Donald Trump was re-elected president Despite anti-Trump media dominance The Southeast Asian Times Wednesday May 13, 2025 First published in the Bangkok Post, Monday May 11, 2026

Re: "Hungary vote shows limits of propaganda" Bangkok Post, Opinion, Saturday May 9, 2026.
George Soros and his Open Society Foundations fund activist media networks that, critics argue, skew public narratives through ideological pressure, selective amplification and elite influence.
This risks weakening journalistic independence and centralising cultural power within transnational institutions, a danger, some contend, no less real than the concentration of political loyalty around any individual leader.
The author of the cited piece argues that oligarchs surrounding President Trump are "offering political loyalty in exchange for financial windfalls and lucrative government contracts".
Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, Oracle's Larry Ellison and Elon Musk were reportedly named as central to the efforts to build a Maga-aligned media ecosystem.
Yet mainstream outlets including MSNBC, CNN, NBC News, CBS News, ABC News, PBS, the BBC, The New York Times, The Washington Post and many others command enormous reach.
Mr Trump was re-elected despite that dominance -- evidence, his supporters argue, of his authenticity rather than of authoritarian appeal.

Michael Setter,
Bangkok,
Thailand

The Middle East will remain in constant conflict As long as the Iranian regime remains in power The Southeast Asian Times Tuesday May 12, 2025 First published in the Bangkok Post, Sunday May 10, 2026

Re: "Diplomatic charade", Bangkok Post, PostBag, Friday May 1, 2026
In his PostBag letter ML Saksiri Kridakorn claims that the US is "fabricating pretexts for conflict" with Iran. Jihadist supporters aside, it should be abundantly clear to everyone that the Iranian regime's statements and actions during the past 47 years provide ample justification to remove the Iranian dictatorship by any means possible.
The Iranian regime's main slogan is "Death to America".
The mullahs call for the annihilation of Israel, and they have spent most of the country's resources on arming themselves, the Houthis, the Assad regime, Hezbollah, and Hamas.
Iran is reportedly the main sponsor of terrorist attacks worldwide.
Moreover, Iran is a world leader in executions, with a minority of religious fanatics subjugating a majority that does not wish to live under a dictatorship.
The Middle East will remain in constant conflict as long as this regime remains in power.

Frank Scimone,
Bangkok.
Thailand

 

Call for brokers to avoid blurring the line Between investing and trading The Southeast Asian Times Monday May 11, 2025 First published in the Bangkok Post, Tuesday April 21, 2026

Re: "Stock reforms mirror regional realignment" Bangkok Post Business, Wednesday April 15, 2026.
I commend Nattapol Suwansiri, executive vice-president of the Stock Exchange of Thailand (SET), for efforts to attract investors to neglected secondary shares trading at low valuations, notably through the SET's "Jump+" programme.
This is a welcome move beyond the overhyped and often overvalued technology leaders.
However, one aspect is consistently overlooked: the responsibility of brokers and their marketing teams.
Just as pharmacists promote the proper use of medicines, brokers should encourage sound investment practices.
They must avoid blurring the line between investing and trading, and discourage excessive speculation, which too often leads to losses over time.
As the saying goes, "once bitten, twice shy" a key reason many retail investors stay away from the market.
Finally, the value of strong dividend-paying stocks is often underappreciated. Reliable dividends can provide a cushion when markets come under pressure, whether from domestic setbacks or global shocks.

Paul A Renaud,
Bangkok,
Thailand

Thailand lacks ability to weather the storm If price of oil perisists The Southeast Asian Times Sunday May 10, 2025 First published in the Bangkok Post, Tuesday May 5, 2026

Re: "Stagflation: The next Thai catchword", in Bangkok Post, Opinion, Tuesday March 19, 2026.
This article further supports the above columnist/economist Chartchai Parasuk's belief that this is the year, after predicting the same several times previously, that the Thai economy will finally collapse.
For this columnist, Thailand faces a "triple whammy".
First, the country has low growth potential. The Thai economy is expected to grow less than the earlier projection of 2 percent , and with household debt at 90 percent of Gross Domestic Product (GDP), Mr Chartchai sees little hope that the economy will gain steam this year.
Next, it has a liquidity problem, meaning there is not enough money in circulation. The country has a deficit of 860 billion baht despite receiving some US$31.7 billion in foreign capital inflows last year.
And finally, the Iran-American war has caused the price of oil to skyrocket. Thailand quite simply lacks the ability to weather the storm if the price of oil persists at about $100 (3,245 baht) per barrel for a sustained period.
The only result can be stagflation, the above-mentioned columnist implores.
The economy will be in such a bad state that not only will it be contracting, but it will also be experiencing high inflation, a sure sign that it will collapse, similar to what was witnessed during the 1997 crisis.
In fact, Thailand's economic collapse will probably be worse than that which occurred near the turn of the 20th century, Mr Chartchai opines.
Hopefully, the Iran-American war will end soon, thereby mitigating the negative effects of the increase in oil prices on Thailand and other countries worldwide.

Paul,
Bangkok Post
Thailand

Don't take Jan Jakielek's new book, ''Killed to Order' To Beijing The Southeast Asian Times Saturday May 9, 2025 First published in the Bangkok Post, Tuesday May 5, 2026

Re: "Dodgy reform arguments", Bangkok Post PostBag, Sunday May 3, 2026.
Communist apologist Yingwai Suchaovanich accuses the iconic, respected elder in this space, Khun Burin Kantabutra, of making specious arguments.
He does so while writing, "In any family, we refrain from openly confronting our parents even when we disagree, not because they are moral exemplars, but out of respect for elders."
Contrary to the religion, democracy, and all things Trump-hating content he appears to be paid to pen, there was a fine editorial championing press freedom in the same edition of the Post today; it provided a modicum of balance.
As to Mr Yingwai's denigration of Western democracy texts, he knows well there are no such equivalents to be found anywhere in the nation he reveres above all others.
One example is Jan Jakielek's new book, Killed to Order. Take that on your next trip to Beijing if you want to spend the rest of your life in prison, Mr Yingwai.

Michael Setter,
Bangkok,
Thailand

Human rights should not depend On cultural or historical context The Southeast Asian Times Friday May 8, 2025 First published in the Bangkok Post, Monday May 4, 2026

Re: "Dodgy reform arguments", in Bangkok Post, PostBag, Sunday May 3, 2026.
In response to Yingwai Suchaovanich's argument that views on human rights and freedom of expression should vary according to culture, I would argue the opposite.
Human rights should not depend on cultural or historical context.

Karl Reichstetter,
Bangkok,
Thailand

Foreign residents living in Thailand Unable to open bank accounts The Southeast Asian Times Thursday May 7, 2025 First published in the Bangkok Post, Monday May 4, 2026

Re: "Thailand targets foreign capital with key reform", in Bangkok Post, Business, Saturday May 2, 2026.
A year ago, a bank branch in Pattaya was criticised for enabling the opening of multiple accounts linked to scams and subsequent arrests.
The bank was never named, yet the fallout has been sweeping.
The Bank of Thailand has since imposed stringent restrictions on opening even a single account, particularly for foreigners.
According to banking sources, many foreign residents including those who legally own a Thai condo are now unable to open accounts at all.
This is unfortunate. The measures penalise responsible investors and long-term residents who wish to live, invest or hold assets here.
They appear to stem from the misconduct of one branch that was neither publicly identified nor, it seems, penalised.
The result is blanket denial of basic banking access hardly consistent with efforts to attract foreign capital.

Paul A Renaud,
Bangkok,
Thailand

Frequency of criminal cases involving Chinese Raises questions that warrant scrutiny The Southeast Asian Times Wednesday May 6, 2025 First published in the Bangkok Post, Monday May 4, 2026

Re: "Navy halts human smuggling bid", in Bangkok Post, Saturday May 2, 2026.
Recent reports highlight several criminal cases involving Chinese nationals: a smuggling ring in Chanthaburi, fraudulent birth certificates in Nakhon Ratchasima, and the sale of counterfeit cosmetics in Samut Prakan and Bangkok.
There have also been other cases this year, including investment fraud, call-centre scams and illegal gambling operations involving Chinese suspects.
It may be coincidence, but the frequency of such reports is notable and raises questions that warrant closer scrutiny.

CNX JON,
Bangkok,
Thailand

Thailand's National Energy Policy Council To use fossil-fuel generators for solar power The Southeast Asian Times Tuesday May 5, 2026 First published in the Bangkok Post Monday May 4, 2026

Re: "NEPC lifts limit on solar buyback deals: Progressive energy tariffs get OK", in Bangkok Post, Thursday April 30, 2026 and "Rooftop solar draws buzz", in Bangkok Post, Monday April 27, 2026.
Energy Minister Akanat Promphan has announced an increase in household electricity charges to 5 baht per unit from June 2026 onwards.
To alleviate the impact, he also promoted household solar rooftops to reduce dependence on the public grid, priced at 5 baht per unit. Consequently, this would reduce the use of fossil fuels in the power generation process. However, solar power will not reduce the number of uninterrupted power generators in the grid system.
The reasons are as follows:
Since solar power generates electricity for around six hours a day -- not accounting for rainy or hazy conditions the remaining 18 hours must be fulfilled by standby fossil-fuel generators, which run idly 24 hours a day, ready to kick in when solar output fades.
This means that for every megawatt of solar capacity added, uninterrupted fossil-fuel backup generators must also be installed to take over when solar power stops, whether due to rain, haze or nightfall.
As Energy Minister, he should review the viability of the solar rooftop scheme and whether it is macroeconomically suited to the country.
Finally, I would like to propose a cheaper, cleaner and greener nuclear power plant for his consideration.

James Debentures,
Bangkok,
Thailand

Enough discussion and refinement Pass the Clean Air Bill The Southeast Asian Times Monday May 4, 2026 First published in the Bangkok Post Sunday May 3, 2026

Re: "Clean air reform stalls", Bangkok Post, Editorial, Wednesday April 29, 2026.
While I wholeheartedly agree with the main message of your editorial in support of the Clean Air Bill (CAB).
I must take exception to your assertion that it requires "further refinement" and additional parliamentary discussion.
This bill has already endured years of debate.
It is worth reviewing its legislative history:
The first draft was presented in January 2022 by the Clean Air Network;
in 2024, seven different versions including one from the Bhumjaithai Party were unanimously accepted by the House; then a 39-member committee consolidated a final Clean Air Bil (CAB), which passed the House in October 2025;
and the House version passed its first reading in the Senate, but was put in limbo when BJT called a new election in February.
Isn't more than four years of compromise and consensus enough discussion and "refinement"?
This current backtracking should not be hailed as a victory for democratic processes.
Let's call it out for what it is, a disingenuous ploy to kill a progressive, thoroughly vetted piece of legislation in order to preserve the status quo, regardless of the tragic consequences for the public at large.

CNX JON,
Bangkok.
Thailand

Move Forward Party did not propose Unrestricted verbal attacks on royal institution The Southeast Asian Times Sunday May 3, 2026 First published in the Bangkok Post Tuesday April 21, 2026

Re: "Leave S112 alone" in Bangkok Post PostBag, Friday April 17, 2026
In responding to Burin Kantabutra's letter, "Royal viewpoint" Bangkok Post PostBag, April 2, Yingwai Suchaovanich dismisses his factual and moral arguments supported by cited evidence as "inappropriate, distorted and misleading".
Yet this assertion is made without supporting evidence or argument.
Having read both letters carefully, I find Khun Burin's case, and his interpretation of the late King Bhumibol Adulyadej the Great's views on the ethical and social implications of Section 112, to be more persuasively grounded.
It is also misleading to claim the Move Forward Party proposed allowing unrestricted verbal attacks on the royal institution.
In fact, its proposals were actually more limited: the party sought to reduce penalties in line with international norms, restrict who may file complaints, and distinguish between good-faith criticism and deliberate insult.
At heart, this debate concerns a broader principle.
In a democracy, laws derive their legitimacy from the equal voice of citizens.
Laws that unduly restrict that principle risk undermining their own ethical foundation.
A more constructive contribution would be to clarify the often vague reasoning found in some lese-majeste rulings, which describe the monarchy as a "moral exemplar" to the nation, without any explanation.
It would be useful to see this claim set out more clearly, with supporting evidence and argument.

Felix Qui,
Bangkok,
Thailand

Thailand fails to ensure Ayuttaya Station UNESCO world heritage status The Southeast Asian Times Saturday May 2, 2026 First published in the Bangkok Post Monday April 27, 2026

Re: "Ayutthaya station redesign to cut heritage impacts", in Bangkok Post, Tuesday April 21, 2026.
What a shock?
The report states that the planned Ayutthaya Station on the high-speed rail line will be redesigned to minimise its impact on the city's United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization UNESCO World Heritage sites.
Someone has been totally negligent and will eventually cost taxpayers billions of baht to build the appropriately designed station.
Surely the State Railway of Thailand has been so ignorant of its obligation years ago and failed to ensure the country's heritage is not compromised by its route and development planning?

JezzaNong,
Bangkok.
Thailand

We need true leaders To be able to lead without fear The Southeast Asian Times Friday May 1, 2026 First published in the Bangkok Post Wednesday April 29, 2026

Re: "War to press ahead: US", in Bangkok Post, Monday April 27, 2026.
Yet another probable assassination attempt on President Trump, and fortunately, he is unharmed.
The attempted assassin has been captured and hopefully will provide an explanation.
The assassination of a leader is simply wrong, or is it?
The assassination of the Ayatollah in Iran was also so wrong, but that was praised by so many.
Good, bad, or indifferent, no leader should be harmed.
We need true leaders, and we need them to be able to lead without fear.
A number do not meet this expectation and should be removed by ballot, not bullet.

Dennis Fitzgerald,
Bangkok,
Thailand

ASEAN to play a role in future global order Claims former US Ambassador to Thailand claims The Southeast Asian Times Thursday April 30, 2026 First publishedBangkok Post Tuesday April 28, 2026 in the

Re: "Rupture, reform and how to rebuild", Bangkok Post, Opinion, Thursday April 23, 2026.
Robert F Godec, the former US ambassador's analytical discussion on the state of the world and how the Association of South East Asian Nations (Asean) may play a role in the future global order poses quite a few challenges to this regional bloc.
The role of ethics and respect for the rule of law seems to be the best starting point. The aggression of Myanmar's junta, which seized power in 1962 and, after a deceptive hiatus, reemerged in 2021, the Asean response has been hypocritical and deceptive while hiding behind the principle of non-interference in the internal affairs of member states.
In summary, Asean has been seen as benevolent to those countries promoting the consumer side of economics, while acting blind to real human rights violations and excesses by governments of member states.
The fact that most Asean economies have toed the line of capitalism either openly or in disguised forms has left them floundering in times of economic disruptions, hastily resorting to erroneous solutions that at best mask threats but leave the bruises open and gaping.
As a viable middle power force to counterbalance the actions of the so-called big three powerhouses, as identified by Ambassador Godec, Asean's response has been to be silent and let the full impacts of events toss the member states about.

Glen Chatelier,
Bangkok,
Thailand

The question is not borrowing It's how Thailand spends the money The Southeast Asian Times Wedneday April 29, 2026 First published in the Bangkok Post Thursday April 23, 2026

Re: "The question is not borrowing", in Bangkok Post, InQuote, Wednesday April 22, 2026.
Indeed, that is a golden bar of borrowings as expressed simply by our Financial Minister and Deputy Prime Minister, Ekniti Nitithanprapas.
If no care is taken on how we spend someone's money once in their hands, then disaster can be expected if accountability in due time to bondholders on how they spend it and follow through is not seriously there.
Let's put it this way it is obvious, but in practice it is not so obvious.

Songdej Praditsmanont,
Bangkok,
Thailand

Support for small Businesses Is investment not charity The Southeast Asian Times Tuesday April 28, 2026 First published in the Bangkok Post Sunday April 26, 2026

Re: "Loan decree 'may be needed'" in Bangkok Post, Friday April 24, 2026.
Why do governments keep returning to the same strategy - borrowing huge sums for handouts in the name of stimulating the economy - while neglecting more productive support for small businesses?
Politicians often speak of helping Small Medium Enterprises (SMEs), yet practical measures rarely follow.
Instead of cash giveaways, why not channel funding through state banks as low-interest loans to viable small and medium enterprises?
Support for Small Medium Enterprises (SMEs) would generate jobs, boost local markets, expand the tax base and, unlike handouts, create long-term economic activity. Even allowing for some non-performing loans, the broader returns could far outweigh the risks.
Rather than short-term subsidy schemes that vanish with little lasting impact, policymakers should rethink priorities and put more emphasis on helping small enterprises grow. Those who run very small businesses should be first in line for support. That is investment, not charity.

Ken Khorana,
Bangkok,
Thailand

Fear that the Mekong May become poisoned The Southeast Asian Times Monday April 27, 2026 First published in the Bangkok Post Friday April 24, 2026

Re: "Fix the system", PostBag, Bangkok Post Thursday April 16 and "Water crisis still unsolved", Bangkok Post Editorial, Wednesday April 22, 2026.
There was an insightful documentary on the English-language version of the German TV channel DW this week concerning severe water pollution in Chiang Rai.
The river in the town of Tha Ton, as well as other nearby rivers bordering Myanmar, such as the Ruak and even the venerable Mekong, have been found to contain severely high levels of arsenic, cadmium and other toxic contaminants in tests conducted by academics at a university in the northern region.
The reason is that Chinese firms that have been mining rare earth minerals and other valuable metals in the aforementioned country have been draining the rest, which they do not need, into the waterways of Thailand.
The end result is that many Tha Ton residents reportedly have experienced and been affected by various forms of ailments or have had their livelihoods interrupted, as the rivers bordering Myanmar now have much less fish than before and cannot really be eaten.
There is fear that the Mekong as a whole may become poisoned, and that food across Thailand will become contaminated with toxins inadvertently given to restaurants.
One of the town's leaders interviewed on the program blames the current central government for the mess, stating that Thai politicians know all about the problems in the Northern waterways but have chosen to do basically nothing.
Let's hope the problem is addressed soon, as if it continues to fester, not only will the residents of Chiang Mai suffer, but individuals all over Thailand may as well.
What the DW documentary underscores for me is the need for Thai people to have access to good cable TV packages.
Having just a basic TV package, or a cable TV package which is not fully functioning, is just a prescription for disaster.
Independent television channels which don't have connections to any outside interests are what is needed for a fully functioning democracy.

Paul,
Bangkok,
Thailand

Bangkok's traffic, smog and flooding Remain unresolved The Southeast Asian Times Sunday April 26, 2026 First published in the Bangkok Post Friday April 24, 2026

Re: "What's up, governor?", Bangkok Post, Editorial, Thursday April 23,
2026.
The editorial presents a cautious view of Chadchart Sittipunt's tenure, but risks overlooking the scale of everyday improvements across the city.
In recent years, Bangkok has become noticeably more usable at street level.
From upgraded facilities at Benchakitti and Lumpini parks to the steady rollout of fitness equipment, improved walkways and smarter bus stops, these are not isolated "feel-good" initiatives but part of a broader shift towards practical urban management.
Individually, such changes may appear modest.
Taken together, they represent a meaningful transformation in how residents engage with public space.
The city feels more responsive, better maintained and more aligned with the needs of its people.
Certainly, persistent challenges such as traffic, PM2.5 and flooding remain unresolved.
However, these are complex structural issues that no governor could realistically resolve within a single term. Judging the administration primarily on these fronts risks missing where real progress has been made. Some projects predate the current administration, but the pace, visibility and consistency of improvements suggest they have been actively driven rather than coincidental.
As the capital city's voters approach a major local election, a balanced evaluation should recognise both the limitations and the tangible gains residents encounter every day.
Vote Chadchart!

