July 31, 2025: Using trade to dictate a military course is nothing new and it always cuts both ways.
The United States has reportedly made trade deals with Cambodia and Thailand ahead of President Donald Trump's August 1 tariff deadline, US Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick has just been quoted as saying.
That much we know (as of noon, Thursday, Thailand time). Lutnick provided no further details but his curious statement immediately followed the ceasefire agreement and reported ceasefire violations.
Business interests, when they suit peace, can end, or halt, or reduce the intensify of, wars. But it’s up to the people who pull the strings. If they want to turn enemies into reluctant military allies, or if they want to trigger wars so someone can sell weapons, business interests will also come in handy.
Lutnick seemed to admire Trump’s strategy. "It's unbelievable. And because he (Trump) uses trade, he gets to invite me on the phone, and I listened all day Saturday while he's calling Cambodia, Thailand," he said. "And what happens on Monday? They announce a truce. And here we did today. We made trade deals with Cambodia and Thailand."
It’s one thing to say “Stop fighting or I’m not buying from you. It’s another to say “Fight with me and I’ll buy from you.” Either way, though, morals go out the window.
“They died so you can be MP and devalue them”
July 30, 2025: The most controversial remark, hands down, in the Thai-Cambodian conflict belongs to a Thai opposition MP.
For a minute, forget Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra’s comments in her leaked phone conversation with Cambodia’s Hun Sen. Forget Hun Sen’s exposure of the Shinawatras. Forget Donald Trump calling himself a “President of Peace” after playing a staunch supporter of ceasefire talks between Bangkok and Phnom Penh.
And forget all the extreme or insane nationalistic comments from the Thai and Cambodian publics online.
People’s Party MP Sahassawat Kumkong calling the Thai military a lying b*****d has to top them all. In his now-deleted Facebook post he used to term “Sonteen” (or the “bottom of the foot” comparable to a**hole in English) to describe the institution.
Sahassawat has erased the aggressive and rude post and wrote a new one saying he was sorry but he meant well. It was too late. A lot of people remained very angry, calling for his removal from Parliament.
Online comments are still pouring in in furious responses to his original remark, posted just very recently, that the Thai military always habitually lied and that the Thai government allowing soldiers to lead communication with the Thai public was dangerous and a ****ing disgrace.
The reaction comments go fiercely in one direction. This is one example from an award-winning Thai writer, quoted by a mainstream news outlet: “Soldiers get injured and killed so you can live well and flex your muscles in Parliament. If you think Thai soldiers are your enemy, don’t apologise. Go all the way, man. (Continue to) Be the disgraceful representative of the people who voted for you.”
That Sahassawat could post such a thing was truly remarkable. Can or will a Cambodian member of Parliament scold the Cambodian military in such a manner?
Sky the limit for political narratives
July 29, 2025: The man who stealth-bombed Iran without declaring a war has called himself a “President of Peace.”
It’s not wrong for Donald Trump to feel proud of his role in supporting the Thai-Cambodian ceasefire talks, but that is some tweeted statement even by his standard nonetheless.
He said on Truth Social: "By ending this War, we have saved thousands of lives. I have instructed my Trade Team to restart negotiations on Trade. I have now ended many Wars in just six months — I am proud to be the President of PEACE!"
The other side of the coin is that barely half a year has gone by, in addition to the surprise attack on Iran that dramatically increased World War fears, and he has vetoed a UN Security Council condemnation of Israel over Gaza and strongly indicated that more military aid to Ukraine was on the way.
His latest Truth Social remark is the kind of online content that sent reporters scrambling to check whether it’s authentic. But, probably, even AI scammers can’t make that up.
Differences between Thailand’s East and Deep South
July 28, 2025: Before Bangkok and Phnom Penh started exchanging military punches, many strategical analysts saw the southern border as having a more fragile bilateral situation.
There has been no man’s land. There used to be insurgent groups operating. As Malaysia’s armed rebels hid in Thailand (in the past), their Thai counterparts with alleged rural Malaysian backing sought refuge on the other side.
There are Buddhists and Muslims, militia or non-militia, who often clash. People in Thailand’s Deep South speak a language that Malaysians are more capable of understanding than those from central Thailand.
There were allegations that saboteurs or arsonists responsible for hit-and-run attacks in Thailand’s southernmost areas could always flee across the border. There were times when news photos of gutted structures or auto debris in the Deep South were seen on a weekly basis.
Thailand and Cambodia, meanwhile, are predominantly Buddhist. There have been no arsons or car bombs. Some cultures are even shared. Local trades have been conducted under more legitimate supervision than some rural trading activities between those at the southern frontier.
And here we are. Malaysia is hosting peace talks aimed at making Thai and Cambodian militaries stop fighting. And as Malaysian diplomats roam the Thai capital happily, the Cambodian Embassy has to be tightly guarded against angry protesters and Bangkok and Phnom Penh have downgraded their diplomatic ties heavily.
Will Asean ever be the same again?
July 27, 2025: The founding principles of the regional grouping that Thailand and Cambodia are key members are facing the toughest challenge ever.
It’s not a “test”. The principles of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations that member countries shall find peaceful solutions to their conflicts have already been blown away. What remains is a mammoth “challenge” of gathering the remaining pieces and putting the least-damaged ones back together.
Asean was a good idea, but it was never a “from-the-bottom-up” idea. Politicians in power always played a big role in deciding which taxes to decrease, which jobs to allow across the borders, or which travel regulations shall be relaxed.
