard, key decision-makers are still keen to launch the “Phuket Sandbox” on July 1. The sandbox will trial Thailand’s reopening by…
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Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha and his government are suffering a barrage of attacks from critics and political rivals as Thailand is hit by a third wave of COVID-19 infections. Some…
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China has pledged to provide Thailand with up to one million doses of vaccines to speed up inoculation against the deadly virus here as the country is facing a new…
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With COVID-19 cases now rising by more than 1,000 per day, many Thais are wondering whether the country’s healthcare sector will crumble under the pressure. Despite the launch of field…
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Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha confirmed to Indonesian President Joko Widodo on Thursday that he would not attend the special ASEAN summit in Jakarta this Saturday to address the ongoing crisis…
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The televised address by Thai prime minister, Prayut Chan-o-cha, on Friday was widely criticized. Experts said it is not just because of the issue of communication skills, but also the…
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