Concerned observer,
Bangkok,
Thailand

Risks tied to crypto volatility or misuse Predate U.S. President Trump and persist globally The Southeast Asian Times Saturday April 25, 2026 First published in the Bangkok Post Wednesday April 22, 2026

Re: "Crypto push undermines US power", in Bangkok Post, Opinion, Monday April 20, 2026.
Jayati Ghosh, writing for the Project Syndicate, portrays Donald Trump as the primary driver of complex global trends.
Cryptocurrencies are a decentralised, worldwide phenomenon shaped by many governments and markets, not one man.
Equating regulatory flexibility with recklessness ignores how excessive control often pushes innovation and activity into opaque jurisdictions. Risks tied to crypto volatility or misuse predate Mr Trump and persist globally.
The geopolitical argument is similarly overstated.
Nations have long used alternative systems to bypass sanctions; crypto is merely the latest tool, not the cause.
Ultimately, this article ignoring the obligatory Mr Trump bashing content reflects an idealist's preference for the globalist holy grail centralised financial control while downplaying the legitimate economic and technological rationale for a more open, innovation-driven approach.

Michael Setter,
Bangkok,
Thailand

WTO appointment of Commission on Audit Does not impress some Filipinos The Southeast Asian Times Friday April 17, 2026 First published in the Philippine Inquirer, Thursday April 16 2026

The flash report that the Commission on Audit (COA) has been appointed by the World Trade Organization (WTO) as its external auditor complements COA's capability, earning it a high distinction in the world body.
The appointment, however, does not impress some of us, but instead places COA in an uneasy position after the flood control mess - a financial nightmare marked by alleged widespread connivance in the government bureaucracy involving high-ranking officials and trillions of pesos in lost taxes over years under COA watch.
The WTO might look at COA as its effective external auditor, but COA has a broader audit role and responsibilities, encompassing both external audit of government branches and the internal audit systems and control of all government accounts.
COA has jurisdiction over all auditing procedures, including internal audits. Under Section 2 of Presidential Decree No. 898, the authority and powers of the Commission on Audit shall extend to and comprehend all matters relating to auditing and accounting procedures, systems, and controls.
COA should revisit its constitutional mandate on its oversight audit of all government financial transactions.
In 2012, the Supreme Court's unanimous ruling threw out COA's assertion that it could remove from its function the conduct of preaudit measures.
The Supreme Court ruling affirmed that COA cannot remove from its constitutional mandate the responsibility to do preaudit through a mere issuance of its executive circular, because its constitutional mandate covers oversight of all government accounts and financial transactions, wherever they may happen in the bureaucracy.

Marvel K. Tan,
Manila,
Philippines

Nowhere did the Move Forward Party propose allowing Unrestricted verbal attacks on the royal institution The Southeast Asian Times, Tuesday April 21, 2026 First published in the Bangkok Post, Sunday April 19, 2026

Re: "Another perspective" and "Leave S112 alone", Bangkok Post April 20, April 19, 2026.
I sincerely thank Khun Yingwai Suchaovanich and Khun Felix Qui for their thoughtful comments on our application of our lese majeste law, aka S112.
This law demands our thorough scrutiny before being used, for as our beloved late national father told us, "its use ultimately damages the monarchy".
Nowhere did the Move Forward Party (MFP) propose allowing unrestricted verbal attacks on our royal institution.
On the contrary, the Move Forward Party (MFP) sought to debate in good faith, adhering to democratic principles between the people's elected representatives in open session, subject to the law of the land on a matter of supreme national interest.
For instance, they sought to have penalties be in line with international norms, not like the record 87 years in jail given to then 65-year-old Khun Anchan Preelerd for reposting 29 audio/video clips that did not incite violence.
MFP also sought to restrict who could file complaints; now, anyone may file charges, triggering a mandatory police investigation, making it a tempting weapon for harassing anyone you didn't like.
For example, we want our students to know our history, but did you know that asking questions could get you sued under S112?
In 2014, noted historian Sulak Sivaraksa suggested that the legendary elephant-back duel between King Naresuan and the Burmese crown prince may not have happened as traditionally described. For that, he was charged and investigated. So, students, just be parrots?
Also, almost two-thirds 64.7 percent of Thais aged 15-65 across all education levels can barely read and understand short medical instructions such as "Take one tablet daily after dinner until the medicine is gone" source: World Bank, 2025 presentation to Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul.
Yet we're assuming that every last one can differentiate between what was intended to be derogatory of our monarchy and what was given in good faith?
The more I think about it, the more I agree with King Bhumibol Adulyadej the Great.

Burin Kantabutra,
Bangkok,
Thailand

Unchecked power can lead Thailand To stagnation and eventually political turmoil The Southeast Asian Times, Tuesday April 21, 2026 First published in the Bangkok Post, Sunday April 19, 2026

Re: "Uncharted territory", Bangkok Post, Editorial, Saturday April 11, 2026
The Post notes that "unchecked power can lead the country to stagnation and eventually political turmoil".
Thailand 's long history of coups offers ample evidence of this.
It also helps explain why the country has not matched the political and economic progress of places such as South Korea and Taiwan, which moved forward after ending military interference in the 1980s.
Thailand now has the government it voted for, as does the United States.
In both cases, the question is how that mandate will be used.
The current Thai government has an opportunity to pursue long-overdue constitutional reform and address deep inequalities in wealth and opportunity. Whether it does so in the broader public interest, or primarily in the interests of those in power, will determine how it is judged.
Ultimately, voters will decide. At the next election, they will assess whether this government has advanced political, social and economic fairness, or merely reinforced existing divisions.

Felix Qui,
Bangkok,
Thailand

 

The European Union is hell-bent on the destruction Of Western culture and civilisation The Southeast Asian Times, Tuesday April 21, 2026 First published in the Bangkok Post, Sunday April 19, 2026

Re: "Hungarians' growing anger at living in European Union's 'most corrupt state'", Bangkok Post, World, Thursday April 16, 2026.
The only named source in this biased report is Transparency International, an organisation primarily funded by the European Union, the United Nations,
Open Society Foundations and a variety of European development organisations.
None of the above, including the source of this trivial article, Agence France-Presse, (AFP) wanted to see Victor Orban remain in office.
One might ask, why?
Orban's Hungary is the only European Union member state to repel the Islamic invasion so favoured by the international source of top-down authoritarian leftist ideology, like China.
The European Union is hell-bent on the destruction of Western culture and civilisation.
Everyone knows it and Orban is one of the very few to openly resist.
Agence France-Presse (AFP) could have a field day reporting on corruption but seldom does, except, as in this example, when it furthers their political objectives.

Michael Setter,
Bangkok,
Thailand

PM abandons Clean Air Bill While air pollution chokes Thailand The Southeast Asian Times Monday April 20, 2026 First published in the Bangkok Post Tuesday April 14, 2026

Re: "Energy and environment will take centre stage" Bangkok Post, InQuote, April 1, 2026 and "BJT pulls support for Clear Air Bill" Bangkok Post, April 7, 2026.
I was encouraged when Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul announced his new government's policies would prioritise energy and environment.
Both are glaring necessities for the country.
But as the prime minister's actual policies unfolded, his commitment to improving environmental conditions has apparently already been tossed aside.
Within days of proclaiming the environment to be a top priority, the ruling Bhumjaithai Party abandoned its support for the long-delayed Clean Air Bill, despite its support for the measure in the past.
The withdrawal of backing for the Clean Air Bill is all the more inexplicable considering the horrendous air pollution choking the country for countless weeks, with no end in sight.
The monumental health costs to the country from the lingering poisons in the air are well documented.
Apparently, however, rich and powerful special interests have asserted themselves.
Investor confidence and business interests are paramount once again. Authorities needed to control pollution and close down offending industries must remain weak; penalties for polluting must not exceed slaps on the wrist; factories must be allowed to pump out uncontrolled emissions; big agribusiness must be able to continue paying small farmers for burning forests and fields.
Who cares about clean air so long as investors have free rein to rake in bigger profits?

Samanea Saman,
Bangkok,
Thailand

Filipinos forced to bleed In an economic war they did not create The Southeast Asian Times Sunday April 19, 2026 First published in the Philippine Inquirer Wednesday April 8, 2026

The ''unthinkable'' has arrived at Filipino gas stations.
Diesel prices have officially breached the P100-per-liter mark, with some Metro Manila stations reporting figures as high as P172.9 per liter as of yesterday.
As the United States-Israeli conflict with Iran paralyzes the Strait of Hormuz, the artery for a fifth of the world's oil.
Filipino consumers are being forced to bleed in an economic war and a crisis they did not create.
The Department of Finance (DOF) has responded to calls for fuel excise tax suspension with a singular, chilling figure: P136 billion.
This, they claim, is the revenue the state would lose if it dared to lower the P6-per-liter tax on diesel and P10-per-liter on gasoline.
But as inflation threatens to spiral toward 7.5 percent, we must ask: In a time of national emergency, whose fiscal health matters more”the governments bloated accounts or the Filipino family's ability to put food on the table?
The DOF's obsession with the P136 billion loss is an insult when viewed against the backdrop of systemic waste.
While the government claims it cannot afford a tax cut, the Commission on Audit (COA) has been busy unearthing the real leaks.
The DOF treats the national budget like a sacred hoard.
But the budget is a tool for the peope's welfare, not an end in itself.
If the state refuses to sacrifice its own comforts while the people's belts are being tightened into a noose, it is not leading, it is merely watching.
At more than P100 per liter, the time for mœmonitoring and œstaggering adjustments is over, we are told that the government must tighten its belt.
But the government belt is made of leather, while the citizen's belt is a noose.
If the state wants to prevent runaway inflation and social unrest, it must be the first to sacrifice itsfiscal comforts for the sake of national survival.

James D. Lansang,
Manila,
Philippines

Bad luck for the moon and Mars If humans do colonise The Southeast Asian Times Saturday April 18, 2026 First published in the Bangkok Post Wednesday April 15, 2026

Re: "Lunar inspiration", in Bangkok Post PostBag, Monday April 13, 2026 "Artemis II returns safely to Earth", Bangkok Pst World, Saturday April 12, 2026.
It is not yet known from where public interest in Nasa's Artemis II moonshot is likely to arise.
Dennis Fitzgerald thought younger folk might now and again catch something of it while scrolling between gaming sessions.
Many of us older ones will recall where we were when big events happened: JFK's assassination, the NY Twin Tower demolition and the first giant step for mankind on the moon in 1969.
Billions and billions of US taxpayers' money spent on Artemis II, but at least there is a plan, finding someone willing enough to live on the moon, and if that works, Mars.
Bad luck for the moon and Mars if humans do colonise; this polluted and scarred planet of ours can bear witness to their presence.

Nick Nicholson,
Bangkok,
Thailand

 

ASEAN members have not Endorsed the Myanmar elections The Southeast Asian Times Thursday April 16, 2026 First published in the Bangkok Post Wednesday April 15, 2026

Re: "Parnpree backs new Myanmar president", in Bangkok Post, Monday April 13, 2026.
Special representative of Foreign Affairs Minister, Parnpree Bahiddha-Nukara, passed on congratulations to the new Myanmar president on his "election", which could easily be mistaken as official recognition by Thailand.
Such recognition would be at odds with the clear stand of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations and United Nations.
As such, Foreign Minister Sihasak Phuangketkeow should explain his representative's actions to parliament and seek its approval.
Asean members have not endorsed the election, said Philippine Foreign Secretary Theresa Lazaro, and as of this January did not recognise the results.
Al Jazeera reported on January 30 that "Asean's non-recognition of the elections will be a major blow to normalisation efforts by Myanmar's military rulers, who hoped to gain international recognition and a degree of legitimacy".
Indeed, only a few states, mainly Russia and China, have moved close to de facto recognition.
The election was held under a military dictatorship, amid active warfare, mass displacement, and severe repression, leaving no meaningful space for genuine political choice.

Burin Kantabutra,
Bangkok,
Thailand

Wild animals like ostriches Don't belong in captivity The Southeast Asian Times Thursday April 16, 2026 First published in the Bangkok Post, Sunday April 12, 2026

Re: "Ostrich paces the traffic on Highway 36", Bangkok Post, Tuesday April 7, 2026.
I write in response to reports of an ostrich escaping from an animal café in Chon Buri.
Instead of seeing this incident as funny, I hope people realise the fear and stress experienced by B1, a wild animal kept for entertainment at this animal-themed cafe.
In nature, ostrich mothers and fathers share parental responsibilities, protecting their babies from predators, shading them from the hot sun under their wings, and teaching them how to find food, behaviour impossible in the confines of such facilities.
Wild animals like ostriches don't belong in captivity, where they're easily startled and pose dangers to themselves and the public when they inevitably try to escape their unnatural confinement.

Jason Baker
Asia President,
People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals PETA
Bangkok,
Thailand

Thai's understands that alliances rise and change Thailand will always find a way to endure The Southeast Asian Times Wednesday April 15, 2026 First published in the Bangkok Post, Friday April 10, 2026

Re: "Can alliances with the US be replaced?" in Bangkok Post, Opinion, Tuesday April 7, 2026.
Kavi Chongkittavorn's well-written article asks a question that the history of Thailand and the region demonstrates.
I read the article and thought of our friends in Chiang Mai and their colourful stories about history and Queen Chamadevi or Camadevi.
I think every Thai, just from their own stories and folklore, understands that alliances rise and change.
Especially experiences since World War I and World War II show that Thailand and its people have always had to make hard decisions and transitions.
In particular, the piece cast light on parallel positions that countries like Thailand, Canada, and other non-superpowers might share
If serious threats to Asean members' sovereignty were to occur, are any local aircraft carriers available to be sent out to guarantee the independence of smaller or weaker nations?
Will China grow into its responsibilities as a great power and take a reasonable and responsible role defending the security of Asia, or will it continue to rattle sabers and myopically focus on Taiwan, when the stakes and prize are, in fact, much larger?
Something for certain is that my own country of Canada will have a hard time fending for itself, swimming with shark countries and trying to make fair trade deals with them, those same ones that are a constant and oppressive source of foreign interference in our politics and economy.
For me, it's reassuring that Thailand will always find a way to endure, with its language and culture, no matter what the weather report calls for.
Cloudy with a chance for China?
Many thanks for the thoughtful article!

Mike Sluchinski,
Bangkok,
Thailand

 

 

Heavy transport in Thailand Stop idling engines to keep cool The Southeast Asian Times Tuesday April 14, 2026 First published in the Bangkok Post, Friday April 10, 2026

Re: "Anutin urges WFH amid fuel crisis", Bangkok Post, Monday April 6, 2026.
Whilst many motorists are rightly concerned about fuel costs, particularly in heavy transport, perhaps they would consider not idling their engines for long periods to keep their in-cab environment cool?
They would benefit in the pocket, and the environment would benefit from less polluted air.
Sounds like a win-win to me.

Hua Hin Paul,
Bangkok,
Thailand

Thai's understands that alliances rise and change Thailand will always find a way to endure The Southeast Asian Times Monday April 13, 2026 First published in the Bangkok Post, Friday April 10, 2026

Re: "Can alliances with the US be replaced?" in Bangkok Post, Opinion, Tuesday April 7, 2026.
Kavi Chongkittavorn's well-written article asks a question that the history of Thailand and the region demonstrates.
I read the article and thought of our friends in Chiang Mai and their colourful stories about history and Queen Chamadevi or Camadevi.
I think every Thai, just from their own stories and folklore, understands that alliances rise and change.
Especially experiences since World War I and World War II show that Thailand and its people have always had to make hard decisions and transitions.
In particular, the piece cast light on parallel positions that countries like Thailand, Canada, and other non-superpowers might share.
If serious threats to Asean members' sovereignty were to occur, are any local aircraft carriers available to be sent out to guarantee the independence of smaller or weaker nations?
Will China grow into its responsibilities as a great power and take a reasonable and responsible role defending the security of Asia, or will it continue to rattle sabers and myopically focus on Taiwan, when the stakes and prize are, in fact, much larger?
Something for certain is that my own country of Canada will have a hard time fending for itself, swimming with shark countries and trying to make fair trade deals with them, those same ones that are a constant and oppressive source of foreign interference in our politics and economy.
For me, it's reassuring that Thailand will always find a way to endure, with its language and culture, no matter what the weather report calls for.
Cloudy with a chance for China?
Many thanks for the thoughtful article!

Mike Sluchinski,
Bangkok,
Thailand

Thailand can't raise taxes on locals ''So let's go after foreigners'' The Southeast Asian Times, Sunday April 12, 2026 First published in the Bangkok Post Thursday April 9, 2026

Re: "Thailand plans mandatory accident insurance for foreign visitors", Bangkok Post, Business, Wednesday April 8, 2026.
The report is another example of blaming other people for problems that have been festering for decades.
The intention is clear.
"We can't raise taxes on locals, so let's go after foreigners!"
Charging 300 baht to each visitor generates billions of baht per year.
Will all that money go to upgrade the health care system?
Another question that everyone knows the answer to.
There are ways to charge motorcycle renters a fee that would go to the government, and it would be much easier than trying to get airlines and travel agencies to collect this fee.
The traffic in Pattaya lawless chaos. Motorcycle food delivery drivers are the worst offenders.
Two cell phones mounted on handlebars apparently do not constitute distracted driving, especially at high speed!
Who knew it was safer to look at two cell phones on two wheels than one cell phone on four wheels?
By coming down on all foreigners who rent motorcycles, who have no choice but to deal with the lack of common law, while accepting no responsibility for the road chaos, and at the same time making money off of them, seems similar to how certain governments conduct business in other parts of the world.

Stan Cennon,
Bangkok,
Thailand

Further debate on visa exemption wanted Before policy becomes official The Southeast Asian Times. Saturday April 11, 2026 First published in the Bangkok Post Tuesday April 7, 2026

Re: "Govt's visa-free policy too easy", Bangkok Post, Monday March 30, 2026 and "Shorter visa stays on the cards", Bangkok Post, Business, Thursday February 12, 2026.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has approved a plan to reduce the visa-free exemption period for tourists from certain countries to a month, rather than 60 days.
However, it should be stated that the plan was first proposed under the caretaker government.
And who was the leader of both governments?
Well, it was none other than Anutin Charnvirakul, and I feel that it is more than a coincidence that the policy actually became official after he was elected.
After all, was it not Mr Anutin himself, who, under the previous military junta, asserted during the Covid crisis a few years back that "foreigners should get out" if they didn't want to wear masks?
The aforementioned man is merely showing his true stripes now and his real feelings towards foreigners by approving of this policy.
Fortunately, some voices of reasoning still exist out there.
For example, the Hua Hin-Chaam tourist association states that over 30 percent of tourists in this area are long-stay ones, and that, consequently, local tourist revenues would go down by as much as 50 percent, they estimate.
So let's hope that the visa exemption issue is further debated by the mandarins in the current Thai government before the policy becomes official.

Paul,
Bangkok,
Thailand

Burning plastic bottles for energy Sounds wonderful but... The Southeast Asian Times, Friday April 10, 2026 First published in the Bangkok Post Friday April 3, 2026

Re: "Khon Kaen locals convert plastic waste into fuel", in Bangkok Post, Monday March 30, 2026.
The article on recycling is inspiring and relevant.
Nevertheless, the process being used pyrolysis has definite drawbacks including harmful emissions and toxic by-products.
It is also energy-intensive and produces hazardous waste.
On the face of it, getting energy from burning plastic bottles sounds wonderful but what are we getting as byproducts?