Many policies are good in practice, while others are good only on papers. And when it comes to serious matters like demarcation disputes, Asean may be good at buying time only, as the case between Thailand and Cambodia has shown.
Asean’s primary objectives are to “accelerate economic growth, social progress and cultural development in the region.” Member countries also wanted to “promote regional peace and stability through abiding respect for justice and the rule of law in the relationship among countries in the region and adherence to the principles of the UN charter.”
Malaysia, which has had its turn in taking over the Asean chairmanship, has called for a dialogue, but it sounded more desperate than authoritative. It just underlined the hard truth about the regional grouping: When push comes to shove and when shove comes to bomb and downgraded diplomacy, there is a lot more Asean should do or should have done.
In other words, holding peace talks is great, but in many cases that is just a passive action.
Never ever let it become proxy
July 26, 2025: The Thai-Cambodian armed conflict is tragic, messy and spreading wildly enough as it is, so it must not represent superpowers’ rivalry in any way, shape or form.
A CNN headline, looming on the homepage alongside routine Donald Trump big news, offers anything but comfort. “Thai-Cambodian conflict pits a well-equipped US ally against a weaker adversary with strong China links”, it said.
That was followed by an equally-troubling first paragraph: “The deadly conflict on Thai-Cambodian border pits a longtime United States ally with decades of experience against a relatively young armed force with close ties to China.”
The article went on to say the following (Granted, an America-oriented network should make a story relevant to American audiences if possible, but it can make some people feel uneasy all the same):
“Thailand is a United States treaty ally, a status dating back to the signing of the Southeast Asia Collective Defense Treaty, also known as the Manila Pact, in 1954, according to the US State Department.
“During the Vietnam War, Thailand hosted US Air Force assets at some air bases, including B-52 bombers, and tens of thousands of Thai troops fought on the side of the US-backed South Vietnam against the communist North.
“Strong ties between Washington and Bangkok have endured. Thailand is classed as a major non-NATO ally by the US, giving it special benefits that have enabled it to enjoy access to decades of US support for its weapons programs.
“Thailand and the US Indo-Pacific Command co-host the annual Cobra Gold military exercise, which began in 1982 as joint drills with the US but has since added dozens of other participants. It’s the longest-running international military exercise in the world, according to the US military.
“Besides Cobra Gold, Thai and US forces hold more than 60 exercises together, and more than 900 US aircraft and 40 Navy ships visit Thailand yearly, the US State Department says.”
Too much US context? That may be debatable, and more so considering the rumours that the Thai government keeps dismissing regarding US tariffs and military bases.
Calls for peace abound, genuinely or hypocritically
July 25, 2025: As Thailand and Cambodia exchange fire, pleas for peaceful solutions and halting of aggression are pouring in from virtually all corners of the world, in some cases pretentiously.
The hypocrisy is not an immediate problem. But it can be a root cause of why human beings ultimately have to resort to violence to “end” conflicts. Some of the calls for peace have come from countries that have some of the world’s biggest defence spending and lucrative military industries and often conducted hit-and-run incursions carried out under the guise of preemption of something worse.
That said, genuine peace has to be restored between Thailand and Cambodia. The growing tragedy must be stopped. It’s not because others are calling for it, but because their own citizens are needing it.
Culmination of centuries of badly-twisted ties
July 24, 2025: The history of Thailand and Cambodia is not only stormy but also perverted.
Imperial and colonial conflicts led to everlasting territorial disputes. Then modern-day global politics further complicated bilateral relations, with the Khmer Rouge, Vietnamese invasion, refugees and etc putting Thailand in a very awkward position, in other words lose-lose situation regardless of who Bangkok supported. Thailand returned the favour with the Shinawatras, who developed a strong bond with Cambodia’s political elites but finally became a government that unavoidably had conflict of interest when it came to their former hosts on the other side of the border.
The current military showdown has resulted from all of the above. Things went wrong throughout history, have gone more wrong recently and at this rate can go extremely wrong in the future because even attempts to rectify it will clash.
Real-life Kryptonite rocks Superman
July 23, 2025: It’s not from the Planet Krypton. It in fact belongs to this Planet Earth. One filmmaker believes a worldwide phenomenon is shaping up and it’s weakening one of the world’s most popular superheroes.
“… we have a certain amount of anti-American sentiment around the world right now. It isn’t really helping us,” said James Gunn, who directed the latest Superman film which is not doing as good overseas as previous versions of the man of steel.
Gunn did not call it a Kryptonite, though. Obviously, he has a good reason. Anti-US sentiment does not affect only Superman, but also other American-born superheroes in the celluloid world.
In North America, Gunn’s Superman has been doing well. But comparing domestic and foreign markets will find remarkable differences. Many industrial analysts attribute the phenomenon to the “saturation” of typical superhero movies featuring plots to conquer the earth or the galaxy and heroic US-oriented attempts to save whatever is threatened.
And, like Gunn said, America’s current image is not helping.
“Most big-budget Hollywood films, today, are doing better in the domestic market than worldwide, which wasn't the case a few years ago,” said Hindustan Times, an Indian English-language daily newspaper based in Delhi.
It said that by the end of its second weekend, Superman has earned $236 million in the domestic market (US and Canada), as compared to $173 million overseas. Hindustan Times calls this 60-40 split “unusual for a movie of its size.” Traditionally, big films made out of popular comics or popular novels used to do better overseas than in North America.
