Opinion pieces and commentary on Thailand's current affairs, in English, from Thai PBS World contributors.
Thai society’s deep tradition of respect for elders means children are always expected to show gratitude to their parents. The long-held custom means children are also barred from taking legal action against an abusive father or mother. However, this prohibition came under the spotlight recently when a 24-year-old woman begged a foundation to take her
The shooting down of the marijuana bill in Parliament last week sparked concerns on both sides of the debate. The pro-pot camp is worried the legalization of cannabis will be reversed, while others – including many doctors – are afraid that consumption of cannabis without proper controls will continue. Will marijuana become illegal again? MPs
Most of the 2.1 billion strong workforces in Asia and the Pacific are denied access to decent jobs, health care, and social protection but there is an array of policies and tools that governments can use to remedy these deficiencies and ensure that the rights and aspirations of these workers and their families are upheld
Now that Liz Truss has been elected by the Conservative Party to the helm of the United Kingdom, she will have to face myriad challenges, imposed by both domestic and external developments. For Southeast Asia, her accession has brought new concerns about the UK’s future role in this part of the world. Most importantly, she
As if political pundits these days didn’t have enough to chew on, Prayut government’s top legal expert Deputy Prime Minister Wissanu Krea-ngam on Monday opened what might seem to be a new political Pandora’s Box. And it surely has added to the already heated debate on the political fate of Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha. According
Thanks to constant mutations, the COVID-19 virus is still several steps ahead of vaccine developers. While researchers have managed to develop vaccines that are effective against the original strain of the new coronavirus and major variants like Delta, global mass vaccination efforts have failed to halt the raging pandemic. This is because the virus continues
When the merchant vessel Razoni sailed from Ukraine’s Black Sea port of Odesa earlier this month with more than 26,000 tons of corn for global markets, she was rightly the subject of intense attention. Her passage was the result of months of negotiations between Russia, Türkiye, Ukraine and the United Nations, including UN humanitarian staff,
August 24 has portents of becoming judgement day as leaders of many youth movements are planning major protests if Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha holds on to power he seized eight years ago. Speaking at a seminar at Thammasat University’s Pridi Banomyong International College on August 15, the student activists said that many groups are holding
In the eyes of critics, Thailand’s Waste Management Master Plan has trashed the country’s waste problem to the point that it risks becoming the world’s dumping ground. Not only is Thailand struggling with its own waste, but Thais are also being overwhelmed by imported garbage. Thailand has in fact banned the importation of several types
Thailand’s health care for women at government medical facilities is free of charge and quite comprehensive. The problem is that a lot of people are unaware that there are such services available for free, said Dr. Phanitra Maneeratprasert, Gynaecologist at Bang Bua Thong Hospital in Nonthaburi province. The women’s clinic at this hospital is one
By Kavi Chongkittavorn Malaysian Foreign Minister Saifuddin Abdullah recently proposed that the special envoy of the ASEAN chair should be granted a tenure of more than a year and that the person appointed need not be a foreign minister. The new idea came about because, in the past 18 months, the ASEAN special envoy, who
Against all odds and naysayers, ASEAN has survived for the past five and a half decades. The bloc has grown in terms of numbers and international profile. Given the current global political and economic landscape, ASEAN will continue to serve as a regional foundation with defined aims forging cooperation and building peace. For the