JezzaNong,
Bangkok,
Thailand

Portrayal of Iran as the victim Is one-sided and blatantly absurd The Southeast Asian Times Thursday April 9, 2026 First published in the Bangkok Post Thursday April 2, 2026

Re: "Selective outrage will not end the war in Iran", Bangkok Post Opinion, Friday March 27, 2026.
Prof Jayati Ghosh's portrayal of Iran as the victim in the current conflict is one-sided and blatantly absurd.
The Iranian regime has been calling for the annihilation of Israel for 47 years. Tehran has spent hundreds of billions of dollars on nuclear research, whose only purpose can be military, and it played a major role in the genocidal invasion of Israel on October 7, 2023.
Iran has also carried out attacks on Jewish communities worldwide and bankrupted its economy by spending hundreds of billions on missiles and financing proxies which attack Israel.
The war would be over in a day if Iran were to agree not to annihilate Israel. Something the esteemed professor fails to address.

Frank Scimone,
Bangkok,
Thailand

A male who pulverises female opponents Is unacceptable The Southeast Asian Times Wednesday April 8, 2026 First published in the Bangkok Post Sunday April 5, 2026

Re: "Save women's sport", Bangkok Post, PostBag, Tuesday March 31, 2026,
I often agree with Miro King, but not on this occasion.
His argument appears to be that a man who "pulverises" female opponents is unacceptable, yet an equally dominant female athlete doing the same to other women is not.
By that logic, a man overwhelming male opponents would also be acceptable. Why should the standard differ?
What makes a man overpowering a woman worse than a woman doing the same to another woman?
And why is a man dominating another man considered acceptable, but not crossing that divide?
At the heart of this argument is an inherited assumption that women are inherently inferior and must be protected from fair competition with men.
This same thinking once confined women to limited roles in business and public life, excluding them from sectors such as energy, finance, and politics.
Society has, in most areas, moved beyond such constraints. Women can now lead corporations, universities, and governments.
If we accept that, why should sport remain an exception?
If athlete A, regardless of sex, meets the criteria to compete with athlete B, then both should have an equal opportunity.
If one proves superior, that is the essence of competition.
If certain physical differences are decisive, then that simply reflects the nature of the sport not a justification for blanket exclusion.
The International Olympic Committee should reconsider the continued segregation of sport along rigid sex lines.
Such divisions risk reinforcing outdated assumptions about ability.
If a woman is capable of competing at a given level whether in boxing or any other discipline -- she should not be excluded solely on the basis of sex.
We should not fear strong, successful women.

Felix Qui,
Bangkok,
Thailand

World Bank promotes investment In climate adaption The Southeast Asian Times Tuesday April 7, 2026 First published in the Bangkok Post Sunday April 5, 2026

Re: "Urgent push for fair climate finance," in Bangkok Post, Opinion, Wednesday April 1, 2026.
The article opens with the claim that climate change is already eroding Thailand's economic competitiveness and livelihoods through heat waves, floods and coastal erosion.
The assertion these phenomena are primarily driven by man-made CO2 however, remains contested and far from conclusively supported by hard evidence.
The piece goes on to cite a World Bank estimate that Thailand's GDP could shrink by 7 - 14 percent by 2050 without adequate investment in climate adaptation.
Such projections rely heavily on complex modelling, which is inherently sensitive to assumptions and open to question.
This raises a broader concern.
Policies based on speculative forecasts risk directing significant financial resources toward international organisations and Non-Government Organisations (NGOs) without clear, measurable benefits, particularly for smaller economies like Thailand.
Before committing vast sums, there should be stronger evidence that such investments will produce tangible, verifiable outcomes.

Michael Setter.
Bangkok,
Thailand

 

 

Call for International Olympic Committee to strip Imane Khelif and Lin Yu-ting of their gold medals The Southeast Asian Times, Monday April 6, 2026 First published in the Bangkok Post Wednesday April 1, 2026

Re: "Women's sport limited to 'biological females'", Bangkok Post Sport, Saturday March 28, 2026.
It is about time that the International Olympic Committee (IOC) banned men from women's sports.
Therefore, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) should also strip the two boxers, Imane Khelif and Lin Yu-ting, who are both men, of their gold medals in boxing.
Those two men pulverised their female opposition to pulp, and it was painful not only for the victims but for all who watched it in horror.
I would like to see the members of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) who allowed this slaughter of the innocents to stand in that ring and face either of those brutal impostors.
They would soon change their minds about who is a man and who is a woman.
Ban all men, especially the female impostors, from all women's sport.

Miro King a man!
Bangkok,
Thailand

Southeast Asia wants Peace that respects sovereignty The Southeast Asian Times, Sunday April , 2026 First published in the Philippine Inquirer Tuesday March 31, 2026

To Southeast Asians, peace is tangible.
It means fishermen can safely sail our seas without fear of conflict, farmers can sell our rice and fruits at fair prices, young people can find stable jobs instead of migrating for work, and our children can go to school while our elders receive the medical care they need.
We do not want empty promises of ''freedom'' or ''democracy'' that only bring division and chaos.
We want real peace.
Peace that lets us live in stability, work with dignity, and see our lives improve day by day.
Southeast Asia does not need foreign military alliances that drag us into great power conflicts.
We do not need ideological manipulation that stirs up tensions between our neighbours.
We do not need wars or sanctions that destroy our economies and separate our families.
What we need is true peace.
Peace that respects our sovereignty, peace that lets us develop on our own terms, and peace that unites our region toward shared prosperity.
Peace is not something we beg for, it is built through cooperation and development. It is the roads connecting our villages to cities, the ports linking our nations to the world, the factories giving our youth work, and the schools teaching our children to dream.
Hegemony only brings instability and suffering.
Division only deepens our poverty.
Only genuine, inclusive peace can let Southeast Asia rise together, and let every Southeast Asian live a life of hope and dignity.
Together, we can build a peaceful, stable, and prosperous Southeast Asia.

Andy Guangzhou,
Manila,
Philippines

Free public transport in Australia And early closure for restauarants in Eqypt The Southeast Asian Times, Saturday April 4, 2026 First published in the Bangkok Post Friday March 3, 2026

The Anutin government is scrambling to adjust to the reality of an unwelcome war triggered by Israel and the USA against Iran.
Many countries are facing similar challenges due to the sudden inflated cost of petrol.
But some countries have tried to respond aggressively to diminish the impacts.
For example, in two states of Australia, public transport is being made free to incentivise people not to drive.
This has two benefits, fewer cars consuming oil and less traffic in already congested cities.
If free, public transport will now appeal to many that preferred using their cars before.
Another creative idea?
In Egypt, shops, restaurants and cafes have been told to close at 9pm each day, while street lights and roadside advertising is being dimmed, but hotels and tourist attractions are exempt.
Not enough?
To conserve fuel, Sri Lanka has declared Wednesdays as public holidays for government institutions such as schools and universities.
Combined with "working from home", these two measures alone are saving many oil barrels.
Another old idea, that has been considered here but never implemented.
Myanmar is enforcing a rule in which private vehicles can run only on alternate days, depending on whether their licence plate is an odd or even number. Electric vehicles are exempt.
If none of these light suggestions bear fruit, it will be time to drastically impose petrol rationing, although this will be unpopular.
And citizens shall obviously minimise non-necessary usage of their vehicles, although this may be a pipedream; but Mr Anutin shall demonstrate his leadership by taking steps to alleviate a dire situation and this before the Siamese fuel reserves are exhausted!

Michel Barre,
Bangkok,
Thiland

Thai PM calls on each householder To save a litre of fuel consumption per day The Southeast Asian Times, Friday April 3, 2026 First published in the Bangkok Post Thursday March 2, 2026

Re: "PM apology a good start," Bangkok Post, Editorial, Monday March 30, 2026.
Prime Minister Anutin is right on when he asks each household to save a litre of fuel consumption per day.
Low-hanging fruit he should pick towards this end include:
Sharply slashing all fossil-fuel subsidies, as Indonesia and India did.
These disproportionately benefit higher-income users, so this will not only save taxpayer money and reduce CO2 emissions but also help narrow our massive rich-poor gap.
Carbon pricing is one of the most cost-effective ways to shift away from fossil fuels, as proven in Sweden and the US.
This could be particularly effective in our power sector.
Accelerate the usage of renewable energy solar, wind, as shown in Vietnam and Germany.
When my wife and I built our Honolulu home, installing solar panels was a no-brainer, thanks to generous tax incentives, and that was half a century ago.
Strengthen building codes and appliance standards to use less energy, as done in Japan and the EU.
Get moving, Anutin,

Burin Kantabutra,
Bangkok,
Thailand

Call for adoption of clean, green and cheap Nuclear power plants The Southeast Asian Times, Thursday April 2, 2026 First published in the Bangkok Post Wednesday March 1, 2026

Re: "Iran war exposes Thai energy fragility", in Bangkok Post, Opinion, Tuesday March 28, 2026
The fossil fuels used for power generation in 2024 accounted for more than 70 percent, with imports accounting for the rest. Renewable energy mostly relies on solar power, which is, by nature, unreliable and only produces for six hours per day.
Considering the paradigm changes following the Middle East war, we should consider adopting the clean, green and cheap nuclear power plants as a new way of electricity production.

James Debentures,
Bangkok,
Thailand

Call for Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., to support Former President Ferdinand Marcos Sr., economic strategy The Southeast Asian Times, Wednesday April 1, 2026 First published in the Philippine Inquirer, Friday March 27, 2026

Philippine Inquirer 27 Mar 2026 letter Reviving pointers for good governance and realistic development goals.
Considering the current crisis in the Middle East that has rattled our economy and endangered the lives of overseas Filipino workers, it is never too late to start talking about how President Marcos and succeeding presidents can improve their governance to accelerate our economy.
Leloy Claudio, assistant professor at University of California, Berkeley, has criticized the administration for what he calls performative governance that relies on slogans and superficial branding rather than providing a clear substantive economic development roadmap for the Philippines.
Other critics called Mr. Marcos development goal idealistic rhetoric” for making unrealistic promises: making rice available to the public at P20 to P30 per kilogram; building 1 million housing units annually when his father could only build 230,000 units in 10 years; and accomplishing 183 transportation, water, and digital connectivity projects.
These aspirations of the administration represent positive basic needs goals that should be pursued to address poverty, inequality, and unemployment.
The problem is that the President resorted to idealistic rhetoric, citing unrealistic quantitative targets that were not based on feasibility studies.
He was also not careful in selecting Cabinet secretaries with intelligence, capability, and a good moral background.
His father, Ferdinand Marcos Sr., formed a group of technocrats and intellectuals to achieve economic goals.
Marcos Jr. has stated that the pursuit of the above goals has been influenced by his mother promotion, as former secretary of the Ministry of Human Settlements, of the 11 basic needs required to accelerate the country's socioeconomic development.
These basic needs are food, shelter, mobility, water, power, ecological balance, clothing, health, education, livelihood, and sports and recreation concepts that originated from the international urban planning ideas promoted in the 1972 United Nations Conference on Human Settlements.
The government addressed this issue through the Philippine Development Plan for 2023 -2028, which in turn requires the formulation of the Regional Spatial Development Frameworks, Provincial Development and Physical Framework Plans, and Comprehensive Land Use Plans (CLUPs) of local government units.
In the CLUPs, the rational delineation of proposed land uses with their specific protection, production, settlement, and infrastructure areas is particularly observed.
The promotion of the basic needs concept, which constituted the centre piece of his mother's public service stint, should be seriously ”but realistically” supported by Marcos Jr.
Like his father's strategy, he could create a cabinet cluster of related departments whose functions involve the interlinked development of the features and resources of each of the four land-use categories.
In this way, through checks and balances, even the current rampant corruption in project implementation can be significantly minimized.

Meliton B. Juanico,
Bangkok,
Thailand

The five-year Destination Thailand Visa Too difficult to apply for The Southeast Asian Times Tuesday March 31, 2026 First published in Bangkok Post Monday March 30, 2026

Re: "Tourism stimulus eyed to address slowdown', Bangkok Post Business, Saturday March 14, 2026.
If the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) would like to attract and retain long-haul tourists, maybe they could ask how Thai immigration could make us more welcome.
I have been trying to apply for the five-year Destination Thailand Visa (DTV) since it launched, almost two years ago.
Precisely because I am "long-haul", I have tried to apply within the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean), rather than in my home country.
I have tried calling and e-mailing the four nearest consulates, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) and countless Immigration offices.
Since the e-visa site went up, any phone calls that do reach people only result in being directed to the website.
It is too difficult to apply for without the help of the kind of agent who helps those who don't actually qualify.
In the meantime, I have been told by Immigration officers many times, quite aggressively, that I spend too much time in Thailand, and should get "a better visa" but they always refuse to say which visa is acceptable.
The situation is no better for investment-promotion visas that I've asked about.
It's hardly Thailand's biggest problem in attracting Foreign Direct Investment (FDI), but a potential investor will be discouraged by unprofessional sites and call centres, outdated information, and hostile officers on entry.
Tourists have to show a statutory amount of cash on entry 10k or 20k baht, the figure is higher for other visa categories.
Supposedly this is to ensure the visitor can afford their stay without working in the kingdom.
Following that logic, why not explicitly allow unlimited tourist-visa extensions and border runs for anyone who can demonstrate adequate funds, but isn't old enough to retire?
I wish the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) good luck with their war room and subsidy for Nok and Smile.
I hope it helps attract the ideal tourist they want, because it doesn't do much for those of us who are being pushed away to friendlier countries.

Hadi Nouf,
Bangkok,
Thailand

Universal access to compassion Cannot be engineered top-down The Southeast Asian Times Monday March 30, 2026 First published in Bangkok Post Wednesday March 25, 2026

Re: "Can we design universal access to compassion?", Bangkok Post Opinion, Thursday March 19, 2026.
Design alone cannot guarantee compassion.
As practical experience shows, even well-intentioned accessibility frameworks often fall short when they overlook the deeper dimensions of human connection and inclusion.
Compassion must be cultivated through relationships beginning with intergenerational solidarity within families and communities, where empathy is first learned and transmitted.
From there, the ethic of compassion can expand outward into institutions, societies, and ultimately reaching the global arena.
Without such solidarity, any attempt to universalise compassion risks remaining only rhetorical rather than real. In short, universal access to compassion cannot be engineered top-down; it must be built from the ground up across generations, and across borders.

Ioan Voicu,
Bangkok,
Thailand

Is Defence recruitment in Papua New Guinea Based on merit and fairness or favouritism or curruption ? The Southeast Asian Times Sunday March 29, 2026 First published in The National Friday March 27, 2026

The latest controversy surrounding the Papua New Guinea Defence Force (PNGDF) recruitment process is concerning.
As a critical institution responsible for national security, the PNGDF must uphold the highest standards of integrity and fairness in its processes.
The fact that Governor Renbo Paita claims to have conducted his own independent verification and found discrepancies, raises serious questions about the Defence Ministry assurances.
If true, this would indicate a significant breach of trust and potentially undermine the legitimacy of the recruitment process.
The Defence Ministry response to these allegations will be crucial in determining the credibility of the process.
Transparency and accountability are essential in government processes, particularly in institutions like the defence force, where public trust is paramount.
It’s vital that this issue is not swept under the rug and that those responsible are held accountable.
The people of Papua New Guinea deserve to know that their defence force is recruited based on merit and fairness, not favouritism or corruption.
Paita’s series of questions in Parliament should be applauded.
The public need answers about how recruits were selected, whether the process was conducted online or manually, and what measures are in place to prevent such discrepancies in the future.
The Defence Minister’s previous assurances that the recruitment was done through an online system managed by an independent human resource firm, need to be backed up with facts.
What’s clear is that the status quo is not working, and changes are needed to restore public confidence in the PNGDF recruitment process.

M. Ruri,
Port Moresby,
Papua New Guinea

Thailand's falling birth rate Is a matter of serious concern The Southeast Asian Times. Saturday March 28, 2026 First published in the Bangkok Post, Friday March 27, 2026

Re: "Social Security Fund reform 'urgent' as society ages", in Bangkok Post, March 25, 2026.
Thailand's falling birth rate is a matter of serious concern.
In the years ahead, the number of children and young people will decline sharply. The fierce competition we once saw for places in prestigious schools and universities may gradually disappear.
Today, some schools promote themselves through roadshows, highlighting their large campuses, sports facilities, qualified teachers, multilingual programs, and the number of students admitted to top universities.
Yet these indicators may mean less than before when many university graduates now face unemployment, depression, anxiety, and a lack of practical survival skills.
I would like to offer several suggestions for school leaders and parent-teacher associations.
First, some schools and universities reportedly ban students from using AI in homework or assignments.
In reality, however, the ability to use AI well may soon become essential in the workplace.
Rather than banning it, schools should create balanced curricula that teach students how to use AI responsibly and effectively.
Second, climate change is driving disasters worldwide.
Critical management training and survival skills should become part of every school's regular curriculum.
Third, research increasingly shows the harmful effects of social media on children. Some countries have already taken a firm stand on this issue. Schools in Thailand should do the same.
Finally, extracurricular activities that build social responsibility should be given greater importance.
Such experiences not only benefit society but also strengthen a student's portfolio for university admission and future employment.
I hope Thai schools will adapt quickly to the realities of a changing world.
For the sake of our children, who are becoming fewer in number, we must invest more seriously in their future and in the future of our nation.

Borvornchai Chirachon,
Bangkok,
Thailand

Pay a "safe entry" agent for visa On Thailand border The Southeast Asian Times Friday March 27, 2026 First published in the Bangkok Post, Thursday March 26, 2026

Re: "MFA proposes slashing visa-free tourist period in half", in Bangkok Post, March 25 and "Explainer: Thailand's new visas", Podcast, August 5, 2024.
Foreign Minister Sihasak Phuangketkeow recently discussed the proposal as he chaired a seminar, running from Tuesday to Friday, that brings together consular officials from Thai embassies, consulates, and trade offices worldwide."
Do these seminars take public comment, either from Thais who work in the hotel and tour industry outside Phuket, or from any kind of foreigners?
It seems like an opportunity for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to gather feedback on what obstacles prevent access to consular services.
I would be well prepared to show them how hard it is for a well-intended, law-abiding foreigner to get basic help or information when applying for a visa.
You report the restrictions are due to "foreign visitors misusing the scheme for purposes other than travelling" and that the MFA is "citing national security concerns".
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs position, at the time it set the 60-day term, was that the visa entry is not only for short-stay tourism, but also for other sensible purposes like long-stay tourism snowbirds, investors, offshore workers, professionals on sabbatical leave, and so on.
It was reported the biggest winner would be the large country moving from the 15-day visa on arrival list to the new 60-day visa entry system.
But how are drunken louts and employment violations at small businesses in Phuket a national security concern, rather than a matter for the local police and the labour office?
Most crucially, if this is to be another crackdown, how do good guys prove to border officers that we're law-abiding?
By paying a "safe entry" agent?

Good guy out grey guys in?
Bangkok,
Thailand

Thailand hotel and tour operators more concerned About promoting tourism than restricting it The Southeast Asian Times Thursday March 26, 2026 First published in the Bangkok Post, Wednesday March 25, 2026

Re: "30-day visa-free stay 'sufficient', says minister", Bangkok Post, Saturday March 21 and "Thailand reviewing visa-free stays as local complaints pile up" and "Phuket up in arms on long‑stay visa", Bangkok Post, Wednesday March 18, 2026.
Regarding the string of articles related to reducing tourist stays, I wonder where the "pile of complaints" is, as stated in the March 18 article.
In the last two articles, you cited Phuket tourism operators who "have been particularly vocal about the downside of the system originally intended to promote tourism".
Has anyone else been consulted?
In Chiang Mai and across the North, hotel and tour operators are worried about how war will affect tourism, and generally more concerned about promoting tourism and investment than restricting it.
In the earlier article, you do specify who is complaining the president of the Phuket Tourism Association but that article is about the new Phuket property investment visa, per se. He seems concerned with cracking down on "low-quality tourists" who might invest in local property legally on the new visa, or illegally while staying on any visa. Should this concern be placed on other departments, such as the Ministry of Commerce and the Land Department?
As he was quoted at that time, "Phuket has generally been less successful than cities such as Chiang Mai in attracting long‑stay travellers".
So, if he doesn't want long-stay tourists, he can be happy they prefer Chiang Mai, or if he does, maybe he can ask how Chiang Mai manages.
How will chasing away snowbirds, remote offshore workers, etc, help attract these mythical high-quality tourists who spend a fortune without causing any inflation?