Gunn has another reason for the relatively weak Superman performance in the foreign market (make no mistake, Superman still flies high overseas, but only not as high as previously): In many places, Batman is more popular.
The director also dismissed some conservatives’ claim that Superman was another “Woke” film.
Is one of world’s strongest alliances wavering badly?
July 22, 2025: Even “uncontrollable” Donald Trump may be finding Benjamin Netanyahu uncontrollable.
And as a result, according to reports, one of the planet’s most formidable military partnerships is one or two reckless bombings away from hitting rock bottom.
The CNN said US President Trump was “caught off guard” by most recent Israeli actions in Gaza and Syria, and in both instances phoned Prime Minister Netanyahu to “rectify” the matter.
“That underscores what sources have said is an increasingly tense dynamic between the two leaders”, CNN said.
The innocent casualties in Gaza continue to increase. Adding Syria and America being dragged into the war with Iran just weeks ago with a potential to spark another World War, Washington is having its alliance with Israel under unprecedented global scrutiny.
“Trump has watched with growing concern as the Gaza war claims more lives — including three killed in last week’s church bombing,” the CNN said, quoting the White House.
Foreign affairs analysts, however, are not totally buying claims that America is telling Israel what to do. Frustrated? Yes. But banging the table and saying you must stop or I’ll walk? Maybe not.
Both Biden and Trump administrations, after all, have vetoed the US Security Council’s attempts to condemn Israel for the Gaza atrocities. America’s reported uneasiness was seen by many analysts as a well-crafted strategy aimed at telling the world it was trying to do something to bring about peace but Israel is not listening. By sending out messages that America itself has been shocked, global political impact of the killings of innocent women and children in Gaza on the US government may be less immense.
So, Israel must be contemplating two scenarios. The first has America genuinely shocked. The second has the White House act worried.
Potentially more explosive than Paetongtarn leak?
July 21, 2025: A disgraced MP has asked maybe the most contentious question in the Thai-Cambodian controversy:
Did Cambodia play a role in the 2010 political bloodbath related to the Red Shirt uprising during which the Ratchaprasong area was occupied for weeks and rifles fired, bombs thrown and people died?
Thaksin Shinawatra and his friend-turned-foe Hun Sen would reply to former Democrat MP Thepthai Senpong’s question with a flat “No”, as any indication to the contrary could bring down both the Thai and Cambodian governments. However, Thepthai is daring Hun Sen to speak up.
Thepthai’s Facebook post said there had always been suspicion that some weapons and gunmen had come from the other side of the border, creating or amplifying two things _ a perceived out-of-control situation in Thailand and an image of the Thai state hunting down pro-protest armed men at all costs.
Sometimes the mysterious gunmen would allegedly fight among themselves to achieve both goals, said Thepthai, associated with the Democrat Party that was the ruling camp at the time of the turmoil. He lost his MP status in early 2020s because of electoral fraud conviction.
“Was that true? Thaksin and Hun Sen must answer this question,” Thepthai said.
Two other questions asked by Thepthai are whether Hun Sen had evidence to back a claim that Thaksin had criticised the Thai monarchy, and whether the Phnom Penh strongman also had evidence to support another claim that Thaksin had provided him with a Thai Cabinet’s classified information.
Fix it
July 20, 2025: If the latest NIDA poll is any indication, Thailand’s Buddhism will never be the same again.
The survey of more than 1,300 Thais shows beyond doubt that the public understand the problem and want it to be sorted out immediately. If governing authorities ignore the findings, Thailand’s main religion will never be the same, too.
In short, a big change looms no matter what. Possible new rules could drastically screen men seeking ordination and increase financial and ethical scrutiny on temples and monks heavily. Without the new rules, faith in the important national institution will shrink further and further.
The NIDA poll asked the respondents to identify causes of scandals rocking the monk community at the moment. More than 76 % think a significant number of monks cannot really detach themselves from the materialistic world, while nearly 46 % believe that many monks become “later” attached to fame, wealth, glory and positions associated with being popular.
Exactly 40 % are convinced that a number of Thai men seek ordination because of a belief that the monkhood can give them financial opportunities.
Almost 30 % view certain temples as being too commercial.
More than 25 % do not have faith in governing bodies, certain that they are too weak to do anything.
Nearly 17 % blame the problem equally on relatives or followers who tempt monks back to the layman world and make them feel it is all right to breach ethical or religious rules.
About 14 % suspect that many narcissists are in the monkhood, and those narcissists wrongly believe that they are special and love to advertise their “supernatural powers”.
Tariff, patent and democracy
July 19, 2025: What if ones say copycat makers are more democratic than implementers of high taxes?
Mad? Controversial? Or, “I can see a point.”?
People have been, for too long, living with “unreasonable” taxes or high drug patents without which countless lives could have been saved. Too long to maybe contemplate a question whether they are in fact a major cause of inequality being implemented under the guise of free market principles that are the foundation of democracy as we know it.
Meanwhile, in a way, copycats “democratise” many things. They give poor people inspirations (Think about slum kids wearing fake football jerseys playing barefooted football, or impoverished film learners getting creativity from watching movies whose copyrights had been stolen). They save lives that high drug patent cannot save. They allow those who otherwise would not get a chance to, well, get a chance.
Granted, free market is you reap what you sow (primarily innovative investment). But many will argue that reaping exclusively for yourself what you sow is not genuine democracy. According to this school of thought, when innovations benefit your pocket more than mankind, it stops being democracy because it destroys the concept of equality.
