Opinion pieces and commentary on Thailand's current affairs, in English, from Thai PBS World contributors.
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 he used to be active in ASEAN-related think tanks. He has also written books and numerous articles about Cambodia’s foreign policy. He therefore knows exactly
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 crisis. They suggest, in the research published Thursday, that the principle of extended producer responsibility (EPR), a policy tool often used to deal with waste,
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 his political vision, according to political analysts. Prayut formally registered as a member of the newly-formed political party amid much fanfare at the Queen Sirikit
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 will drop quarantine rules from January 8, signaling that its people can resume outbound travel without restrictions. While this move may sound like good news
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 peace talks forward. To complicate the matter even further, this peace process has produced two competing tracks — the official one with Malaysia as the
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 up in the air. -Prayut’s future- According to a constitutional court ruling last year, over his controversial 8-year-term in office, Prayut can serve no more
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 is ready for talks. Yet, the two leaders are not talking to each other. Their messages about a possible peace dialogue came through others. Both
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 EU’s lack of consistency and erratic response to Thailand’s domestic situation. Thailand is an imperfect country. Obviously, the country’s political turmoil should not have been
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 lost in the caves of Doi Nang Non in northern Thailand and the subsequent successful and miraculous rescue was only possible through unconditional international co-operation of
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 indeed very clever. He said that the UK is setting a new and more realistic diplomatic coursewith about two dozen countries, mainly mid-level income nations.
I grew up in the Thai education system. Stories from the past, including folk stories, are something I read mostly for entertainment. My curiosity about what has happened in the country’s history was piqued when I was in Junior high school. There was a coup in 1992, dubbed “Black May”. For a 14-year-old, everything felt
From the next academic year, schools across Thailand will teach history as a main subject in line with the policy of Prime Minister General Prayut Chan-o-cha. The move has prompted questions over whether the government is trying to cultivate a nationalistic and conservative mindset at a time when the world is focused on globalization and