Longstay Unwelcome,
Bangkok,
Thailand

Diesel found in unregistered private storage On Thailand Myanmar border The Southeast Asian Times Wednesday March 25, 2026 First published in the Bangkok Post Wednesday March 25, 2026

Re: "Large fuel stash found in secret site", Bangkok Post, Thursday March 12 and "Energy woes 'will escalate'", Bangkok Post, Sunday March 22, 2026.
Thank you for reporting on March 12 that 30,000 litres of diesel kept in unregistered private storage was discovered in Mahawan, in Tak's Mae Sot district.
This month, the Post reported the Tatmadaw Myanmar's military is bombing Karen villages near this border.
The junta and the Karen are fighting to have access to Thai subsidised diesel.
Exports to Myanmar, Vietnam and the Philippines nations most likely to run out of oil first due to their lack of refineries and a reliance on Chinese oil product have now halted by Beijing.
I would also add Cambodia and Laos to this grouping.
On Saturday, the Post quoted Korn Chatikavanij as saying oil subsidies now cost Thailand 1.3 billion baht per day.
From February 27 to March 20 the wholesale diesel price in Singapore has gone up by 26 baht per litre.
Smugglers, the public should be aware, can now make a killing moving diesel into Myanmar, Laos and Cambodia.

AM Phuket,
Bangkok,
Thailand

Prison sentence for Hong Kong media entrepreneur Does not necessarlily reflect views of Bangkok Post The Southeast Asian Times Tuesday March 24, 2026 First published in the Bangkok Post Thusday March 19, 2026

Re: "Rule of law upheld in Lai Chee-ying's sentencing", in China Watch, Wednesday March 11, 2026.
It certainly is a worthwhile endeavour to "watch China" and its growing assertiveness in the region and beyond.
But it appears unnecessary and below the standard of the Bangkok Post, giving room to flat Chinese propaganda like the article of Nixie Lam, a member of the Legislative Council of the Hong Kong Special Administration Region, desperately defending the 20-year sentence for the 78-year-old founder of Apple Daily.
The credits for the article pointedly conclude with: The views do not necessarily reflect those of the China Daily.
It should have been added: "… neither those of the Bangkok Post!"

Peter Hegenbarth,
Bangkok,
Thailand

PNG's young men's involvement in organised Tribal fighting and armed groups is serious The Southeast Asian Times Monday March 23, 2026 First published in the National Friday March 20, 2026

Commend the Government’s current efforts to encourage the surrender of illegal firearms in Enga and throughout the Highlands.
Communities across Enga are tired of violence that continues to claim the lives of innocent men, women and children while destroying schools, churches and health facilities.
However, collecting firearms alone would not fully solve the problem if the underlying causes of violence are not addressed.
The growing involvement of young men in organised tribal fighting and armed groups has become a serious concern in recent years.
A gun does not act on its own. It is the individual who handles the firearm that causes destruction.
The situation had now moved beyond traditional tribal conflicts, with some groups of men reportedly being mobilised or hired as mercenaries to participate in fighting.
Many of these young people are capable and energetic.
Some are educated, but have not been able to find meaningful employment or economic opportunities.
I suggest expanding technical and vocational training programmes in fields such as agriculture, mechanics, construction and carpentry to equip young people with practical skills.
I propose the establishment of a major development financing facility through local banks, potentially up to K1 billion, to support agriculture, livestock and small rural businesses.
I recommend increasing participation of youths in overseas seasonal employment schemes in countries like Australia and New Zealand, allowing them to earn a legitimate income and support their families.
There must be government-funded infrastructure projects such as roads, airstrips, schools and health facilities to prioritise the employment of local youths, while also introducing reintegration programmes to help former fighters return to peaceful and productive lives.
Communities are prepared to surrender firearms and support lawful authority, however, peace must be supported by meaningful development and economic opportunity.

Thomas Amaiu,
Former Kompiam-Ambum Member of Parliament
Port Moresby
Papua New Guinea

 

 

Police investigations into civil society organisations Generates a climate of fear in Malaysia The Southeast Asian Times, Sunday March 22, 2026 First published in Free Malaysia Thursday March 19, 2026

The authorities must draw a clear line between legitimate threats to constitutional order and the ordinary exercise of free expression.
The recent summoning of civil society actors and commentators for police questioning under allegations of “activity detrimental to parliamentary democracy” raises serious concerns about the direction of democratic freedoms in Malaysia.
Most recently, Pushpan Murugiah, chief executive officer of the Center to Combat Corruption and Cronyism C4 Center, was called in for police questioning after his name allegedly appeared in an email connected to an ongoing investigation.
Actions of this nature risk creating the perception of a witch hunt rather than a legitimate law enforcement exercise.
These developments also point to the steady shrinking of democratic space.
Civil society organisations, academics, journalists, and policy advocates play a crucial role in strengthening democratic institutions by questioning power and raising issues of public interest.
Subjecting such voices to criminal investigation for their views or perceived associations undermines that role and sends a troubling signal about the boundaries of acceptable public discourse.
Equally concerning is the climate of fear that such investigations can generate.
When activists, researchers, or commentators see others called in for questioning simply because their names appear in correspondence or because they have spoken critically about governance, many will inevitably choose silence over participation.
A democracy cannot flourish when those engaged in public debate must constantly weigh the risk of legal repercussions for expressing their views.
For this reason, it is vital for the relevant authorities to draw a clear line between legitimate threats to constitutional order and the ordinary exercise of free expression.
Investigative powers should not be used in ways that appear to intimidate or discourage civic participation.
Malaysia’s democratic progress has been built on the willingness of citizens to speak, critique, and hold power to account.
That space must be protected, not narrowed.

Charles Santiago,
Former Member of Parliament for Klang
Malaysia

Thailand's oil reserves Will be heavily diminished within days The Southeast Asian Times, Saturday March 21, 2026 First published in the Bangkok Post March 19, 2026

Re: "Government moves to rev up fiscal 2026 spending", in Bangkok Post, Tuesday March 17, 2026.
The next Prime Minister might have second thoughts about the job when considering the elephant (mammoth) in the room; ie, the Iran war is still ongoing, despite the bravado, the pumps are already struggling, and Songkran is around the corner.
The new Prime Minister will have a tough time convincing the electorate to stay put during this period due to the energy crisis.
If they don't, Thailand's oil reserves will be heavily diminished within only days. And how to solve the scenario of vehicles stuck on the road in every direction with no fuel, water or food in hellish heat?
Rather you than me, mate.
I'm staying put in Bangers.

Ellis O'Brien,
Bangkok,
Thailand

Call on Philippine policymakers To support women in detention facilities The Southeast Asian Times, Friday March 20, 2026 First published in the Philippine Inquirer Thursday March 19, 2026

Every March, the Philippines celebrates women through National Women’s Month, recognizing their achievements while addressing issues that affect women’s empowerment and gender equality.
Yet, a critical gap remains for one of the most vulnerable groups of women: those in detention facilities.
This was expounded upon through a panel discussion organized by the Health Promotion Program of the University of the Philippines Manila National Institutes of Health last November 2025.
With local and international experts on prison health and a representative of the country’s detention system, they highlighted the current state and path forward for supporting women in Philippine detention facilities.
Women in detention facilities face serious issues.
They have limited access to timely and comprehensive health care, particularly to prenatal and reproductive health services.
There is a lack of adequate hygiene supplies in detention facilities, with items such as menstrual pads often not being free or readily available.
And, they lack psychosocial support, even as mental health concerns increase.
The Bureau of Jail Management and Penology implements guidelines on the treatment of women deprived of liberty who are pregnant, have given birth, and their infants, despite the lack of resources.
However, there is more that needs to be done to improve women’s health in detention facilities.
Therefore, we call on our policymakers to support women in detention facilities by addressing these longstanding issues. By doing so, we ensure that all Filipinos, including women deprived of liberty, enjoy their right to health.

Reiner Lorenzo Tamayo,
Bill Whilson Baljon,
Manila,
Philippines

Why has the Royal Thai Police been left With its reputation so richly shredded and stained? The Southeast Asian Times, Thursday March 19, 2026 First published in the Bangkok Post, Saturday March 15, 2026

Re: "Fix the police", in Bangkok Post, PostBag, March 12, 2026.Burin Kantabutra sensibly writes, again, presenting that traditional institution, the Royal Thai Police, in a negative light.
He even goes to the extreme of citing relevant opinion polls and well-known facts.
I can contradict nothing that his astute letter points out.
However, the obvious solution is overlooked yet again.
If all such negative commentary were harshly criminalised, the public reputation of the Royal Thai Police would promptly become as squeaky clean, as morally exemplary, and as universally admired as that of any other Thai institution equally well protected from transparency, honesty, and informed opinion of worth.
This being so, it must be wondered why the Royal Thai Police has been left with its reputation so richly shredded and stained?

Felix Qui,
Bangkok,
Thailand

US military focused on safeguarding The Straight of Hormuz The Southeast Asian Times, Wednesday March 18, 2026 First published in the Bangkok Post, Saturday March 15, 2026

Re: "Middle East shock", in Bangkok Post, PostBag, Friday March 13, 2026.
The staunchly anti-American ML Saksiri Kridakorn consistently voices poorly considered views, but his latest claims that Iranian efforts to destabilise the petrodollar by targeting anything their crumbling military can hit will cause the US stock market to crash, inflation to rise into double digits and the economy to tank are patently absurd.
Despite a concerted effort by mainstream media to distort the truth, the US is one of the world's major oil producers with enormous strategic oil reserves.
Higher global prices driven by supply disruptions allow American oil companies to increase profits and domestic production, shifting energy reliance away from the Middle East.
Furthermore, the US military is now focused on safeguarding the Straight of Hormuz.
President Trump will weather this temporary but necessary exercise with his customary aplomb and move on to bigger fish to fry.
The people of Iran will thank him.
Even CNN and their ilk are profiting too, albeit for the wrong reasons.

Michael Setter,
Bangkok,
Thailand

 

Commission for Infrastructure on ghost infrastructures Is already taking on water The Southeast Asian Times, Tuesday March 17, 2026 First published in the Philippine Inquirer, Thursday March 12, 2026

The script is as predictable as the monsoon rains, and twice as destructive. Whenever a multibillion-peso scandal threatens to drown the administration in public ire, the executive branch reaches for the “Independent Commission.”
The latest iteration, the Independent Commission for Infrastructure (ICI), is already taking on water.
Tasked with investigating a flood control scandal, the ICI has instead become a master class in institutional impotence.
When Benjamin Magalong and Roger Singson walked away from their seats, you do not ask a seasoned general and a veteran Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) chief to lead a “crusade” and then deny them the sword. Magalong’s exit and Singson’s departure in December signaled that the ICI was never meant to be a predator only a prop.
The “ghost” reality.
While the public is distracted by the political circus in Manila, the numbers in the ICI’s own interim reports are staggering.
In Bulacan and Central Luzon, the Commission on Audit (COA) has flagged over P325 million in “ghost” protection structures.
Specific contractors like Wawao Builders and the Discaya couple’s Darcy & Anna Builders are implicated in projects.
Former DPWH Secretary Manuel Bonoan is accused of submitting “incorrect grid coordinates” toMalacañang.
This isn’t just negligence; it is a sophisticated conspiracy to defraud the state.
The failure of ad hocism.
History is a graveyard of these commissions.
From the Agrava Board and the Davide Commission to the Presidential Commission on Good Government and the Presidential Anti-Syndicate Task Force, the result is almost always the same: high costs, low convictions, and the eventual rehabilitation of the accused.
These bodies fail because they are born with a fatal defect: they lack permanent prosecutorial teeth.
They are created to “study” and “recommend,” while the Ombudsman and the Sandiganbayan are left underfunded or bypassed for political theater.
The Distraction Economy.
Today, the pursuit of the “most guilty” the likes of Zaldy Co, currently a fugitive abroad, and the Discayas is being drowned out by the “flavor-of-the-week” issues.
While the House debates whether a congressman’s “imagination” violates the Bawal Bastos ordinance, the men and women who engineered the theft of P800 billion in flood control funds are counting their kickbacks in silence.
What to do instead?
The solution is not another commission.
It is the ruthless enforcement of existing mandates.
Fund the COA and the National Bureau of Investigation to complete the technical audits and criminal builds.
Abolish the “pork” in flood control by centralizing the bidding process and using real-time satellite monitoring for every kilometer of slope protection.
Hold the principals accountable.
If a project is a “ghost,” the district engineer and the secretary who signed the completion certificate should be in a cell, not on a flight to the United States.
Until we stop creating committees to solve crimes, the “Sick Man of Asia” will remain bedridden not for lack of medicine, but because the doctors are too busy forming a committee to decide who gets to hold the stethoscope.

James D. Lansang,
Manila,
Philippines

Poll shows honesty and integrity as ministerial qualities Not priority in Thailand The Southeast Asian Times, Monday March 16, 2026 First published in the Bangkok Post, Tuesday March 10, 2026

Re: "Poll finds strong opposition to tainted ministers", in Bangkok Post, Saturday March 7, 2026.
This article refers to a nationwide King Prajadhipok's Institute (KPI) poll that reported that only 48.9 percent of Thais reject cabinet ministers with a history of corruption or serious integrity-related cases.
This means that over 50 percent do not consider this to be a "red line".
Only 32.1 percent prioritised honesty and integrity as ministerial qualities.
The title suggests that these results indicate "strong opposition" to ministerial corruption in Thailand.
I disagree.
In my opinion, this is a shamefully weak response that falls well short of the moral indignation required to effect any meaningful change to the status quo.

CNX Jon,
Bangkok,
Thailand

The Philippines evolving sociopolitical landscape Flood one’s social media feed The Southeast Asian Times, Sunday March 15, 2026 First published in the Philippine Inquirer, Monday March 9, 2026

The evolving sociopolitical landscape in our country does exact a toll on one’s mental health, particularly if podcasts on current issues, i.e., ghosted flood control projects; social media “battles” between authors of the imaginary nine-dash line, 10, 11-dash until 12 maybe, depends on their imagination of the contested West Philippine Sea and the small but patriotic fleet of the Philippine Coast Guard; “Tsinators” in the Senate who boldly defend the stance of our friendly neighbour, forgetting that they have been elected into those honourable positions by the Filipino people; Senate presidency shakedown by the minority populated by mostly Duterte supporters; and the list goes on, flood one’s social media feed.
The evolving rift between the President and Vice President via their respective fandom continues to leave a bitter taste in the mouth.
Impeachment cases hound the two highest officials of the land.
The Filipinos’ cry of “I-KULONG NA YAN! MGA KURAKOT!” resounds still.
Keeping your sanity amid teleseryes in our government is the key to good mental health.
The deluge of information, misinformation, and lack of information should be managed wisely.
Have a news fast now and then. Explore the world beyond social media.
And yes, SWIM.
My happy pill.
What’s yours?

Pamela Claveria,
Manila,
Philippines

America wants a short war With a Hollywood ending The Southeast Asian Times, Saturday March 14, 2026 First published in the Bangkok Post Friday March 13, 2026

Re: "The Iran war is upending global energy markets", in Bangkok Post, Opinion, Thursday March 12, 2026.
On the surface, Iran may seem to have no immediate military target beyond sowing chaos in the region.
In reality, its deeper aim is to choke off the flow of petrodollars to the United States.
The petrodollar has powered American growth and helped cushion US economic missteps for decades.
If Iran disrupts oil shipments and blocks the Strait of Hormuz, global energy markets would destabilise, the Middle East's oil industry would stall, and petrodollars flowing to the United States would dry up.
It follows that the US stock market would likely crash, inflation would rise into double digits, and the economy would tank.
Even a hint of this happening would trigger a major outcry and protests in cities across the United States.
In just a few days under Iranian attack, it has been reported that Qatar has halted LNG output and related products; production at Aramco's Ras Tanura refinery has been stopped; major Israeli gas fields, including Leviathan, are offline; and most output in Iraqi Kurdistan has been shut down.
America wants a short war with a Hollywood ending. I agree on the length, but I see a more transformative ending - the end of American military dominance and empire.

M.L. Saksiri Kridakorn
Bangkok,
Thailand

Remember the wise counsel of King Bhumibol Adulyadej the Great The Southeast Asian Times, Friday March 13, 2026 First published in the Bangkok Post Thursday March 12, 2026

Re: "Thailand braces for fallout from Mideast war", Bangkok Post, Business, Monday March 9, 2026.
While we wish the leading political party in the new government fortitude and resilience in its efforts to steer Thailand through these turbulent times, we must also remind ourselves of the wise counsel of King Bhumibol Adulyadej the Great when he proposed the Sufficiency Economy as the most viable philosophy to help Thailand surmount the challenges of external threats and global shifts in economics and political destabilisation.
In principle, the Sufficiency Economy advocates sufficiency in mind, society, natural resources, technology and economy, and as such, the national agenda had best depend on indigenous resources and capabilities.
In the face of global climate change and depletion of natural resources, resource sustainability is the better way forward. In spite of changing circumstances, fortune favours the prepared and sufficient mind.

Glen Chatelier,
Bangkok,
Thailand

To reduce conflict at all levels and attain world peace Is merely superficial, idealistic nonsense The Southeast Asian Times, Thursday March 12, 2026 First published in the Bangkok Post Tuesday March 10, 2026

Re: "Meditation heals", in Bangkok Post, Post Bag, Saturday March 7, 2026.
T Ashley, his meditation teacher, and Sadhguru all fail to rightly understand Gautama Buddha's teaching.
Theravada Buddhism is entirely founded upon realism.
The first Noble Truth is "there is suffering".
There is simply no way for the separate self to adopt a technique and practice it such that the first noble truth is no longer true.
The separate self will do anything to protect its habitual activity of separation, and that includes adopting methods to "cure" unhappiness commonly referred to as depression by those of the materialist persuasion.
To the separate self, enlightenment the cessation of suffering, perfect freedom, or the realisation of truth is death, and the egoic individual wants nothing whatsoever to do with that terrifying spiritual process.
St John of the Cross wrote revealingly of the nature of what is truly required in The Dark Night of the Soul.
Therein, he does not provide a nominal prescriptive technique proposed as a substitute for absolute surrender of the separate "I" because there is none.
Luangphor Viriyang Sirintharo at the Willpower Institute in Los Angeles confesses he wants to "reduce conflict at all levels and attain world peace."
This is merely superficial, idealistic nonsense.

Michael Setter,
Bangkok,
Thailand

 

 

 

United Nations rules based order Cannot liberate Iran from a genocidal theocracy The Southeast Asian Times Wednesday March 11, 2026 First published in the Philippine Inquirer Monday March 9, 2026

In the aftermath of coordinated strikes by the United States and Israel against the Iranian regime, the commentary was predictable.
Talking heads and pundits immediately retreated to the United Nations Charter. They spoke reverently of a “rules-based international order,” condemning the strikes as illegal for lacking a valid justification.
The reality is that the sanctity of human rights trumps sovereignty.
When a regime engages in the mass slaughter of its own people, it forfeits the shield of sovereignty.
The principle of non-intervention was designed to keep the peace between states, not to grant dictators a hunting license over their citizens.
Make no mistake.
The Iranian regime is terrible, and it needs to go.
The only way to ensure that the people of Iran have a future is to remove the boot from their neck.
If the “rules-based order” cannot accommodate the liberation of ninety million people from a genocidal theocracy, then perhaps that order does not deserve our reverence. It deserves our contempt.