Now, tariff. High import taxes, it can be argued, deny people a chance to have enough choices, the core idea of democracy. High taxes on foreign produces or products may even give your own people no choice at all. Buy what we make or leave it, people in countries implementing high tariffs are practically told.
Bad dictatorships take away rights blatantly. Shrewd dictatorships disguise themselves well, making people feel comfortable like gradually-boiled frogs that even enjoyed the “warm” water at first before dying eventually.
(This opinion is not aimed at so-called social taxes that take money from rich people to help the poor, hence reducing gaps that are supposed to be reduced.)
America washing dirty Epstein linen in public
July 18, 2025: The United States is a country of contradictions. If a simple birthday message can whip up such a big political storm in America, what about bigger and jaw-dropping allegations that powerful people try to play down or cover up entirely?
To cut a long story short, President Donald Trump has come under heavy scrutiny for an alleged birthday wish to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
Epstein, who died in prison in controversial circumstances a long time ago, was close to many high-profile political figures when he was alive. Rumours have it that when he and alleged clients of his alleged prostitution and human trafficking ring were concerned, there was no ideology nor partisan politics. Everyone sought his friendship and alleged service.
When Trump was not in the government, he threatened to expose Epstein’s ties to his rivals. Now that Trump is in power, the table has been turned.
According to The Wall Street Journal, quoted by the BBC, a letter bearing Trump's name "contained several lines of typewritten text framed by the outline of a naked woman, which appears to be hand-drawn with a heavy marker."
"Inside the outline of the naked woman was a typewritten note styled as an imaginary conversation between Trump and Epstein, written in the third person," the paper reported.
The letter, according to The Wall Street Journal, allegedly ends with the words: "A pal is a wonderful thing. Happy Birthday – and may every day be another wonderful secret."
If it was Thai powerful men, that would probably not make news. In America, though, one thing could easily lead to another, and something very smelly could hit the fan very soon.
Trump said he was ordering the Justice Department to produce additional documents related to Epstein, and the president strongly denied he sent the birthday material.
"Based on the ridiculous amount of publicity given to Jeffrey Epstein, I have asked Attorney General Pam Bondi to produce any and all pertinent Grand Jury testimony, subject to Court approval,” Trump said.
He also reportedly planned to sue The Wall Street Journal over its article alleging that a "bawdy" birthday greeting bearing his name was sent to Epstein in 2003, before the late financier was charged with sex crimes.
Opposition didn't fare much better
July 17, 2025: It is clear the biggest political camp remains isolated ideologically by other parties, both in the government and opposition blocs.
The largest telltale is this week’s House of Representatives rejection of two draft amnesty bills seeking to grant amnesties to all political offenders, including those convicted on lèse majesté charges (Section 112 of the Criminal Code).
Both bills were backed by just more than 140 votes each, coming from the People’s Party, while its opposition partners, Bhumjaithai and Palang Pracharath obviously did not support the drafts.
The voting provides a clear sign in an otherwise unpredictable Thai politics that the chance of the People’s Party getting reunited ideologically with Pheu Thai, whose influential figure is facing charges of royal defamation, is next to zero.
“Pheu Thai should stop calling itself a representative of democracy,” charged a deputy People’s Party leader, Rangsiman Rome.
While ideology is bendable, both parties would face “practical” problems if coming back together. There would be extreme difficulty concerning how they could share Cabinet powers and allow controversial agendas like the Entertainment Complex to continue.
But as of now, questions are revolving around the fragile unity of the parliamentary opposition. In any normal situation, a ruling party would smile at the opposition’s predicament, but Pheu Thai has too much on its plate itself.
"TACO" taunts subside, for now
July 16, 2025: A big increase in US tariff income is considerably softening the “Trump Always Chickens Out” tease.
“TACO” is haters’ slogan that had badly mocked MAGA (Make America Great Again), looming over Donald Trump’s proclaimed agenda that helped him win last year’s presidential election. But, as the Financial Times has reported, it’s the world that has chickened out over tariff showdowns with Trump’s United States.
Only China and Canada are standing toe to toe with America, Financial Times said. This allows the White House to trumpet nearly $50bn in extra customs revenues in the second quarter this year, during which customs duties hit a record high of $64bn ($47bn more than over the same period last year).
Said Financial Times: “Combined with limited retaliation from Canada, which has yet to release second-quarter customs data, the duties imposed on American exports worldwide represent a tiny fraction of the US revenue during the same period. Some other US trading partners decided against responding in kind while negotiating with Trump to avoid even higher threatened tariffs.
… Despite US tariffs hitting levels not seen since the 1930s, the timidity of the global response to Trump has forestalled a retaliatory spiral of the kind that decimated global trade between the first and second world wars.”
The US news outlet virtually said the world was chickening out because it was being sensible.
“Economists said the US’s dominant position as the world’s largest consumer market, coupled with Trump’s threats to redouble tariffs on states that defy him, meant that for most countries the decision to “chicken out” was not cowardice, but economic common sense,” it said.
That economic factors are influencing world governments’ decisions could not prevent the flourishing of political theories, however. In Thailand, for example, the Paetongtarn government has been forced to deny allegations that the United States wants to establish a naval base in the southern Thai province of Phang Nga, as part of negotiations over tariffs on Thai exports to the US.
The Bangkok government insisted that, in the negotiations to reduce the planned 36% tariff, the use of a naval base in the province was not part of the discussion.
