Opinion pieces and commentary on Thailand's current affairs, in English, from Thai PBS World contributors.
With more than 4 million COVID-19 infections recorded in Thailand since early 2020, it is no surprise that long-COVID support groups are popping up all around the country. Meanwhile, the Public Health Ministry is setting up long-COVID clinics nationwide, while nine were launched on May 9 by the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration at hospitals under its
Bangkokians choose their next governor on May 22, the latest episode in 50 years of administration that has shaped the world capital that we know today. Here, Thai PBS World reviews highlights from the last half-century of Bangkok’s governance, including overlooked facts that readers may find fascinating. Pre-election Bangkok Thailand’s capital has been known as “Bangkok” for
Although many candidates for the Bangkok Council election are familiar old faces, fresh talent has also surfaced for voters keen to see what the new generation has to offer. Nitikorn Bunyakulcharoen, a Bangkok council candidate from the Move Forward Party, is just 27. This computer-engineering graduate from the King Mongkut’s University of Technology Thonburi considers his age
Politicians and observers are seeking a potential “substitute prime minister” in case PM Prayut Chan-o-cha runs into a “political accident”. Talk of an acting PM was triggered this past week after a slip of the tongue by Deputy Premier Prawit Wongsuwan, who also heads the ruling Palang Pracharath Party. Prawit said last Tuesday that “there
It’s tortuous trying to navigate the current hostility between the two great superpowers, the US and China, as the Russian-Ukraine war continues to rage. Worse still, it is highly likely that the war will drag on, as neither Washington nor Moscow are in the mood for conciliatory gestures. Under the circumstances, Thailand and the rest
Soft power. The United States has Hollywood, jazz and Facebook while South Korea can boast K-pop, kimchi and taekwondo. For Thailand, pad thai, tom yum kung and Muay Thai pack a global punch. Mango sticky rice is the most recent addition to that list after Thai female rapper Danupha “Milli” Khanatheerakul grabbed a bowl during
After female Thai rapper, Danupha “Milli” Khanatheerakul, ate mango sticky rice during her Coachella concert performance a week ago, the Thai dessert suddenly became a hot item and has been selling like hot cakes since. This is not the first time a Thai food or product has become a top trending item, whether it has
“I began my foreign affairs service as a Cambodia-desk officer. That was more than 30 years ago and, at that time, I did not have any chance to come to Cambodia. Life came a full circle when I was appointed as an ambassador to Cambodia,” said H.E. Panyarak Poolthup, Ambassador of Thailand to Cambodia to Thai
Myanmar’s military junta has failed to normalize conditions in the strife-torn country following a subdued water festival punctuated by violence and an unpopular plan to reopen for tourism. Meanwhile, ASEAN is still dragging its feet, with its year-old five-point consensus yet to yield fruit. Known locally as Thingyan, the traditional New Year is normally marked
Bangkok has had as many as 30 gubernatorial candidates, yet none has paid serious attention to its acute problems of domestic violence, women’s safety, and the homeless. Statistics show the capital has the highest rate of domestic violence, murders, and homelessness in Thailand. Ignored problems? Jaded Chouwilai, director of the Women’s and Men’s Progressive Movement
12 years in counseling works, Manus Onsang, Dek-D.com web editor said he met with counseling teachers enough to know they were mostly well-intended and overburdened with non-counseling school work. Though every year, he has a chance to guide fresh faces from high-school seeking ways to university, he said some same issues keep happening. “The same
Most expatriates in Bangkok have no right to vote in the May 22 gubernatorial election, yet the outcome affects their everyday lives just as much as those of other residents. The quality of life in this city of around 10 million residents relies on how effectively the governor and Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) deal with