Julan Omir P. Aldover,
Manila,
Philippines

Philippine Senators kowtowing to China In West Philippine Sea territorial claim The Southeast Asian Times, Tuesday March 10, 2026 First published in the Philippine Inquirer, Friday February 13, 2026

Some of our senators cannot hide their latent obeisance to China in the West Philippine Sea dispute.
In confronting China over territorial claims, they give China the benefit of the doubt while casting doubt on the veracity of our claims, questioning the procedural and technical details of our borders.
Puny and laughable as we are in the eyes of China, we definitely own our 370-kilometer boundary, as defined by the hard-earned, undisputable arbitral award granted to us under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea.
These senators argue that China’s claim over our territories must be handled with utmost diplomacy; otherwise, there are repercussions to overseas Filipino workers in Hong Kong, or China’s fearsome naval armada could pulverize us anytime.
They are in fact telling us that after more than 200 diplomatic protests, we should be meek and let the enemy’s coast guards ram our fishermen’s boats or treat us like pests in our own territories by mercilessly hosing down our fisherfolk with water cannons.
Here’s a relevant note in history on the heroic stand of former Chief Justice Jose Abad Santos when faced with the challenge to show love of country.
“It is an honor to die for one’s country. Not everybody has that chance. Live up to our name,” Abad Santos comforted Pepito, his grieving son, hours before he was executed by a Japanese squad in Malabang, Lanao on May 2, 1942.
He refused to be blindfolded.
He was all of 56 years old.
What was his alleged crime against the occupying forces?
As acting Commonwealth president, when then President Manuel Quezon and his Cabinet left for exile in the United States, Santos refused to betray his country by collaborating with the enemy.
May I remind these senators of the realm: what legacy will they leave future generations of Filipinos with their verbose antics kowtowing to China’s interests, when they are long gone?

Marvel K. Tan,
Manila,
Philippines

United States sinks Iran warship In Just War The Southeast Asian Times, Monday March 9, 2026 First published in the Bangkok Post, Sunday March 8, 2026

Re: "US sinks Iran warship off Sri Lanka", Bangkok Post, PostBag, March 6, 2026.
As tensions again escalate in the Middle East, I wonder about the moral burden carried by soldiers ordered to execute policies shaped far above their rank.
History shows how easily ordinary troops become instruments of strategies they did not design. German and Japanese soldiers in World War II often believed they were serving legitimate national aims, even as those wars are now judged as aggressive and unjust.
Democracies should reflect on what they ask of their citizens in uniform.
Loyalty, discipline and patriotism can sustain obedience, but they do not erase conscience.
When political leaders pursue wars whose purposes are fiercely contested, the ethical cost is borne not only by civilians caught in the crossfire but also by the soldiers who must reconcile duty with doubt.

Joseph Ting,
Bangkok,
Thailand

Conscript volunteer deaths in Thailand defence forces Occur with alarming frequency. The Southeast Asian Times, Sunday March 8, 2026 First published in the Bangkok Post, Friday February 27, 2026

Re: "Senate probes conscript death case", in Bangkok Post, February 24, 2026.
The news that a Senate committee will inquire into the death of Pvt Phetcharat Kamlangying is a step in the right direction.
But is it enough?
Conscript and volunteer deaths in the Thai defence forces total more than 20 in recent years, and occur with alarming frequency.
The military is always quick to palm off the deaths as natural and cites internal post-mortems, medical examinations, and its own investigations as the proof and the end of the matter.
But as we have seen in the deaths of other conscripts, subsequent evidence has often proven otherwise.
What is needed is a totally independent body to investigate all deaths of service personnel, and for it to be given free access for its enquiries.
And reading between the lines, was Pvt Phetcharat cremated quickly, too quickly perhaps, before allowing the public to assimilate the news of yet another soldier's death?

David Brown,
Bangkok,
Thailand

 

 

United Nations Charter is not rhetorical nostalgia But a sign of strategic realism. The Southeast Asian Times, Saturday March 7, 2026 First published in the Bangkok Post, Thursday March 5, 2026

Re: "Portugal calls for global unity, multilateralism", Bangkok Post, Opinion, Friday February 27, 2026.
At a time when multilateralism is conspicuously absent from much of today's political and diplomatic commentary, the message from Portugal in this article is refreshing, topical and necessary.
As geopolitical rivalries intensify and respect for international law is openly challenged, the reaffirmation of the actuality of the United Nations Charter is not rhetorical nostalgia, but a sign of strategic realism.
In an era tempted by unilateral impulses and transactional diplomacy, this article rightly reminds that durable peace, sustainable development, and effective responses to shared threats from climate change to disinformation can only be secured through principled multilateral engagement.
Precisely because multilateralism is in decline, voices defending it deserve greater prominence in mass media.

Ioan Voicu,
Bangkok,
Thailand

New Thailand PM plans to reduce 60-day visa-exemption scheme The Southeast Asian Times, Friday March 6, 2026 First published in the Bangkok Post, Thursday March 5, 2026

Re: "Visa-free policy 'under review'", Bangkok Post, Thursday February 19, 2026.
It does not at all surprise me that the newly elected Thailand government plans to reduce the 60-day visa-exemption scheme for tourists entering the country from various nations.
After all, was it not caretaker Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul himself who blamed foreigners during the Covid crisis a few years back for not wearing masks and thus spreading the virus around, when he was then a public health minister under various portfolios serving for the military government?
Anutin Charnvirakul even went so far as to say that foreigners "should get out" of the country!
The current visa exemption scheme has been in place now for well over a year, but as soon as the aforementioned man was elected leader of Thailand, the policy immediately came under scrutiny.
So I'd say that it is more than a coincidence that the current Thai government has plans to shelve the policy.

Paul,
Bangkok,
Thailand

Death of tigers in Chiang Mai flies in face Of Thailand being devout Buddhist nation The Southeast Asian Times, Thursday March 5, 2026 First published in the Bangkok Post, Wednesday March 4, 2026

Re: "Tiger deaths sicken", Bangkok Post PostBag, February 26 and "Zoo death a stark warning", Bangkok Post, September 13, 2025.
Glen Chatelier laments in his PostBag letter the tragic deaths of 72 tigers in Chiang Mai.
The disregard for animal welfare that we witness on a regular basis flies in the face of our ideal of being a devout Buddhist nation.
Malls showcase trapped animals as exotic displays to be gawked at by shoppers, Chatuchak Park hawkers openly sell caged birds and animals, elephants are grievously injured during transportation.
The list goes on.
Just because they cannot "speak" doesn't mean these sentient beings don't feel pain and deprivation.
Sadly, there is a strong undercurrent of mercantilism in our modern culture that puts money far ahead of moral values.
To quote Mahatma Gandhi: "The greatness of a nation can be judged by the way its animals are treated."

Vichai,
Bangkok,
Thailand

One black sheep neither spells the end of the House of Windsor Nor threatens the new Carolean age The Southeast Asian Times, Wednesday March 4, 2026 First published in the Bangkok Post, Monday March 2, 2026

Re: "Royal reckoning", in Bangkok Post PostBag, Tuesday February 24 and "Andrew crisis haunts monarchy", Bangkok Post Opinion, Saturday February 21, 2026.
I always enjoy reading Felix Qui's letters to the Post and am grateful for his thoughtful contribution regarding the longevity of the British monarchy.
As he rightly notes, the institution owes much of its survival to its capacity to adapt sensibly to changing times.
I detect no clamour in the United Kingdom for yet another dreary republic in which mediocrity would reign supreme.
Rather, the prevailing sentiment appears to be one of concern and sympathy for His Majesty King Charles, whose brave fight with cancer has done nothing to diminish his enthusiasm or determination to continue carrying out his duties on behalf of the nation.
One black sheep neither spells the end of the House of Windsor nor threatens the new Carolean age.
Mr Qui may rest assured that the British monarchy and many other monarchies around the world will remain robust and resilient long even after both he and I have shuffled off this mortal coil.
As Shakespeare reminded us: "Not all the water in the rough rude sea / Can wash the balm off from an anointed king."

T Turveydrop,
Bangkok,
Thailand

 

 

Wishful thinking ''Iran shatters US military invincibility'' The Southeast Asian Times, Tuesday March 3, 2026 First published in the Bangkok Post, Monday March 2, 2026

Re: "Minilateralism's necessary rise", Bangkok Post, Opinion, Monday February 23, 2026 and "Going beyond multilateralism", Bangkok Post, Opinion, Friday December 19, 2025.
Never in the history of mankind has anyone been able to view the fall of an empire online, live, and in its entirety.
Past collapses, from Rome to the British Empire, were slow burns spanning decades imperceptible to the average citizen until it was too late.
Today, however, we are witnessing the erosion of post-WWII Western hegemony in 4K resolution.
Every diplomatic misstep, ineffective sanction, Treasury bond sell-off, and military blunder is livestreamed to billions instantly.
We aren't just reading history; we are doom-scrolling through the end of an era.
In 1981, futurist Buckminster Fuller noted human knowledge doubled every 25 years.
By 2013, IBM projected the "Internet of Things" would accelerate this cycle to double every 12 hours.
If the lifespan of an empire correlates with information velocity, we face a terrifying compression of historical time.
The British Empire endured a 50-year long sunset from the loss of India in 1947 to the handover of Hong Kong in 1997 during an era when human knowledge doubled only once per generation.
Today, with the information cycle accelerating by a factor of roughly 150 moving from 25 years to 12 hours, the historical precedent of a slow decline has been shattered.
Sanctions against rising rivals fail in months, not decades.
Applying this math suggests the unwinding of American hegemony won't take years, but will effectively "flash crash," compressing a half-century of imperial decline into a few volatile fiscal quarters.
Historically, dying empires launch a final, desperate military gamble when their economic and diplomatic leverage evaporates.
For Britain, that moment was the disastrous 1956 Suez Canal invasion.
Unable to negotiate or sanction, they invaded.
The outcome was a humiliating debacle; the action didn't save the empire, it simply exposed that it was already dead.
Washington's military posture is widely understood as a campaign of hegemonic coercion aimed at isolating China and systematically dismantling its network of trade and economic partners. However, the dynamics of this conflict have been altered by a crucial twist: having learned from being blindsided by the US during last year's diplomatic engagements, Iran has leveraged Chinese and Russian support to rapidly modernise its missile forces.
In a potential clash, Iran does not require a total military victory.
By leveraging these new capabilities to inflict catastrophic costs perhaps even sinking an American aircraft carrier, the crown jewel of US power projection Tehran could shatter the myth of US military invincibility.
The final chapter of the American empire is about to be written.
The diplomatic off-ramps have been closed, and the facade of US diplomacy hollowed out by impossible preconditions is rapidly crumbling.
The American empire is about to gamble on its final card, and the last show of the US military is about to begin.

M L Saksiri Kridakorn,
Bangkok,
Thailand

Thailand government intervention in oil prices Is ill-advised The Southeast Asian Times, Monday March 2, 2026 First published in the Bangkok Post, Friday February 27, 2026

Re: "Oil Fuel Fund to clear debt by 2029", Bangkok Post Business, Saturday February 7, 2026
Thank you for your recent article about the Oil Stabilization Fund possibly being out of debt by 2029.
Government intervention in oil prices is ill-advised. Following the 2022 war in Ukraine, oil prices rose.
The government wanted to shield consumers from price spikes and tried to hold diesel in the 30 to 33 baht per litre range. This created significant government debt.
Having cheap diesel was wonderful news to everyone in Burma, Laos, Cambodia, and Malaysia. Thai government money went out to assist pickup truck drivers on the Bolaven Plateau.
This year we have low oil prices, but the government has retail diesel at around 30 baht a litre. In Malaysia, however, the diesel price at the pump is around 22 baht a litre.
Recently, we saw a converted fishing boat in Satun busted for carrying diesel into Thailand.
This illegal trade hurts Thai refiners who are trying to make money processing oil in the kingdom.
Thailand is not an island. These policies have consequences, and none of them is good. Thailand should accept the oil price and adjust its behaviour accordingly.

AM Phuket,
Bangkok,
Thailand

Searching for a map showing proposed Riviera Road public infrastructure project The Southeast Asian Times, Sunday March 1, 2026 First published in the Bangkok Post, Saturday February 28, 2026

Re: "Dept advances Riviera road", Bangkok Post, Wednesday February 25, 2026.
In your article on the public infrastructure project, you describe it as part of the coastal highway network along the western Gulf of Thailand.
Sadly, you provide no map showing your readers the location of this "network". Instead, you mention a route linking Ban Khao Bandai and Ban Namphu Ron.
A Google Maps search finds nothing for Ban Khao Bandai but does find a Ban Khao Bandai Resort, which is in Kanchanaburi and nowhere near the coast.
Searching for Ban Namphu Ron also finds a resort, also in Kanchanaburi and also nowhere near the coast.
Better luck with Apple Maps, which finds Ban Khao Bandai-Ban Phu Takhian Road, which seems to be in the middle of nowhere and nowhere near the coast.
Perhaps Thailand's "Riviera" is not as the Italian origin of the name would imply a coastal area at all.
In any event, a map would have been most helpful.

Michael Newman,
Bangkok,
Thailand

''Winning the battle of ideas is not enough...'' Really? The Southeast Asian Times, Saturday February 28, 2026 First published in the Bangkok Post, Friday February 27, 2026

Re: "PP leader ready to step aside", Bangkok Post, Tuesday February 24, 2026.
In your article, you quoted the leader of the People's Party, Natthaphong Ruengpanyawut, saying, "Winning the battle of ideas is not enough when facing entrenched patronage networks, constituency boundary changes, and coordinated political attacks."
Really?
A serious political party already knows these critical, fundamental political truths and does not need to suffer a crushing loss to see the light.
Supporters of the People's Party who have already invested so much hope in this party must feel very discouraged to learn that their leadership is so naive.

CNX Jon,
Bangkok,
Thailand

Barcodes and Quick Response codes on ballots Renders the entire general election process void The Southeast Asian Times, Friday February 27, 2026 First published in the Bangkok Post, Wednesday February 25, 2026

Re: "Barcodes may make poll void", in Bangkok Post, Friday February 20, 2026.
With due respect to those prominent legal scholars, especially Prof Wissanu Krea-ngam, the presence of barcodes and Quick Response codes (QR codes) printed on each ballot paper could render the entire general election process void.
This is due to the cardinal rule in any country's constitution that voters' choices are supreme and void of being known to others.
Indeed, some believe that one should not reveal one's choice and regard questions about it as impolite, just as one would regard asking about one's marital status.
However, the present attacks on the Electoral Commission (EC) could be an academic exercise if the Electoral Commission's (EC's) barcodes and Quick Response codes (QR codes) are merely references to each voter's voting paper and are used only if the Election Commission (EC), as an umpire for fairness, is required to open them.
Previously, in the pre-digital age, the Election Commission (EC) merely used numerical sequences as references when needed.
As being neither an expert on constitutional law nor the workings of the codes, I stand corrected for my naivety, but certainly do not like the whole voting on February 8 being declared void due to an academic reading.
If it had happened, it would not only have been a shame to the commissioners but also to Thailand's credibility.

Songdej Praditsmanont,
Bangkok,
Thailand

 

 

 

 

Data collection would provide better information To the cause of road accidents The Southeast Asian Times, Thursday February 26, 2026 First published in the Bangkok Post, Tuesday February 24, 2026

Re: "Data matters", Bangkok Post PostBag, Sunday February 22, 2026 and "Harnessing data to boost road safety", Bangkok Post, Tuesday February 17, 2026.
Wil Kelsall is right to suggest proper data collection would provide better information as to the causes of most accidents, but he glosses over the most important point, and the one which Andy Parker addressed in an earlier letter.
The majority of accidents are caused or exacerbated by flagrant disregard for the law.
No helmets, speeding, drink-driving, ignoring red lights, unregistered and or unsafe vehicles and unlicensed drivers riders, not to mention all of the other reckless and dangerous driving, are all symptoms of the fact that traffic laws are rarely enforced and, on the few occasions they are, word gets around of the token "roadblocks" and drivers and riders simply go around them.
When they have had drink-driving crackdowns in my city, most of the people caught attend the police station then leave without ever being prosecuted and we all know how and why.
Until people feel there is a realistic chance of them being caught and punished for disregarding traffic laws, Thailand's astonishingly poor traffic safety record will never improve.
This is a serious public health issue and it needs to be addressed urgently if there is to be any change.
Then you can collect all of your data and see what gaps need to be filled.

Tarquin Chufflebottom,
Bangkok,
Thailand

What is the cost to Thai business Due to skirmishes on Cambodia border ? The Southeast Asian Times, Wednesday February 25, 2026 First published in the Bangkok Post, Tuesday February 24, 2026

Re: "Amlo confiscates B778m from syndicates", Bangkok Post, Saturday February 21, 2026.
Please publish a detailed list of Thai people's and businesses' financial losses due to the skirmishes on the Cambodian border.
Tell the readers how many billions of dollars of trade have ceased flowing into Thai pockets because of blockades and boycotts.
I know it is a big undertaking, but it is interesting and important to expose all of what squabbling over a few acres entails.

Albert Arakelian,
Bangkok,
Thailand

Thailand needs better data collection To reduce road deaths The Southeast Asian Times, Tuesday February 24, 2026 First published in the Bangkok Post, Monday February 23, 2026

Re: "Not data-driven", Bangkok Post, PostBag, February 18, 2026 and "Harnessing data to boost road safety", in Bangkok Post, February 17, 2026.
In his latest PostBag letter, Andy James argues Thailand does not need better data collection to reduce road deaths, suggesting stricter helmet enforcement alone would lower fatalities.
While helmet enforcement is important, his argument unintentionally shows why accurate data is essential.
He said that "half" of the 18,000 fatalities last year were motorcyclists.
In fact, credible road safety analyses show that roughly 73 percent to 80 percent of those killed on Thai roads are motorcycle riders or passengers.
That is a substantial difference and it underscores the point that without precise statistics, we risk understating the problem.
Road safety cannot be addressed through anecdote or assumption.
Countries that have reduced fatalities rely on detailed crash investigation, robust databases and systematic analysis.
The UK for example publishes extensive collision and casualty statistics, analysing every reported incident to inform policy and engineering decisions.
Accurate data underpins evidence-based enforcement, infrastructure design, emergency response and public education.
Helmet enforcement is one important tool.
But understanding the full pattern of risk on Thai roads requires comprehensive data.
That is not bureaucracy, it is the foundation of meaningful reform.

Wil Kelsall,
Bangkok,
Thailand

Animals kept in cramped and unsanitary cages At Chatuchak weekend market in Bangkok The Southeast Asian Times, Monday February 23, 2026 First published in the Bangkok Post, Sunday February 22, 2026

Re: "Wildlife smuggle bid foiled at airport", in Bangkok Post, Thursday February 19, 2025.
I recently attended the Chatuchak weekend market in Bangkok.
During my visit to the animal section, I observed several animals kept in very cramped and unsanitary cages.
Some appeared visibly sick, stressed, and without adequate access to clean water. The overall conditions seemed overcrowded and poorly ventilated.
Beyond animal welfare concerns, hygiene conditions also raise public health issues, particularly regarding zoonotic disease risks in high-traffic tourist areas.
I'm not making legal accusations, but I believe the situation may warrant further investigation by relevant authorities.
Given the market's popularity with both tourists and locals, this may be a matter of public interest.

Claiton,
Bangkok,
Thailand

Corruption is not just stealing money It destroys the country's future The Southeast Asian Times, Sunday February 22, 2026 First published in the Bangkok Post, Thursday February 19, 2026

Re: "Corruption keeps getting worse", Bangkok Post, Editorial, Sunday February 15, 2026.
The Post is correct that "Corruption is not just stealing money, but destroying the country's future".
It has already destroyed Thailand's future for five or more decades.
It is a bread-and-butter issue for ordinary Thais, who suffer the consequences on a daily basis as they struggle with low incomes and rising prices while trying to care for and educate their children, not to mention facing double standards in law and abuse from powerful figures with impunity.
Given that the flashy new Thai government has forsworn any meaningful reform of the pillars of the traditional status quo, my prediction is that corruption will continue to flourish for at least another four years.
I can only hope, but not believe, that I'm completely wrong.