Using trade to shape up a political world order is an always-effective idea, and many analysts think Trump is just taking it to the next level (low tariffs if you want to be with “us” and very high tariffs if you want to go to “them” or are acting like rebellious teens). The naval base allegations stemmed from that kind of suspicion, which is prevalent because of the emergence of China as an economic superpower in addition to its formidable military might.
High tariff threats hopefully will keep Europe and smaller trading partners of the United States in line in the face of growing threat from the other economic bloc, BRICS, of which China is an influential founding member.
As if the Paetongtarn leak wasn’t enough
July 15, 2025: Cambodia’s Hun Sen is having the Shinawatras against the ropes.
No, sorry, he is not. He is kicking them when they are down.
The strongman’s ongoing rapid fire was not necessary, but his latest claims _ that former prime minister Thaksin had provided Cambodia with some confidential information concerning moves of the Thai Cabinet _ were worth investigating anyway.
By virtually admitting that Cambodia was not dealing with Thailand in a proper diplomatic manner, real damage is piling up on the Shinawatras. Their political enemies in Thailand had not trusted them from the start, yet he has given them more formidable ammunition and created new enemies for the Shinawatras over the past few weeks.
He may have been considered a bad friend. But what he has intact is vulgar nationalism, which may suit him well, at their very expense.
Thirst for water and thirst for war
July 14, 2025: As adults keep debating right and wrong, bombs have killed more children in Gaza.
How should the Hamas be punished? Should the UN Security Council condemn Israel? Why does America keep supporting Benjamin Netanyahu?
Why does nobody think about the hostages anymore while everyone is crying for Gaza? Has Israel turned into the evil it vowed to fight? Did it stop being an eye for an eye operation a long time ago, replaced by a cleansing atrocity unseen since the World War II?
Is being sad for the Gaza victims inadvertently a support for terrorism?
Those are questions for diplomats, journalists, government leaders, academics and humanitarian activists who until today cannot find a clear-cut common ground.
To the latest casualties of the Gaza war, they had just one question in minds. Simple, but it also proved to be deadly.
We need water, and the usual water distribution point should be safe, right? No way they will attack it.
An airstrike came at that very point in central Gaza on Sunday, and about 10 died, including six children waiting to get water for their families.
Temptations of Buddhist monks
July 13, 2025: Who should preach about sin if not sinners?
This is an interesting question that encompasses religions. Christianity has been contemplating it as well, as seen in such movies as Leap of Faith, but Thailand, always facing an endless stream of scandals related to the very people who are supposed to protect the national religion, should only focus on Buddhism.
Prince Siddhartha Guatama, founder of Buddhism, had it all when he escaped from his palace to embark on a spiritual journey. Women. Massive wealth. Clout. Power. You name it.
A large percentage of Thai monks, meanwhile, had none of those things when they decided to get ordained.
So, who were better immune to temptations, the prince or the Thai men embracing or seeking ordination? Who are better equipped when it comes to talking about the real power of “sins”?
Yes, the prince’s soul searching was immeasurably motivated by the irreversible courses of aging, sickness and death, but those sufferings that he saw outside palace walls could not have been addressed effectively had he not got the immunity. Nothing could ever tempt him back into the materialistic world.
He absolutely deserved to teach detachment.
Punishing wayward monks is a measure, but most likely not a solution.
US tariff letter makes Myanmar’s junta jump for joy
July 12, 2025: Not everyone is having a headache dealing with America’s planned obscene import taxes.
According to CNN, Myanmar’s generals are spinning the US communique sent to them as welcome recognition of the embattled, isolated and much-reviled junta.
Senior General Min Aung Hlaing, head of the military that seized power in Myanmar in 2021 after ousting an elected government, was officially quoted as saying it was he who had the “honor” of receiving Donald Trump’s letter sent on Monday announcing new tariffs.
The letter, which stated the United States would be imposing a new tariff rate of 40 percent on Myanmar’s exports to the US starting August 1, was received with “sincere appreciation,” a pro-government news outlet said as reported by CNN.
It is like an outcast getting invited to a party all of a sudden. CNN noted that Washington and most Western countries have not recognized the junta as the legitimate government of Myanmar.
The West has largely boycotted Myanmar’s military and sought to limit contact with its representatives on the world stage, leading to curiosity regarding what type of tariffs the communique sent to Myanmar was talking about.
Washington, Min Aung Hlaing reportedly said, had sent Myanmar an “encouraging invitation to continue participating in the extraordinary Economy of the United States.” The junta’s high-level negotiation team would try its best “to discuss (the issue) with the relevant (US) authorities.”
It has to be said that western media have been divided into pro-Trump and anti-Trump camps, so every context must have the other side. As for now, though, Trump’s publicists seem to be on the defensive regarding Myanmar.
Politically, Trump cannot be seen as helping, innocently or else, the generals.
CNN said Min Aung Hlaing also sought to appeal to a longstanding Trump “grievance” – his persistent claims of massive election fraud in the 2020 election won by Joe Biden.
“Similar to the challenges the President encountered during the 2020 election of the United States, Myanmar also experienced major electoral fraud and significant irregularities,” Min Aung Hlaing reportedly said.
To add to that, the general also thanked Trump for “regulating broadcasting agencies and funds, which have sometimes exacerbated the existing conflicts”, CNN said. Myanmar’s strongman was referring to funding cuts to US outlets such as Radio Free Asia and Voice of America.
What were they thinking?
July 11, 2025: There is no faster and surer way to devalue “Team Thailand”.
