Opinion pieces and commentary on Thailand's current affairs, in English, from Thai PBS World contributors.
Major political parties are setting their sights on the Northeast as local elections loom, paving the way for a national vote expected next year. Pheu Thai and Move Forward, the main opposition parties, both have big plans for the country’s most populous region. Move Forward announced plans to double the incomes of northeasterners in 10
With new Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida in power, Japan has become a heavy-weight player in shaping China-US relations. In his first major speech he reiterated not just that the US-Japan alliance remains at the heart of Japan’s security policy, but expressed readiness to improve ties with China. Coming at this critical moment, his position
Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha’s words to supporters in the South last week were interpreted by many as a sign he intends to seek another term in office. “I and my team are all working for people to the best of our ability. [But] it takes time to do things and solve problems. I think many things will
Maria Ressa and Dimitry Muratov are very courageous journalists, enduring difficulties concocted by their governments to weaken or rather terminate their ability to do their jobs. President Rodrigo Duterte and President Vladimir Putin have failed to fight against these brave souls. Their journalistic professionalism has also shed light on what their leaders could do when they abuse the power
If you are hesitant about getting a Sinovac jab to protect yourself against COVID-19, here’s some good news – the government is preparing to offer new free alternatives. The Public Health Ministry said last week that it was seeking official approval for the AstraZeneca-Pfizer vaccine cocktail for people under the government’s free vaccination rollout. The
US President Joe Biden has already reduced the possibility of waging war against China, by recognizing the “One-China” policy. Last week, Biden spoke to Chinese President Xi Jinping about Taiwan and they agreed to abide by the Taiwan agreement. Obviously, the president was referring to Washington’s long-standing recognition of Beijing, rather than Taipei. A few
Thailand lacks regular flood risk assessments, which should be carried out every one or two years, to see what has changed since the last flood, in terms of land use and whether it will affect the floodwaters, said Dr. Seree Supratid, the Director of the Climate Change Centre. He said the real cause of flooding
A set of new children’s books with political messages has triggered heated debate over allegations they aim to “brainwash” young readers. However, their main author and publisher have defended the content of the books, insisting it contains no threat or malice towards children. “They were all created with good intentions to expand the horizon of
August 24 marked the seventh anniversary of General Prayut Chan-o-cha’s tenure as Thailand’s prime minister. It also spurred questions over whether he has only one year left in the post, as the Constitution prohibits anyone from being PM for more than eight years. Legal experts disagree as to when PM Prayut must vacate his seat
It seems unbelievable that England has put in place a discriminatory policy that refuses to accept COVID-19 jabs given in countries in Latin American, Africa and South and Southeast Asia. The government of Prime Minister Boris Johnson is showing its dark side by recognising only shots given in a select group of countries. According to
After the Thai men’s team capped years of poor form by again failing to qualify for the FIFA World Cup, the Football Association of Thailand (FAT) has decided to bring in someone who can turn things around. In this time of crisis, who better to take charge than Nualphan Lamsan – the woman who led
Every September, leaders from around the globe have the opportunity to tell the rest of us how well their countries have been doing. If time permits, they also talk about what they want to do for the world, especially in terms of contributing to international peace and stability. Speeches by the top global leaders, especially