Felix Qui,
Bangkok,
Thailand

Cranes that were once an endangered species Are a threat to aircraft flight safety The Southeast Asian Times, Saturday February 21, 2026 First published in the Bangkok Post, Thursday February 19, 2026

Re: "10 species flagged as birdstrike threat to flights in Thailand", Bangkok Post, Tuesday February 17, 2026.
The photograph in the above report was of a painted crane flying which was at one time an endangered bird species that came under the special care of King Bhumibol Adulyadej The Great who I am aware had several core projects, among his many, at Doi Ang Kang (Chiang Mai) and Chang Hua Mun (Phetchaburi), flood-mitigation projects such as Kaem Ling Nong Yai in Chumporn and the well-known experimental wastewater treatment project at Laem Pak Bia (Phetchaburi) which most birders in Thailand will have visited.
I remember attending His Majesty King Bhumibol The Great's birthday eve address at Chitralada Palace and seeing the cranes on the palace grounds.
In his address, His Majesty spoke about the painted cranes being threatened with extinction in Thailand and said he had taken up the project to rehabilitate the species.
While not explicitly naming the painted crane as one of the "birdstrike threats", one wonders about the choice of the photograph and the accompanying report to bring home the point of the need for aircraft safety and the control of birds flying in the environs of the airport.
I do hope that better discernment will prevail and that the cranes are not harmed, even as I applaud the initiative to curb, not cull, the birds that visit the wetlands around the airport and are purportedly a threat to aircraft flight safety.

Glen Chatelier,
Bangkok,
Thailand

 

 

Timor-Leste flag Missing from ASEAN The Southeast Asian Times, Friday February 20, 2026 First published in the Bangkok Post, Thursday February 19, 2026

Re: "Junta expels East Timor diplomat", in Bangkok Post World, Monday February 16, 2026 and "Asean role in a new world order", Bangkok Post Opinion, Monday February 16, 2026.
Apropos the photo accompanying the opinion on Asean related to the recent meeting, I could not help but notice that the flag of the country of Timor-Leste is missing.
I am aware Timor-Leste was admitted into Asean in 2025.
Meanwhile, Timor-Leste's role in Asean has come under turbulence with a recent news report that its ambassador has been expelled from Myanmar for non-gratuitous interference in Myanmar's internal affairs.
I note with interest that H E Nobel Laureate Jose Ramos Horta, the president of Timor-Leste, has taken up the cause of the minority Christians of Chin State in West Myanmar.
And while not wishing to be drawn into the controversy, I strongly believe that somewhere within the leadership of Asean, someone had better fully explain what Asean's golden principle of "non-interference" in the internal affairs of a member state really means in regard to violations of human rights, as the case may be, in this instance.
Indeed, Asean is a choice "middle power" and has several unenviable attributes to qualify it as a valuable partner in world affairs.
But when will Asean learn to be more inclusive and mindful of its capstone reputation of being peace-loving and tolerant?

Glen Chatelier,
Bangkok,
Thailand

New Thailand PM can be a man destined for greatness Depending on the choices he makes next The Southeast Asian Times, Thursday February 19, 2026 First published in the Bangkok Post, Tuesday February 17, 2026

Re: "Anutin dismisses 'sick man of Asia' label for Thailand", in Bangkok Post, Sunday February 15, 2026.
At the time when Thailand has been named by one media outlet as "The sick man of Asia", the result of the February 8 election has led me to one man, Anutin Charnvirakul, standing at the crossroads.
As he patches together a government, Mr Anutin can either make a difference in the governing of Thailand or create a coalition among friends who scratch each other's backs.
The coalition that he forms can make a great difference if he can avoid that "grey party".
The first step is to do something right unexpectedly, even by including prominent outsiders in the coalition.
Mr Anutin is an ex-playboy, saxophone player, a registered pilot of the Red Cross, fluent in English and Mandarin, an entrepreneur and a family man.
He may surprise us yet.
Mr Anutin can be a man destined for greatness, depending on the choices he makes next.

Songdej Praditsmanont,
Bangkok,
Thailand

School director was indeed killed By the incompetence of Thailand police The Southeast Asian Times, Wednesday February 18, 2026 First published in the Bangkok Post, Monday February 16, 2026

Re: "School head dies after shooting", in Bangkok Post, Thursday February 12, 2026.
Patongprathankiriwat School director Sasipat Sinsamosorn was indeed killed by the incompetence of our police, for it was they who empowered an erratic youth to commit the foul deed.
How so?
"Two policemen and a village headman rushed to the scene. The teen threatened them with a knife, chased them away, entered their patrol vehicle, and stole their submachine gun".
Common sense would have told the police to use their guns before the perpetrator got within hand-to-hand range.
It's no secret that our police are corrupt, with, for example, former national police chief Pol Gen Torsak "Big Tor" Sukvimol and his deputy, Pol Gen Surachate "Big Joke" Hakparn, since dismissed, accusing each other of being on the take, with court-quality evidence.

Burin Kantabutra,
Bangkok,
Thailand

Investment and speculation Not the same thing The Southeast Asian Times, Tuesday February 17, 2026 First published in the Bangkok Post, Friday February 6, 2026

Re: "Invest, don't trade", in Bangkok Post, PostBag, January 24, 2026
I quite enjoyed Paul Renaud's excellent letter concerning "investment" and "speculation" not being the same thing, but often mistakenly thought of as the same by today's stock market-obsessed general public.
Bad idea; remember numerous crashes?
It's actually quite surprising that speculation is still doing so well, given the situation in Ukraine and significant over-leveraging in some markets.
Be that as it may, I would add to Mr Renaud's comments that financial literacy is not well-taught in many school systems.
I suspect because the elites don't want the public to be financially literate; ergo, having more of the market and investments for themselves.
There are, indeed, many investments that are relatively safe, personally rewarding, and profitable, and more of the public should know about them.
Of course, there are some religious people including some Buddhists like me who view charging interest-at-profit as immoral and will not do that, and there are some people with irregular incomes or unusual occupations who might find other, more unorthodox investments, and 'investment' for some people like me might well mean as investing in another human being called 'friend.'
My list is but a few, yet I encourage young people to use the internet and look into responsible "investments", rather than risk it all on speculation, which has always been crash-prone.

Jason A Jellison,
Bangkok,
Thailand

Under the "new political arithmetic" formula The Peoples Party won the most votes The Southeast Asian Times, Monday February 16, 2026 First published in the Bangkok Post, Saturday February 14, 2026

Re: "Next government won't be a grey one", Bangkok Post, Opinion, Thursday February 12, 2026.
Khun Nattaya Chetchotiros' column puts forward the proposition that the "popularity vote" which she equates with the party-list vote provides the best reflection of voter support for each of the competing political parties.
She goes on to suggest that formation of the coalition government should be "based on new political arithmetic that takes into account the popularity vote party-list vote a party receives, rather than the total number of constituency member of parliament seats."
Taking account of constituency seats won has the limitation of reflecting "approval ratings in specific localities towards particular candidates".
Using this approach, the most popular coalition government would consist of the People's Party, Pheu Thai and the Democrats.
These three parties received a total of 18.6 million party-list votes and 59 party-list seats.
By contrast, Bhumjaithai, Pheu Thai and the Democrats received a total of 14.8 million party-list votes and 47 party-list seats.
They trailed by 3.8 million votes and 12 seats. Alternatively, the Bhumjaithai, Pheu Thai and Klatham parties received a total of 11.7 million party-list votes and 37 party-list votes a margin of 6.9 million votes and 22 seats.
Using Khun Nattaya Chetchotiro's "new political arithmetic" formula, it is clear that the People's Party won the most votes and therefore should have the first opportunity of forming a coalition government.
While this may seem like a new approach in determining which party or combination of parties truly has the support of the people, it's worth noting that since 2001, when the party-list ballot was introduced, no party has ever won the most number of seats without winning the party-list vote.
The one exception is this year's election, where Bhumjaithai's mastery of ban yai politics paid off handsomely in terms of the number of constituency seats won.

David Lowe,
Bangkok,
Thailand

 

Call for Thailand to arrange an amnesty For all to hand in their guns The Southeast Asian Times, Sunday February 15, 2026 First published in the Bangkok Post, Saturday February 14, 2026

Re: "School shooting suspect arrested", in Bangkok Post, Thursday February 12, 2026.
And so yet another gun crime with a school principal fatally shot.
Why can't Thailand follow the example set by Australia after the Port Arthur, Tasmania mass shootings in 1996 and arrange an amnesty for all to hand in their guns?
There are some who need them for legal purposes, perhaps, but I suspect the majority don't.
Time to move up the civilisation rankings

Jeremy Macbean,
Bangkok,
Thailand

Ten Laotians fined for death of six tourists After the destruction of evidence The Southeast Asian Times, Saturday February 14, 2026 First published in the Bangkok Post, Thursday February 12, 2026

Re: "Laos vows justice after tainted alcohol kills tourists", Bangkok Post, World, Monday November 25, 2024.
It is curious that the Bangkok Post has not reported the incredibly lenient sentences handed down this recent January 28 by the Lao courts to those found guilty and implicated in the deaths of six foreign tourists who died after unknowingly drinking alcohol contaminated with lethal methanol in Laos in the tourist hub of Vang Vieng in November 2024.
Ten Laotians were fined the equivalent of 4,000 baht in a secret court hearing in which they were found guilty of the destruction of evidence and were handed suspended sentences and a paltry fine.
They were not charged with manslaughter.
Two of the victims were Australian: Holly Morton and Bianca Jones.
Their fathers are reported today in the Sydney Morning Herald as claiming that they had no correspondence from anyone in the Lao government that the court case was going ahead, and said that the "modest fines are an insult to their daughters' lives".
Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong was quoted as saying that she had made it clear to her Laotian counterparts that Australia expected full accountability and that charges should reflect the seriousness of the tragedy, which left six people dead, including Holly and Bianca.
So, Bangkok Post, do you not think it is newsworthy to report our next-door neighbour's lack of judicial accountability?

David Brown,
Bangkok,
Thailand

NACC finds Thai's guilty Of attempting to amend a law The Southeast Asian Times, Friday February 13, 2026 First published in the Bangkok Post, Thursday February 12, 2026

Re: "Ex-MPs face ethics probe", in Bangkok Post, Tuesday February 10,
2026.
After reading recent news regarding the work of the National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC), I asked Mr Google a simple question: "What is the primary work of an elected government?"
It answered that there are four main core functions, the first of which is making laws legislation: parliaments debate, amend, and pass new laws, as well as repeal or update existing ones.
With that in mind, can anyone please explain how an anti-corruption body can find people guilty for attempting to amend a law?

Steve Merchan,
Bangkok,
Thailand

Malaysia-India relations have attained the highest plateau Of statesmanship, solidarity and symbolism The Southeast Asian Times Thursday February 2026 First published in the New Straits Times Tuesday February 10, 2026

Perhaps the greatest tribute to Malaysia's first prime minister, Tunku Abdul Rahman, on his 123rd birthday came from an unexpected and unanticipated event on February 8, 2026.
Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim must be congratulated for that unacclaimed achievement in bilateral diplomacy and leadership.
For on that day, as a genuinely gracious and sincerely solicitous host to his Indian counterpart, Narendra Modi, he made it abundantly clear that Malaysia-India relations had attained the highest plateau of statesmanship, solidarity and symbolism.
It was so reminiscent of the Tunku's era.
In late August 1951, when the Tunku took over as the president of Umno, he made a pledge to his party's general assembly that he would serve the Malays not as a master but as a servant like Mahatma Gandhi.
This was reported in the Straits Times on August 28, 1951.
Eleven years later, in October 1962, in his capacity as the prime minister of the Federation of Malaya, the Tunku was on official visits to both Pakistan and India.
The Tunku arrived in New Delhi from Karachi the day after Chinese troops had made a startling surprise armed attack on India.
At the airport itself, the Tunku, faithful to his Commonwealth affiliation and his distrust of Communist intentions, pledged Malaya's support and sympathy for India.
The day after the Tunku's arrival, a leading English newspaper in India had carried a full front-page photo of the Tunku's arrival with the caption "India's Only Friend".
The Tunku placed much importance on the friendship and fraternity with India as a democracy and an abiding Commonwealth country and went to the extent of raising funds to assist India.
Malaysia also had top-notch career diplomats serving in India with Tan Sri Zaiton Ibrahim, Raja Tan Sri Aznam, Tan Sri Abdul Rahman Jalal, Tan Sri Razali Ismail and Ambassador Ben Haron.
India had been an important source for higher medical, military and Islamic education long before elements of trade, tourism, IT, and technical cooperation crept perceptibly into the picture.
The Indian diaspora in Malaysia, which is historically rooted deeply in the development of the railway, road transport, rubber and telecommunications systems, has also made a mark in the dental, educational, medical, law, other professional fields and the retail sector.
Quite a few prominent members of this and other minorities have ably represented Malaysia in sports, science and public sector activities abroad.
The proportion of the Indian community in the public sector and within the population has been declining over the years to below eight per cent.
Yet the places of worship of this mixed community temples, gurdwaras, churches and mosques can be found in all our major towns in the peninsula.
There has also been a fair amount of intermarriages in Malaysia, but vibrantly unique cultural and festive activities involving all minorities are a welcome sight in the nation.
For a Malaysian of a minority community born and bred here, the nation remains the first and highest priority as the largest immigrant communities shed their immigrant character.
In the field of diplomacy and foreign relations, it is not specific binding agreements that matter but the content and culmination of an underlying and profound mutual understanding of the need to cooperate in a rapidly changing geopolitical environment.

M.Santhananaban,
Kajang,
Selangor,
Malaysia

Thai people have chosen confrontation over peace In the re-election of Anutin Charnvirakul The Southeast Asian Times, Wednesday February 11, 2026 First published in the Phnom Penh Post Monday February 9, 2026

Thailand’s February 2026 general election delivered a decisive victory for Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul and his Bhumjaithai Party.
But beneath the numbers lies a sobering reality: by re-electing Anutin, the Thai people have chosen confrontation over peace.
While Cambodia has repeatedly called for dialogue, negotiation and calm along the border, the election outcome signals popular support for a government willing to escalate tensions militarily.
Over the past year, Thai forces have entered Cambodian territory, placing razor wire and shipping containers in villages, cutting off homes and farmland, and justifying their actions with unilateral self-drawn maps territorial claims that Cambodia has never recognised.
Throughout the campaign, Anutin leaned heavily on nationalist rhetoric, portraying himself as the protector of Thai sovereignty.
This message resonated with voters, and the election has effectively become a referendum on confrontation.
While it would be simplistic to claim every voter directly endorsed war, the result reflects a willingness among Thai citizens to back aggressive, militarised policies, even as Cambodia appeals for restraint and peace.
In essence, Thai ballots have sent a clear signal: the Thai nation prefers escalation over diplomacy.
The human consequences are immediate. Cambodian villagers have been physically cut off from their homes and fields by shipping containers and coils of razor wire, turning political disputes into daily suffering.
Thailand’s actions rooted in contested maps rather than internationally recognised borders are seen in Cambodia as a blatant invasion.
Cambodia’s repeated calls for peace highlight the contrast starkly: one side pushing for dialogue, the other emboldened by popular support to fortify and occupy disputed territory.
Thailand now faces a critical juncture. Anutin’s victory reflects legitimate popular support, but democracy does not absolve leaders from responsibility for the consequences of their policies.
The election has empowered a government willing to escalate conflict, effectively turning the people’s choice into a mandate for war rather than peace.

Neang Sopheap,
Geopolitical analyst,
Phnom Penh
Cambodia

Would the People's Party stand firm Against the Hun Sen regime The Southeast Asian Times, Tuesday February 10, 2026 First published in the Bangkok Post Sunday February 8, 2026

Re: "Uneven coverage", Bangkok Post, PostBag, Tuesday February 3, 2026.
Somkid Sirikumarkul laments the positive coverage of Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul in the Bangkok Post, while also believing the People's Party (PP) is frequently subjected to undeserved criticisms.
I subscribe to the Bangkok Post because of its willingness to question those advocating radical change. It was only a few years ago that Khun Pita Limjaroenrat mocked the Royal Thai Army's abilities.
If the People's Party (PP) cannot cope with one or two legitimate questions about their core beliefs, one can't help but wonder where they would find the strength to stand firm against the unscrupulous Hun Sen regime should they find themselves responsible for the defence of the realm in a few days' time.

Simon Turner,
Bangkok,
Thailand

The night of the howling dogs On the eve of the Sunday election The Southeast Asian Times, Monday February 9, 2026 First published in the Bangkok Post Sunday February 8, 2026

Re: "Abhisit visits Songkhla, warns about vote-buying", Bangkok Post, Tuesday February 3, 2026.
Will we be subjected to "The night of the howling dogs" on the eve of the Sunday election?
A time when people receive gifts from mysterious donors.
Maybe the donors will have gone upmarket from plastic buckets filled with goodies, as voters have become more enlightened and informed.

Ron Martin,
Bangkok,
Thailand

 

Clampdown on foreign ownership of property Causes property slump The Southeast Asian Times, Sunday February 8, 2026 First published in the Bangkok Post Friday February 6, 2026

Re: "Phuket property still hot", Bangkok Post, Business, Wednesday January 14, 2026 and "Nominee group nabbed", Bangkok Post, Business, Friday May 2, 2025.
The recent clampdown on foreign ownership of property, whereby foreigners buy property via companies and nominees, has caused the property sales in places like Koh Samui and Phuket to almost stop.
The authorities are enforcing the law, but the law is acting to the detriment of the country.
A 30-year lease is just too short for most people to invest in what would be a diminishing asset.
What is often not realised is that these properties are either occupied by wealthy foreigners who bring large sums of foreign currency into Thailand or are rented to short and long-term tourists.
The tourism industry in the islands is adversely affected as they rely heavily on these rental properties being available.
Hotels are not the preferred option, particularly for families with children.
A 90-year lease would solve the problem. It is difficult to understand why a 30-year lease is acceptable, but a 90-year lease is not.

Phil Cox,
Bangkok,
Thailand

 

 

 

Call for Thailand Electoral Comission To ban cash withdrawals above certain limit The Southeast Asian Times Saturday February 7, 2026 First published in the Bangkok Post Wednesday February 4, 2026

Re: "Fears grow after early vote", in Bangkok Post, Monday February 2, 2026.
Regarding the Electoral Commission's commendable pursuit of fair elections by imposing a ban on alcohol and campaigning, might they also consider imposing a ban on cash withdrawals above a certain limit, given recent revelations, so that voters are indeed free from any undue influence whatsoever?

Shane,
Bangkok,
Thailand

Grab driver punched by security guard At the Royal Bangkok Sports Club The Southeast Asian Times Friday February 6, 2026 First published in the Bangkok Post Wednesday February 4, 2026

The much-reported assault of the Grab driver at the Royal Bangkok Sports Club on January 25 reminds us of how easily people in "power" can go against the regulations.
From a legal perspective, the case raises concerns about the proportionality of violence and accountability.
The facts of the incident reveal that the Grab driver did not follow the procedures for dropping off food, which eventually led to a physical fight where a security guard punched her till she passed out.
Under Thailand's criminal law, an individual may only claim the right to self-defence if facing an immediate and unlawful threat to their life, and the response must be strictly proportionate to that threat.
Any action exceeding what is necessary for protection is not justified as self-defence.
Therefore, it is clear that the security guard's actions cannot be legally justified, as refusing to follow venue rules does not justify physical violence.
While the police are taking the case to court, questions must be asked about the standards of training private personnel, especially those that are service-heavy. How the guard is punished in court is the real test of justice, showing whether accountability is truly enforced in Thai law.