Finance Minister Pichai Chunhavajira has admitted that he invited former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra to its meeting today, during which the deadly important issue of American tariffs was discussed. Pichai explained that Thaksin was allowed to participate because he was well versed on the issue and could provide some valuable feedback.
That says a lot about the Thai Cabinet quality, about government people working to solve national problems. That says a lot about charges that the Paetongtarn government has been under undue external influences. That says a lot about the prime minister’s daily denial. And that says a lot about how sincere the ruling Pheu Thai Party is when it claims it always avoids inflaming national conflicts.
Gathering every bit of expertise in dealing with such an economic crisis is nothing wrong. But if Thaksin’s was really needed, there are such things as online meetings. (They can be done more discreetly, and although they could still spark criticism, at least it will not look so outrageous.) What were they afraid of? Vietnam getting the leak and knowing what Thailand is planning to do?
Claims against senator put Thai society to test
July 10, 2025: It’s a scandal to point to when someone says #MeToo is a well-accepted movement with great momentum.
One woman has accused a man of high status of sexual harassment. Such accusations are rare but old. She has called a high-profile press conference and spoken with no mask in front of TV news cameras. This, however, is unprecedented.
He has claimed, though other sources and not as publicly as she did, that it was a consensual get-together. It’s the most frequently-used story of the ones on the receiving end. Make no mistake, many times such an excuse is true and solid.
Society, meanwhile, is heavily tilted toward the accused, currently at least, and things might change. On the social media, she is largely accused of being a woman scorned, or a spotlight seeker, or both.
Talking about spotlight, she said the reason why she decided to go public without wearing any mask was that “I’m not the one who has to feel shame.”
The senator in question, with some controversial backgrounds, reportedly is suing her for libel. Differently-edited close-circuit TV clips are putting many things to test, including how society should treat or regard the #MeToo phenomenon.
Sometimes “later” is no better than “never”
July 9, 2025: There are times politicians tell the truth, but while they are in the government is most likely not one of them.
Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra met Chinese leader Xi Jinping a long time ago, and while he served in her government, Bhumjaithai leader Anutin Charnvirakul said nothing. It took just days in the opposition bloc for Anutin to reveal a national-level “secret”.
According to Anutin, President Xi urged Paetongtarn Shinawatra to drop Pheu Thai’s flagship “casino bill”, warning her that there could be negative repercussions on tourism and bilateral trade.
“The Chinese president made the suggestion to Paetongtarn on three separate occasions during the meeting, which I also attended as interior minister,” Anutin said, making it sound like a deadly important issue of national interest but apparently oblivious to the fact that he probably had kept this piece of crucial information for too long while he served in her Cabinet.
“President Xi said directly that, if Thailand proceeded with this policy, China would be compelled to introduce countermeasures that would impact Chinese tourism, trade and investment in Thailand,” Anutin claimed.
The bill has been suspended, all right, but, coincidentally or not, the number of Chinese tourists have alarmingly dropped already.
Flood deaths mourned, more weapons to Ukraine promised
July 8, 2025: So much for “putting America’s interests first”.
As US citizens mourn the accumulating Texas flood death toll, which has surpassed 100 now, President Donald Trump plans to send additional defensive weapons to Ukraine, just right after his administration paused certain shipments.
Talk about timing, which was outrageous even by Trump’s standard. Although unprecedented flash floods wreaked unprecedented havoc at the Republican power base of Texas, he had a dinner with his Israeli counterpart Benjamin Netanyahu, gave no signs that America would stay away from future military conflicts in the Middle East, and made jaws drop by saying that Ukraine needed Washington’s immediate military help.
“We’re going to send (Ukraine) some more weapons. We have to – they have to be able to defend themselves,” Trump said ahead of the dinner with his much-condemned major ally.
“They’re getting hit very hard. We’re going to have to send more weapons,” Trump added. “Defensive weapons, primarily, but they’re getting hit very, very hard.”
That Monday promise came hot on the heels of the White House telling CNN that the Trump administration was pausing some weapons shipments to Ukraine, including air defence missiles. White House deputy press secretary Anna Kelly was quoted by CNN at the time as saying that the decision was made “to put America’s interests first.”
The costs of potential US military interventions overseas that are deemed “unnecessary” are difficult to estimate with precision, but every educated guess says well-known wars cost an unfathomable amount of US money. For example, the wars in Afghanistan, Iraq, and Syria, from 2001-2018, were estimated to cost trillions of taxpayers’ dollars.
That kind of money, according to late US President Jimmy Carter, could have been used to immensely improve American infrastructures and upgrade natural disaster warnings as well as search and rescue works. Trump apparently had seemed to adhere to that while promoting his “Make America Great Again” policy seeking to drastically decrease his country’s involvement in foreign wars, but more and more people are suspecting that he may just be trying to win an election.
More than 100 people have died during the catastrophic flooding in central Texas. The majority of those killed were in Kerr County, where 28 children have died, a shocking loss of young lives that a senator described as miraculous because he thought more could have been killed in the devastation. Many were at a girl campsite known as Camp Mystic when flooding struck early on July Fourth.
Neck and neck with Thailand
July 7, 2025: Donald Trump and Elon Musk are trying to make sure future historians point to America and not Thailand when talking about the most bizarre politics.
Just when Thailand is heading toward a freakish deadlock, an outlandish “solution” has emerged in the United States, in the form of a no-nonsense promise to form a new and major political alternative.
Musk wants to set up a new political party to break the Republican-Democrat virtual monopoly of powers. (The current system is considered democracy, but both Republicans and Democrats will beg to differ. They are calling each other dictators in disguise. There are three possibilities then: First, one camp is right and the other is wrong. Second, both camps are right. Third, both camps are wrong. But whichever possibility is true, America is dictatorial, full stop. On the surface, the third scenario is two “democratic” parties accusing each other of being dictatorial, but why are they lying? Lies are the biggest characteristic of dictatorship to begin with.)
Anyway, Musk wants to make it seem more democratic by planning to form a new party. Trump doesn’t like it, and this is what he said on Truth Social on Sunday: “I am saddened to watch Elon Musk go completely ‘off the rails,’ essentially becoming a TRAIN WRECK over the past five weeks.”
Which one is more spectacular? The Hun Sen-Shinawatra breakup or the crumbling of the Trump-Musk relationship? Both cases are still on-going but it’s definitely a very close race.
And while Bhumjaithai leader Anutin Charnvirakul wanted to censure a government he was a big part of until days ago, check Trump’s latest statement on Musk out:
“He even wants to start a Third Political Party, despite the fact that they have never succeeded in the United States – The System seems not designed for them. The one thing Third Parties are good for is the creation of Complete and Total DISRUPTION & CHAOS, and we have enough of that with the Radical Left Democrats, who have lost their confidence and their minds!”
This is bigger and more beautiful than Trump’s “Big, beautiful bill” that Musk vehemently opposes. Critics say the tax and spending bill, requiring a massive amount of funding, will only strengthen dictatorial agendas and hurt America.
Did Musk know about the bill when he was Trump’s biggest ally? Did Anutin know about the Shinawatras’ Digital Wallet and Entertainment Complex when he was their biggest partner?
It can be a photo finish.
Cambodian columnist: Thai poll meant to hide fragility
July 6, 2025: Paetongtarn Shinawatra must be wishing the Thai media were like the one in Cambodia.
Would the Thai media describe her as a national heroine who brought peace to Thailand and is defending its sovereignty to the best of her ability?
This is what Roth Santepheap said in Khmer Times: “Samdech Techo Hun Sen is not an ordinary political figure. He is a statesman who ended Cambodia’s darkest chapter, a unifier who dismantled the Khmer Rouge, brokered national reconciliation, and laid the foundations for the Paris Peace Agreements and make end the civil war by Win-Win Policy. Under his leadership, Cambodia evolved from the ashes of civil war into one of ASEAN’s fastest-growing economies. He is blunt, pragmatic, and unwavering—qualities that regional leaders often find uncomfortable, especially when he speaks the truth.
“…Samdech Techo Hun Sen’s recent statements stem from a deep and legitimate concern for Cambodia’s sovereignty, security, and historical integrity. When he warned of instability in Thai politics, it was not meddling—it was a calculated message from a seasoned geopolitical mind. His words, far from being speculative, were a strategic call for caution and responsibility before tensions spiral further out of control.”
It was an immediate response to Thailand’s latest NIDA poll, which suggested a large number of Thais believe Hun Sen was going into border troubles with Thailand with self interest in mind and his prediction that the Bangkok government wouldn’t last three more months was not a prophecy, but pure speculation.
“The Thai response has revealed a troubling fragility. A confident, mature government does not panic over external analysis—it counters it with truth, diplomacy, and respect. Character assassination via polling only betrays weakness and deflection,” the Cambodian columnist said.
While attacking NIDA pollsters as a pro-government network doing everything to support Paetongtarn, Roth failed to mention that the same group recently released a finding showing her popularity had plunged miserably in her country.
Meanwhile in Thailand, media opinions said Paetongtarn were always steps behind Cambodia when it comes to diplomatic moves related to the border dispute.
High tariffs and political interferences
July 5, 2025: I’ll buy if your daughter is the seller. That’s how trade can be manipulated for a hidden agenda.
The above example is the “ground level”. Internationally, it’s the same, though. A country can say we will buy from you if this or that person is the seller, or represents the seller.
Tariffs are taxes on imported goods. High tariffs are virtually a "We are not buying" statement. It can increase the costs of those goods for consumers and businesses in the buying country, but the buying country always has other choices. The selling countries have fewer ones, or no choice at all. What do they do? They have to listen to the buyers.
For example, a prospective buyer may say, “We need an oversea military base, so what can you do about it?” Or, “We used to be comfortable negotiating with that party, but it’s a shame because that party is now in the opposition bloc.”
The seller may walk away. Or the selling country may buckle, thinking “That is one huge market and we can’t lose it.”
The “customers are the bosses” is not just a cliché. It’s also the most effective tool to dictate global politics if applied shrewdly.
When rivalry pauses and empathy reigns
July 4, 2025: Among things that put life into perspective is the untimely passing away of football star Diogo Jota.
Thursday’s car crash in Spain snatched away one of the sport’s great talents, who was young, had just won the English premiership medal in May and got married only 10 days before his death.
He was humble, always playing with a smile on his face. Rival fans could not bring themselves to hate him. Killed alongside him in the accident was his younger brother younger brother, André Silva, who was also a footballer.
Hours before he died, the Liverpool and Portuguese international star, born in 1996, had shared a final Instagram post. It was a video featuring some highlights from the wedding day with a caption: “A day we will never forget.”
Jürgen Klopp, a former Liverpool manager who worked with the player for a few years, said about the death: “There must be a bigger purpose, but I can’t see it.”