Namfah Pibulsonggram,
Bangkok,
Thailand

Thailand's top monks promise A great clean-up The Southeast Asian Times Thursday February 5, 2026 First published in the Bangkok Post Wednesday February 4, 2026

Re: "Real barriers to temple reform" Bangkok Post, Editorial, Sunday February 1, 2026.
But of course, "after a year of temple scandals, Thailand's top monks have promised a great clean-up", of their "feudal system built on censorship, obedience and patronage".
It sounds wonderful, miraculously wonderful.
They might as well throw in an equally cheap freebie, a crackdown to finally eradicate narcotics in six months.
Why not?
If, however, those ranking Thai Buddhist clergy were sincere, they might instead be calling for the abolition of the National Office of Buddhism, which makes themselves and their money-oriented, power-hungry religion a tool of the state: the same state that ruthlessly suppresses peaceful speech elsewhere to protect fantasies of equally dubious morals with an equally Thai Buddhist love of money and unchecked impunity.
How can Thai Buddhism practice the Buddha's wise teachings unless liberated from the mutually rewarding control of Thai politicians and unelected political players with tempting gilded temples and high-flown titles to gift?

Felix Qui,
Bangkok,
Thailand

Hedonism in the Malaysian military Is a national security risk The Southeast Asian Times Wednesday February 4, 2026 First published in the New Straits Times Sunday February 1, 2026

The recent allegation by the ex-wife of a Malaysian army captain that her marriage collapsed due to involvement in the so-called "parti yeye" has triggered public unease because it points to a deeper institutional concern.
At stake is a fundamental question: can a professional military tolerate hedonistic lifestyles without undermining discipline, credibility, and readiness?
The answer must be an unequivocal no. The Malaysian Armed Forces are not an ordinary employer.
They are entrusted with defending national sovereignty, safeguarding constitutional order, and exercising the state's monopoly over the legitimate use of force.
Such responsibilities demand more than technical skill; they require discipline, restraint, and moral clarity.
Armies do not collapse solely due to inferior equipment; they collapse when discipline erodes from within. The stakes are particularly high.
The armed forces operate within a society that values family stability, restraint, and public accountability. Soldiers are not merely war-fighters; they are symbols of state authority.
When officers become associated with scandal, the damage radiates outward — eroding public trust, weakening institutional legitimacy, and breeding cynicism.
Beyond ethics, there is a strategic dimension that cannot be ignored.
Malaysia today operates in a volatile regional environment marked by intensifying great-power rivalry, persistent South China Sea tensions, cyber vulnerabilities, and grey-zone challenges.
In such a context, discipline itself is a strategic asset. A military distracted by internal misconduct is less capable of deterring external threats.
Worse, it becomes internally brittle. Hedonism is, therefore, not merely a moral failing; it is a national security risk.
Soldiers are human beings subject to stress, isolation, and psychological strain. The solution is not indulgence, but structured support paired with clear standards.
Counselling services, ethical training, professional mentorship, and healthy forms of recreation must complement discipline.
Compassion and firmness are not opposites; they are mutually reinforcing. Leadership is decisive. Institutional culture flows downward. If senior officers excuse misconduct, it metastasises.
If they model restraint and integrity, standards become self-enforcing. The strongest militaries rely less on punishment than on internalised norms and professional pride.
The "parti yeye" controversy should, therefore, serve as a moment of institutional recalibration rather than denial or sensationalism.
The correct response is to reaffirm first principles: the Malaysian military exists to serve the nation, not personal pleasure; to embody discipline, not indulgence; to project credibility, not ambiguity.
This is not a call for puritanism. It is a call to purpose. A military that tolerates hedonism signals that duty is negotiable and standards are elastic.
No defence institution can remain effective on such foundations. Malaysia deserves an armed force that is disciplined in conduct, sober in judgment, and resolute in mission.
In an era of strategic uncertainty, anything less is a risk the nation cannot afford.

Phar Kim Beng,
Director, Institute of International and Asean Studies
International Islamic University of Malaysia
Kuala Lumpur,
Malaysia

Call for Thailaind to follow ASEAN neighbours And join the Board of Peace The Southeast Asian Times Tuesday February 3, 2026 First published in the Bangkok Post Monday February 2, 2026

Re: “Unilateral America”, Bangkok Post PostBag, Saturday January 31, 2026
It is with sadness that I read the egregious misrepresentation in M L Saksiri Kridakorn’s letter.
As an American, I can say that the only point he communicated correctly is the widespread belief that America has lost its moral compass.
However, he wrongly attributes this decline to Donald Trump.
Nothing could be further from the truth.
The moral decay occurred long ago and is the direct result of globalism, which has infected not only the US government but most Western institutions.
The unipolar, hegemonic system that elevates imperial elites above the law created this decline.
The corruption and moral degeneration we have witnessed over the past decades are being exposed by Trump, not created by him.
Indeed, it is not only the 66 international organisations Trump has already identified that nations should consider leaving, but even the United Nations itself.
Much like the League of Nations before it, the United Nations has proven ineffective at fulfilling its stated mission and is increasingly becoming a ceremonial body advancing the interests of those seeking to control humanity.
This is why Trump created the Board of Peace, and Thailand would do well to follow some of its Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) neighbours and join.
America under Trump understands the future: a multipolar world of sovereign nations, each focused on improving itself rather than controlling others.
The anachronisms of imperialism and globalism are fading into history and that is cause for celebration.
Don’t blame Trump for making this obvious.

Chris Ziomkowski,
Bangkok,
Thailand

The United States of America Withdraws from 66 international organisations The Southeast Asian Times Monday February 2, 2026 First published in the Bangkok Post Friday January 30, 2026

Re: "Thailand's responses to Board of Peace", Bangkok Post, Opinion, Sunday February 2, 2026.
When I speak with my American friends, many of them express the same unsettling sentiment: "America has lost its morality."
The authority to define this morality seems to have been usurped by a single person, President Donald Trump, who declares that his personal code alone will guide the United States, all the while offering up his version of United States democracy as the best model of governance for the world.
So far, he has failed a morality check spectacularly.
While he allows armed ICE officers to roam and kill on the streets of America, he is sending an armada to try to force Iran to bend to his will.
If more proof of this loss of morality is needed, just days ago, on January 7, President Trump ordered a massive, simultaneous withdrawal from 66 international organisations.
The withdrawal from these world organisations indicates that the moral treachery of the United States runs deeper than just trade wars.
The United States is the architect of the modern "global order" it built the United Nations, the World Health Organisation (WHO), and the frameworks for international law, structures it has now placed itself above.
Now, it is systematically burning down the house it built.
By withdrawing from the 66 organisations in a single stroke, America is sending a chilling message to the global majority: rules are for you, not for us.
This is not just isolationism; it is a return to the law of the jungle, where "might makes right".
For smaller nations like Thailand, the game has gotten very dangerous.

ML Saksiri Kridakorn,
Bangkok,
Thailand

US President Donald Trump Comes up with stroke of genius The Southeast Asian Times Sunday February 1, 2026 First published in the Bangkok Post Friday January 30, 2026

Re: "Who is next for the US", in Bangkok Post, Monday January 12, 2026.
One wonders what went through US President Donald Trump's mind when he came up with his "stroke of genius" to not rule out an invasion of Greenland, of all places.
One should reflect upon the words of Danish leader Mette Frederiksen.
"If the US decides to attack another NATO country, then everything would stop. That includes NATO and post-WWII security," Mr Frederiksen said earlier this month.
The peaceful world order which has lasted for over 75 years would be shattered in the stroke of a day.

Paul,
Bangkok,
Thailand

Philippine ASEAN Chair 2026 Can make a big difference for ASEAN unity The Southeast Asian Times Saturday January 31, 2026 First published in the New Straits Times Tuesday January 27, 2026

The Philippines Foreign Minister, Maria Theresa Lazaro's visit to Myanmar last week signals a positive move from President Ferdinand Marcos Jnr, as Asean Chair.
One major issue facing the Asean Chair is whether he could convince the other Asean member states to give the military junta another chance to participate in Asean activities and programmes following the conclusion of the general elections.
In my view, it is counterproductive to forever shut the Asean door to Myanmar.
The year 2026 presents Asean with a new opportunity to close ranks and revisit the original motivation why Asean was formed in 1967 following the military coup in Indonesia.
The primary purpose for founding Asean was to organise all the countries in Southeast Asia into an inclusive regional organisation.
With the inclusion of Timor Leste in 2025, the organisation has achieved its original mission.
For nearly four years, Asean excluded the military regime in Myanmar from participating as a full member for staging a coup against a popular civilian Government in 2021.
The problem is the military regime has no intention to be bound by the Asean Five Point Consensus.
And now most crucially, it has completed the elections however flawed others may judge them to be.
The same regime military is still welcome in China, Russia and India with whom Asean maintains close relations with.
The same military junta continues to relate to Cambodia, Laos and Thailand as they share the same religion.
In my humble opinion, the Chair can make a big difference for Asean unity.
Besides, Asean needs no reminding that for much of its existence, Asean's cohesion was forged not among like-minded political systems, but among governments that agreed to manage differences quietly in the interest of regional stability.
When first formed Asean was an association of states led by strong governments, including military-dominated regimes in Indonesia and Thailand.
At this stage, exclusion risks becoming an end rather than a means to influence behaviour.
In this context, the conclusion of elections in Myanmar however contested provides Asean with a practical basis to move beyond punitive exclusion and re-engage Naypyidaw as a full participant in Asean activities.
I believe there are enough cool-headed leaders in Asean who could forgive and forget and move on for the sake of unity and diversity.
Thailand, Cambodia and Laos are likely to welcome their Buddhist friends.
A re-engagement policy, rather than prolonged isolation, better serves Asean's unity, credibility, and capacity to shape outcomes within its own region.
Thus, the unresolved Myanmar conflict facing Asean calls for a new rethink.

Ba Hamzah,
Former Fellow,
Institute of Strategic & International Studies (ISIS) Malaysia,
Kuala Lumpur,
Malaysia

 

 

Former PM Thaksin Shinawatra looks so happy Healthy and well presented in prison The Southeast Asian Times Friday January 30, 2026 First published in the Bangkok Post Friday January 23, 2026

Re: "Corrections confirms Thaksin eligible for parole review in May", Bangkok Post Online, Tuesday January 20, 2026 and "Prison authorities clarify Thaksin family visit photo", in Bangkok Post, Saturday November 29, 2025
I find it heartening to see the latest photo as well as previous images in your publication of Thaksin Shinawatra, who is indeed currently imprisoned, yet often looks so happy, healthy, and well-presented.
Clearly, those who describe conditions in Thai prisons as dreadful and horrific have been totally misled.

Warner,
Bangkok,
Thailand

Is the Board of Peace A new United Nations The Southeast Asian Times Thursday January 29, 2026 First published in the Bangkok Post Saturday January 24, 2026

Re: "Peace Board price tag", Bangkok Post, Editorial, WednesdayJanuary 21, 2026.
What is Donald Trump's "Board of Peace" supposed to be?
Is it a new United Nations (UN) , an extended European Union (EU) or some version of North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) for the Mideast?
These are all well-established, generally do great work and are credible. Will countries that don't join recognise its authority?
The Board of Peace seems like it will be run by an individual, Mr Trump, ruling over the countries that decide to join and rather than final agreements by the group, he will have the right of veto.
The approach of three years free, then pay an expensive fee, sounds like a typical gym or streaming service where you get free access for a while and then the costs appear.
Will there be a new world order, those who follow and obey Mr Trump and all of those who see the scam for what it is?
Will your country get caught up in this?
Speak out to stop your leaders from losing the plot.

Dennis Fitzgerald,
Bangkok,
Thailand

Thai monks blessing statues To promote patriotism and warring The Southeast Asian Times Wednesday January 28, 2026 First published in the Bangkok Post Tuesday January 27, 2026

Re: "Statue rivalry sows conflict", Bangkok Post, Editorial, Sunday January 25, 2026.
Have I understood correctly?
Collaborating with the Royal Thai Army, some monks are blessing statues in order to promote patriotism and warring?
I seem to recall some adage having it that such patriotism is the last refuge.
I'm sure it wasn't supposed to be Buddhist monks, but perhaps different rules apply for some Thai monks, who continue serving their political masters' agenda in exchange for sufficiently gilded temples with zero transparency in donations. Whatever will Thai Buddhism say next?
It's as disturbing as the Maga version of Christianity in the US, where some actually want to deny the First Amendment to their once great constitution by having the Ten Commandments displayed in classrooms and elsewhere, seeming oblivious.
Could any self-styled Christian be that ignorant?
To the fact that the first of those divine dictates commands absolute intolerance of every other religion's gods and goddesses.

Felix Qui,
Bangkok,
Thailand

Thailand's 2026 election less about dramatic election shifts More about political maturity The Southeast Asian Times Tuesday January 27, 2026 First published in the Bangkok Post Sunday January 25, 2026

Re: "Plentiful policy on offer", Bangkok Post Editorial, Monday January 19, 2026.
Thailand's general election on February 8 will mark an important democratic milestone.
Yet the most consequential political developments may unfold when parties conclude deals to form a coalition government.
The parliamentary system, combined with a fragmented party landscape, means no single party is likely to secure an outright majority.
As a result, post-election politics will hinge less on popular vote totals and more on negotiation skill.
This dynamic is neither unusual nor undemocratic.
Coalition politics is a common feature of parliamentary systems worldwide. However, the format poses a challenge: whether the leader of the coalition has the power to govern or get enough backing from member parties.
Meanwhile, one advantage of this format is reduced volatility.
Political transitions tend to be calmer in the post-election period, which can lower the risk of prolonged instability or administrative paralysis.
The trade-off, however, lies in public perception.
When a coalition government appears to diverge from the election outcome, questions about legitimacy can arise.
For this reason, transparency in coalition negotiations is crucial.
While political bargaining is unavoidable, clarity about coalition rationales, policy trade-offs, and governing priorities can help sustain public trust.
Communication, rather than secrecy, will be the defining factor in maintaining legitimacy during the transition period.
Media coverage also plays an important role.
Beyond reporting seat counts and party rankings, attention should focus on coalition feasibility, policy alignment, and the long-term stability of prospective governments.
Such coverage helps frame post-election developments as part of a constitutional process rather than a political anomaly.
Ultimately, the 2026 election may prove to be less about dramatic electoral shifts and more about political maturity.
The capacity of parties to negotiate responsibly, institutions to act predictably, and leaders to explain decisions transparently will shape the political trajectory more than election-night numbers alone.
An election concludes when ballots are counted.
Governance begins when coalitions are formed.
Understanding this distinction will be essential for navigating the weeks that follow February 8.

Adis Suwan,
Bangkok,
Thailand

Thailand police cyber scam unit Swamped with cyber crime complaints The Southeast Asian Times Monday January 26, 2026 First published in the Bangkok Post Sunday January 25, 2026

Re: "Anatomy of a scam", in Bangkok Post, Saturday January 3, 2026
Several years ago I had several hundred thousands of US dollars scammed from my Thai bank account, around 112,000 baht every week or so for quite some months.
I don't touch the account much and had no reason to check it and hadn't, at the time, enabled any notification at all.
Of course, then I discovered the worst and immediately went to the police cyber scam unit with all the details of the withdrawals but actually little or no sympathy or empathy, nor help from the bank.
I had the withdrawal dates, and amounts, as well as the names, bank account numbers and banks of the three people who extracted the money from my account. At the station, I saw was just one, young, helpful guy, who was swamped with cyber crime reports.
One year on, I heard nothing from the police.
I messaged the officer, who said he had been moved from his post to another elsewhere.
I was told to revisit the station again to find out what was happening.
I also went to the recipient bank a few times and each time they said the police had not delivered necessary documents.
For two years, I heard nothing from them.
Then in November last year, I went to the station again. Once again, nothing had actually happened with my paperwork at all.
Visiting the cyber crimes unit this time around, I found it had expanded, but each and every desk was drowning in a plethora of paperwork.
My conclusion is that there's so much cyber crime that it's probably impossible to do too much to prevent it.

Mark Stevens,
Bangkok,
Thailand

Wanted a one-on-one debate format Between Thai political parties The Southeast Asian Times Sunday January 25, 2026 First published in the Malaysiakini Saturday January 24, 2026

Re: "Academics sound alarm ahead of poll", Bangkok Post, Wednesday January 14, 2026.
A one-on-one debate format between political parties would greatly help us decide who we want to solve basic structural problems in our economy, society and justice system and the media should play a key role in arranging such a debate and setting the theme.
Each debater will focus on exposing specific shortcomings of their opponent's plans while highlighting their own points, enabling viewers to know the pros and cons of their ideas.
For example, in telecommunications, what specific market share level may trigger an anti-monopoly investigation, and how specifically will our duopoly be broken up?
The media should stream the debates live on Facebook and make them also available on YouTube.

Burin Kantabutra,
Bangkok,
Thailand

King of Malaysia calls for end to corruption And to focus on education excellence The Southeast Asian Times Saturday January 24, 2026 First published in the Malaysiakini Wednesday January 21, 2026

Yang di-Pertuan Agong Sultan Ibrahim Sultan Iskandar’s call to end corruption and focus on education excellence cannot be given mere lip service.
All politicians, MPs, and top civil servants need to buck up.
Sultan Ibrahim’s statement must reverberate throughout the nation - in every vein, nook, and corner of society.
It is now or never. Our fight against corruption in every form must become a top priority if we are to rescue our nation's future.
Likewise, in wisdom and hindsight, Sultan Ibrahim demanded that our education system to be revamped.
Quick fixes, make-belief facades, and political gimmicks to seemingly reform our education system have now expired with His Majesty's stern message to all politicians, especially the current leadership.
Both the government and opposition blocs must converge to translate the king's ultimatum into real action.
Meanwhile, the business community must cease its long-held practice of enshrouding trade-offs, which is the root of corruption.
Civil servants should also feel the shiver of being punished for not delivering in the best interest of the nation.
Hence, the king's call for the set-up of a special court to tackle corruption must be expedited without excuses.
Let’s march together with our king and courageous media to transform and liberate our beloved nation from the entrenched culture of corruption and the lack of will to rebirth our education standards.
Otherwise, we shall sink in the whirlpool of international disgrace as a nation of failures.

JD Lovrenciear,
Kuala Lumpur
Malaysia

Thailand's culture of impunity is world famous Rivalling its beaches and nightlife The Southeast Asian Times Friday January 23, 2026 First published in the Bangkok Post, Thursday January 22, 2026

Re: "Living in Thailand's age of impunity", Bangkok Post, Opinion, Saturday January 17, 2026.
Kong Rithee is spot on that Thailand's "culture of impunity is world-famous, rivalling its beaches and nightlife".
He cites pertinent examples that are too well known, both recently and from decades of tradition.
It's almost as if he had inherited one of those trusty GT200 magic wands on which the Royal Thai Army spent over a billion baht: impunity indeed.
Perhaps some magical amulets from a sufficiently gilded Thai Buddhist temple could help, if only more devotees would donate a proper sufficiency of wealth to fund that most sincerely promised magic.
Thailand's age of impunity has already lasted over half a century.
How much longer must it be enshrined as an untouchable?

Felix Qui,
Bangkok,
Thailand

Rak Chart Party wants built-in safeguards "to protect corrupt politicians" The Southeast Asian Times Friday January 22, 2026 First published in the Bangkok Post, Friday January 22, 2026

Re: "Jade warns charter rewrite is a 'trap'", in Bangkok Post, Sunday January 18, 2026.
Jade Donavanik, the Rak Chart Party's prime ministerial candidate, claims that politicians, even the People's Party, want to weaken "built-in safeguards against crooked types", in order "to protect corrupt politicians".
He provides not a shred of substantiation for that claim.
It is known that the current charter, created at the behest of former Royal Thai Army General Prayut Chan-o-cha, who actually committed a coup against the Thai nation in order to force his agenda and charter on the people.
Is that really a model of good ethics?
Meanwhile, on May 4, 2021, media, including this newspaper, reported that the Constitutional Court reportedly ruled that Capt Thamanat Prompow is qualified to be a member of parliament and a cabinet member regardless of his being sentenced to four years in prison in Australia in 1994.
It must be wondered what Mr Jade thinks constitutes good ethics.