It was a wedding photo of the beautiful couple and their three small kids that broke even the strongest hearts. Tributes and condolences poured in from around the football world and beyond. The UK government sent flowers. Real Madrid performed a one-minute silence during training. Manchester United online influencers in Thailand and everywhere overseas switched to respectful dresses, cancelled fan rivalry content and gave mournful expressions.
It was not a diplomatic, let’s-get-this-over-with attitude. The outpouring of empathy was heartfelt, with tears brimming in the eyes.
May you rest in peace, Diogo Jota.
"Weird" threatens to get weirder
July 3, 2025: Opposing politicians holding hands smilingly is normal, but there may be exceptions.
It took Anutin Charnvirakul just a few days to express that kind of camaraderie with People’s Party leader Natthaphong Ruengpanyawut at an opposition meeting this week, in which Palang Pracharath’s Prawit Wongsuwan was nowhere to be seen.
How long did it take for Prawit and Natthaphong to start sharing the same table anyway, let alone posing together, beaming, for a photo op?
Of course, Anutin quickly dismissed reporters’ teasing speculation that he was trying to charm his way to the top in case Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra is constitutionally disqualified.
“We’ve known each other for a long time and I was just there to tell everyone that we would perform as an opposition party to the best of our ability,” he said.
“Nothing you’ve heard or thought is true,” he told reporters.
He has to be right. The People’s Party supporting him (an out-of-this-world conspiracy theory in which the party would send him to the political summit while agreeing to remain in the opposition itself) will be way too far-fetched. It would top it all, being the mother of all ironies. The Pheu Thai-conservatives alliance would pale beside it.
But with the People’s Party having no prime ministerial nominee left, it can either vote to reject or support anybody else in case of a Paetongtarn disqualification. Anutin remains his party’s official candidate, so it’s normal that some people are having fun speculating, despite the two parties’ apparently-irreconcilable differences.
In addition to the notion that anything is possible in politics, parliamentary mathematics is another reason why many are dreaming. A strong alliance between Bhumjaithai and the People’s Party will need just a few rebellious government votes to finish off the other side.
It shouldn’t get any weirder than the handholding, though.
Everything tied together
July 2, 2025: How the judges will rule on the Paetongtarn case, what happens to the Bhumjaithai censure plan, whether an acting prime minister can dissolve the House, and where the People’s Party stands regarding the legal and political storms battling the prime minister are intricately linked together with the immediate course of Thailand at stake.
A House dissolution will definitely start a new chapter of uncertainties. However, whether it can happen at all is a question more immediate than when it will happen. If the Constitutional Court rules against Paetongtarn Shinawatra, there will be all kinds of legal and political questions/maneuverings. House dissolution will also become extremely controversial if Bhumjaithai’s censure plan materializes into a legitimate parliamentary motion.
The People’s Party is playing a big role. Supporting Bhumjaithai’s censure idea could delay the very thing the Oranges want the most, a House dissolution. A lot of noises are coming out of the People’s Party saying that censure timing has to be good, and “now” may not be so.
The disagreement is very understandable. Censuring Paetongtarn over the phone call between her and Hun Sen demands an awkward talk on an awkward issue which could favour “conservatives” more than “liberals”. Attacking Paetongtarn over Cambodia may make the People’s Party fall into the “national sovereignty trap”. In other words, the Oranges may have to side with extreme nationalism and favour an institution it always is critical of, the military.
A downright demise of Paetongtarn at the hands of the Constitutional Court could spare the People’s Party that misery, but it would create a new one, particularly if somehow the party needs Pheu Thai for a snap election alliance. A power fight over key ministries and big economic agendas could doom such a partnership. To underline the certainty of such conflicts emerging, the People’s Party has this week called for withdrawal of the Entertainment Complex bill, Pheu Thai’s heart and soul.
In case the House of Representatives stays with Paetongtarn gone, there will be controversies over who should and could replace her. Parties are running out of prime ministerial nominations and qualified nominees have serious problems more or less. A deadlock is highly possible.
World diplomacy may have changed forever
July 1, 2025: Paetongtarn Shinawatra’s suspension from duty follows a phone conversation at the highest national level, so everyone of her global counterparts had better watch out.
No disrespect to Cambodia, but if it can do it, anyone else will be tempted. Countries with greater technological advancement certainly can sabotage perceived enemies without a single shot fired.
This is what a popular AI system has to say about direct phone contacts between world leaders:
“Recordings are not typically public and are often kept confidential due to diplomatic sensitivities and national security concerns. The recordings can be subject to various levels of classification and are usually handled with great care. There have been instances of leaks or disclosures, but they are exceptions rather than the norm.”
Cambodia has made sure “rare” is not getting any rarer. It has shown the world how effectively and disastrously a leak can affect opponents at the highest level across the border.
It only took days for the leak of Paetongtarn’s phone conversation with Cambodian strongman Hun Sen to trigger a massive protest against her in Thailand and result in her suspension from prime ministerial duty.
And Thailand is not the only “divided” country in the world where anti-government protests take place regularly for far “lesser” reasons.
Imagine things that are not supposed to go public between China and America or between America and Israel are leaked with certifiable voices. We can kiss “open-heart” phone calls between superpower leaders goodbye.
But it’s not just long-distance talks. There may come a day when Donald Trump, Xi Jinping, Vladimir Putin and the likes are asked to leave their phones before entering a summit room. Maybe those people frisking each other before settling down together privately in that room is a bit of a stretch, but there’s a first time for everything.
Daily updates and opinions on local and world events by Tulsathit Taptim