Felix Qui,
Bangkok,
Thailand

Call for ASEAN Philippine 2026 to press For immediate release of Aung San Suu Kyi The Southeast Asian Times Wednesday January 21, 2026 First published in the Bangkok Post, Tuesday January 20, 2026

Re: "Pro-military party takes Yangon seat", Bangkok Post, World, Tuesday January 13, 2026.
Thanks to the Bangkok Post for mentioning Aung San Suu Kyi as the Burmese junta goes through what it calls an election.
How can this woman be cut off from all contact with the world and be held in solitary confinement for three years at her age as her health declines?
The civil war continues as her incarceration continues.
Are we seeing a connection?
If the Philippines wants to have a successful Asean chair, it needs to begin by pressing for her immediate release with the junta and with Beijing.
If Thailand wants less arsenic in its rivers, less smoke over the skies of Chiang Mai, and less ya ba coming over the border, she's the one person who can turn Burma back into a country.

AM,
Bangkok,
Thailand

Mines in Cambodia planted randomly Typical of ragtag armies The Southeast Asian Times Tuesday January 20, 2026 First published in the Bangkok Post, Sunday January 4, 2026

Re: "A miner's work", BangkokPost PostBag, Saturday December 31, 2025
While Burin Kantabutra's call for Cambodia to be held responsible for clearing the mines it laid on Thai soil is sound in principle, it overlooks one obvious fact.
He assumes the Cambodians made and have retained accurate maps of where these illegal weapons were laid.
I doubt this is the case.
It is far more likely the mines were planted randomly, with no proper records made or kept, which is typical of ragtag armies that show little regard for international law or for the consequences of their actions.

David Brown,
Bangkok,
Thailand

Construction over traffic, roads, railways and waterways Permitted in Thailand The Southeast Asian Times Monday January 19, 2026 First published in the Bangkok Post, Saturday January 17, 2026

Re: "Safety failures cost lives", Bangkok Post, Editorial, Friday January 16, 2026.
I have been a civil engineer for 60+ years, working in many countries but not Thailand.
In my many years of experience, I have never known a situation where construction has been permitted over live public traffic of any kind. Roads, railways and waterways have had to be closed or diverted during such work.
It costs more money, but saves lives, so it should be mandated here and planned into the projects right from their inception.

Allan Bennett C.Eng MICE,
Bangkok,
Thailand

2025 marks the expiration Of the postwar world order The Southeast Asian Times Saturday January 17, 2026 First published in the Bangkok Post, Friday January 9, 2026

Re: "How the world order looks after 2025", Bangkok Post Opinion, Monday January 5, 2026.
Yuen Yuen Ang aptly stated that 2025 marked the "expiration" of the postwar world order.
What is already visible in 2026 is that the ongoing transition has entered a more obvious and unsettling phase, acutely characterised by heightened global vulnerabilities, strategic perplexities, and profound discontinuities.
Multipolarity, climate stress, technological disruption, and fractured globalisation no longer appear as abstract trends but as observable realities, exposing the fragility of multilateral organisations and the limits of inherited frameworks.
In this sense, the current challenge is not merely to interpret change wisely, but to govern uncertainty itself in practical terms.

Ioan Voicu,
Bangkok,
Thailand

 

 

Thai generals must be fully accountable Remember the GT200 fake bomb detectors The Southeast Asian Times Saturday January 17, 2026 First published in the Bangkok Post, Friday January 16, 2026

Re: "Defence seeks confidential 2026 budget", in Bangkok Post, Wednesday January 14, 2026.
I agree with our military that budget details must be kept confidential, but taxpayers deserve to know that their hard-earned funds are used for the nation's best interests.
Also, the generals must be fully accountable for misuse.
Our current procedures have failed to instil confidence.
Remember the GT200 fake bomb detectors, where we paid B1.13bn for 500 toys that performed no better than flipping a coin in rigorous scientific tests, killing our noble soldiers?
Remember those observation balloons that couldn't sustain operational attitudes?
It also cost the taxpayers.
No generals were censured for either deal, let alone court-martialed.
We should adapt the classified oversight mechanisms of developed nations that balance secrecy, accountability, and prioritisation of national interests over military preferences.
These systems rely on civilian-led parliamentary and congressional committees with security-cleared members.
Public disclosure is limited while detailed scrutiny occurs in secure settings, thus preventing leaks while enabling rigorous audits.
Let's get funding with accountability.

Burin Kantabutra,
Bangkok,
Thailand

Call for Thailand to update Human trafficking laws The Southeast Asian Times Friday January 16, 2026 First published in the Bangkok Post, Wednesday January 14, 2026

Re: "Police warn of online trafficking rise", Bangkok Post, Tuesday January 6, 2026.
Recent police warnings about the rise in online trafficking demonstrate the need for stronger reinforcement of human trafficking laws.
The dark reality shows that laws cannot be applied in reality, especially with cyber trafficking.
The article says traffickers have switched to exploiting young people on social media, a place buzzing with children trying to make friends.
Sadly, through deception and coercion, they can become snared by human traffickers.
I believe Thailand must update its 2017 laws on computer crime, Act B.E. (Buddhist Era).
As it doesn't cover online exploitation specifically, it needs updating so that traffickers cannot find loopholes between our legislation, as online trafficking is extremely hard to prosecute.
Another grave issue raised is the lack of enforcement of these laws, as organisations are often underfunded. Faster technologies need to be developed to obtain evidence more quickly, as one of the main loopholes is that police often take too long to gather sufficient concrete evidence to arrest traffickers.
In today's modern world, human trafficking expands beyond locked rooms; it uses social media to sneak into children's lives until it's too late to save them. We must not only change our legislation, but also take faster action if Thailand wants definite change in the country.

Namfah Pibulsonggram,
Bangkok,
Thailand

''Beef it up'' Says Thai Airways frequent flyer The Southeast Asian Times Wednesday January 14, 2026 First published in the Bangkok Post, Friday January 9, 2026

Re: 'Thai prepares to formulate new business strategy,' in Bangkok Post, Friday January 9, 2026.
More than one airline did not recover from the Covid-19 pandemic some went out of business, so the fact Thai Airways International is still going should make the finance permanent secretary very proud, indeed.
I flew Thai Airways on my last flight to Thailand, and the one suggestion I might make as a customer would be to consider offering the very best and most interesting Thai food for a premium fee, maybe something like 500 baht, and if they already have any similar scheme, redo it and beef it up.
I remember 26 years ago that as a tourist, I had money and I looked for the flight with the best Thai food so my exotic journey began before I even landed.

Jason A Jellison,
Bangkok,
Thailand

 

 

 

A cost-based subsidy shields Thai farmers From market forces The Southeast Asian Times Wednesday January 14, 2026 First published in the Bangkok Post, Friday January 9, 2026

Re: "Major political parties step up campaign pitches", Bangkok Post, Tuesday January 6, 2026.
To get the best government possible, voters should analyse core party policies, see what is most effective and which party can best deliver them.
For instance, Pheu Thai's PM candidate, Yodchanan Wongsawat, pledges his party would anchor rice price support to production costs, not market prices.
So, if farm costs rose, even from farmer inefficiency, Pheu Thai's subsidy would rise accordingly.
But a cost-based subsidy shields farmers from market forces, and our farmers tend to follow inefficient methods.
With an average age of 59, only one in five farmers having had an M6 education, and many having large amounts of debt, our farmers struggle mightily to modernise. We have massive public debts and cannot afford perpetual subsidies.
As for the People's Party (PP), how can its core policy be improved?
It wants to subsidise farmers in ways that promote sustained productivity rises.
Examples of such a policy are the US's Price Loss Coverage program, which activates when national prices drop below fixed reference prices, with payments only cushioning low-revenue years to limit risk without forcing overproduction.
The US and Vietnam best resemble our rice, dairy and tapioca export profile and smallholder challenges.
Both shifted post-1997 from price guarantees similar to what People's Party (PP) now proposing to insurance-style supports.
Both rice exporters now compete on quality and costs, not state dumping, with rice export shares rising despite no fixed floor prices.
We should subsidise efforts to boost productivity, such as by giving deep discounts on high-yield seeds, walk-behind tillers and harvesters, and irrigation systems, and allowing farmers to combine subsidy quotas to achieve economies of scale.
We should focus aid on smallholders, not large corporations.

Burin Kantabutra,
Bangkok,
Thailand

New sexual harassment law in Thailand Deems inappropriate comments as a crime The Southeast Asian Times Tuesday January 13, 2026 First published in the Bangkok Post, Wednesday January 7, 2026

Re: "Actor sued under new harassment law", in Bangkok Post, Tuesday December 30, 2025.
A veteran politician's daughter's decision to sue an influential actor over the inappropriate comments he made about her is a major step forward for victims of sexual harassment in Thailand.
The new sexual harassment law, which deems inappropriate comments as a crime, provides an extra safeguard for all individuals on social media. It is hoped the law will lead to a shift in societal norms, so online harassment will no longer be seen as "not a big deal" but rather completely unacceptable.
Her actions show celebrities are not above the law, and, therefore, must still be held accountable for their wrongdoings.
This case will challenge past attitudes on pursuing legal action against a famous person. Justice must be served no matter who the wrongdoer is.
Overall, this new law demonstrates Thailand's commitment to protecting victims and holding influential people accountable.

Namfah Pibulsonggram,
Bangkok,
Thailand

Thailand could have become and should today Be as flourishing as Taiwan and South Korea The Southeast Asian Times Monday January 12, 2026 First published in the Bangkok Post, Monday January 12, 2026

Re: "'Mai pen rai' paradox: from kindness to toxic silence", Bangkok Post Life, Wednesday January 7, 2026.
Juranan Soranet is spot on: Silence in the face of either honest mistakes or of deliberately bad ethics is toxic. As she explains, the cost of such silence is both personal and public.
It is not made better for the public sphere when bad law dictates such silence.
The toxicity of such silence regarding major political players and related acts was blatantly demonstrated after the May 2023 election.
That election proved Move Forward, and every one of its raft of policies was the people's popular choice.
Such inherently, deliberately, unjust laws as those subsequently weaponised to deny Thailand the reform-minded government for which it had voted have been. Yet what is more toxic is the coups committed that breed and embolden more unethical impetus.
As such as honest mistakes have not been corrected. Bad ethics have not been called out as deserved.
This is harmful not only politically and socially, but also morally and economically: Thailand could and should have long been much wealthier and far more just for all Thai citizens, not continually mired in traditional corruption, double standards, and like diseases eating out the nation's wealth as justice and good ethics are trampled underfoot.
Thailand could have become and should today be as flourishing as Taiwan and South Korea.
It is not.
It is possible that I am completely wrong in thinking thus.
I don't know.
However, thanks to those same repressive laws imprisoning patriots who speak out, unethically disbanding popular political parties, banning honest, genuinely respected politicians, attacking citizens who seek informed opinion of worth, and now even silencing talk of long overdue reform, no contrary opinion can in fact be substantiated.
It is indeed, as the Post headlines it, a paradox.

Felix Qui,
Bangkok,
Thailand

 

How to establish whether a Thai smile Is genuine or otherwise? The Southeast Asian Times Sunday January 11, 2026 First published in the Bangkok Post, Friday January 9, 2026

Re: " 'Mai pen rai' paradox: from kindness to toxic silence", Bangkok Post Life, January 7.
This is an excellent article, but alas goes down a rabbit hole, akin to mitigating daily road fatalities and addressing other issues often lamented in this column that we're acquainted with.
Perhaps the writer could also elaborate on how to establish whether a Thai smile is genuine or otherwise?
Bit of a problem, apparently, as there are 13 of them to use in different situations, ranging from happy to deeply unhappy, according to Holmes and Tangtongtavy in their seminal book Working with Thais, which was written many years ago but remains relevant.
I hope it is still in print, as it does a very good job in explaining the Thai rabbit hole conundrum.

Ellis O'Brien,
Bangkok,
Thailand

 

 

Thai-style democracy Is not democracy The Southeast Asian Times Saturday January 10, 2026 First published in the Bangkok Post, Thursday January 8, 2026

Re: "Poll is a test of courage", in Bangkok Post Editorial, Monday January 5, 2026.
The Post's editorial trots out that old deceit, "Thai-style democracy". There are, of course, many styles or flavours of democracy.
Each of these successful nations varies in the form of their own democracy, as is their sovereign right, but they all have one thing in common: a sine qua non an essential condition to qualify as a democracy.
To qualify as democratic, a nation's government must adhere to non-negotiable elements of democracy.
If some ideas or opinions, whether written, acted, painted, printed, spoken, shouted, uploaded to a computer system, or whatever, are banned for no reason other than the usual criminal laws of slander, defamation, libel, treason, or other genuine defence against an enemy, that country fails to be a democracy. In that sense, Thailand fails.
When a country can lawfully imprison internationally honoured human rights advocates precisely for speaking up for human rights, it is not a democracy.

Felix Qui,
Bangkok,
Thailand

The Bangkok Post has become Almost exclusively leftist in content and tone The Southeast Asian Times Friday January 9, 2026 First published in the Bangkok Post, Thursday January 8, 2026

Re: "'Free our president', Maduro supporters demand at rally", Bangkok Post, World, Monday January 5, 2026
It is not difficult to discover exactly why the Bangkok Post has become almost exclusively leftist in content and tone.
Sadly, the balance between differing views is long gone, and the news is now narrative-driven.
It cleaves to an objective best described as designed to create the general acceptance of Marxist/socialist values among Thailand's English-speaking society.

Michael Setter,
Bangkok,
Thailand

Thailand's new law on sexual harassment Deems inappropriate comments as a crime The Southeast Asian Times Thursday January 8, 2026 First published in the Bangkok Post, Wednesday January 7, 2026

Re: "Actor sued under new harassment law", in Bangkok Post, Tuesday December 30, 2025.
A veteran politician's daughter's decision to sue an influential actor over the inappropriate comments he made about her is a major step forward for victims of sexual harassment in Thailand.
The new sexual harassment law, which deems inappropriate comments as a crime, provides an extra safeguard for all individuals on social media.
It is hoped the law will lead to a shift in societal norms, so online harassment will no longer be seen as "not a big deal" but rather completely unacceptable.
Her actions show celebrities are not above the law, and, therefore, must still be held accountable for their wrongdoings.
This case will challenge past attitudes on pursuing legal action against a famous person. Justice must be served no matter who the wrongdoer is.
Overall, this new law demonstrates Thailand's commitment to protecting victims and holding influential people accountable.

Namfah Pibulsonggram,
Bangkok,
Thailand

Why has the NACC Been as slow as a turtle The Southeast Asian Times Wednesday January 7, 2026 First published in the Bangkok Post, Saturday January 3, 2026

Re: "Justice system tested", Bangkok Post Editorial, Tuesday December 30,
2025.
I am shocked Bangkok Post posted a headline saying "Justice system tested" for claims that Pol Gen Surachate bribed a National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC) commissioner.
This latest accusation stems from a case when a former trusted aide of Pol Gen Surachate's turned against him and provided alleged bribery evidence against both him and an National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC) commissioner.
Pol Gen Surachate has at least four to five cases before the National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC).
The editorial should ask why the National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC) has been slow as a turtle to make the findings known to the public, to clear or indict.
As the editorial has said, everyone is innocent until proven guilty. Gen Surachate should stand up to prove his innocence in court, and not use social media to support him in a battle that would make the events resemble a modern-day soap opera.

Yingwai Suchaovanich,
Bangkok,
Thailand

Kindness toward animals can be part of Thailand's future Starting now The Southeast Asian Times Tuesday January 6, 2026 First published in the Bangkok Post, Sunday January 4, 2026

As Thailand welcomes 2026, the New Year offers a moment to reflect on the values we choose to carry forward.
Across the world, public pressure has driven meaningful progress for animals -- from exposing abusive practices to the rapid growth of vegan dining and animal-free science.
Thailand can be part of that progress. Yet institutions that claim to champion conservation still profit from captive animal displays and animal-based entertainment, sending mixed messages about respect for life.
People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) Asia investigations into the coconut and frogs' legs industries, along with celebrity campaigns, have opened many eyes to animal suffering in the country over the past year.
Moving toward vegan food choices, rejecting animal entertainment, and supporting cruelty-free products reflect a culture evolving with conscience and care.
Kindness toward animals can be part of Thailand's future - starting now.

Jason Baker,
President,
People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) Asia
Bangkok,
Thailand

Those who laid the landmines Know precisely where their mines are The Southeast Asian Times Monday January 5, 2026 First published in the Bangkok Post, Thursday January 1, 2026

Re: "Thailand Mine Action Centre (TMAC) finds mines, rockets, after pact", in Bangkok Post, Monday December 29, 2025.
It should be obvious that those who laid the landmines in a given area should be responsible for the demining as an integral part of a ceasefire.
After all, it's they who know precisely where their mines are.
Also, such removal will be a sign that they are working in good faith to observe the cessation of hostilities.
The miners will want to do a thorough job of demining, for any mines found in an area they've declared to be clear will be prima facie evidence of renewed aggression.

Burin Kantabutra,
Bangkok,
Thailand

 

Informal alliances and flexible arrangements Cannot substitute multilateralism The Southeast Asian Times Sunday January 4, 2026 First published in the Bangkok Post, Wednesday December 24, 2026

Re: "Going beyond multilateralism", Bangkok Post Opinion, Friday December 19, 2025.
The thought-provoking article by Javier Solana and Angel Saz-Carranza rightly diagnoses the erosion of post-war multilateral institutions under the weight of great-power rivalries.
Yet beyond geopolitical competition, today's global vulnerabilities, perplexities and discontinuities exert relentless pressure on any system of collective governance.
Informal alliances and flexible arrangements may help manage symptoms, but they cannot substitute for the normative core of multilateralism: shared responsibility rooted in solidarity.
Without a genuine sense of global solidarity, even the most agile coalitions risk reinforcing fragmentation rather than overcoming it.

Ioan Voicu,
Bangkok,
Thailand

Corruption and repeated recycling of same political actors Has left Thai citizens disillusioned The Southeast Asian Times Saturday January 3, 2026 First published in the Bangkok Post, Wednesday December 24, 2026

Re: "Bhumjaithai (BJT) party builds poll momentum as rivals falter", and "Pheu Thai calls on Election Commission for fair election", in Bangkok Post , December 21, 2025.
Recent reports paint a troubling picture of Thailand's political reality.
Public confidence in the Election Commission and other bodies closely associated with the present government appears to be steadily eroding.
When even major political parties feel compelled to call for "fair elections" before a poll has taken place, something is clearly amiss.
At the same time, it is telling that leaders of the People's Party openly acknowledge that even a decisive electoral victory may not allow them to form a government. When such expectations are treated as normal, elections risk becoming symbolic exercises rather than genuine expressions of the people's will.
Much commentary continues to focus on criticising and questioning the People's Party, despite the fact that it has never been given a fair opportunity to govern.
This contrasts sharply with the leniency shown towards parties currently in power, even when they include figures with controversial pasts.
Such selective scrutiny only deepens public cynicism and reinforces the perception of double standards.
Thailand is a beautiful country with enormous potential.
Yet persistent corruption and the repeated recycling of the same political actors have left many citizens disillusioned.
Democracy should not be complicated; parties win votes, they are allowed to govern, and if they fail, voters remove them at the next election.
If election outcomes continue to be overridden by manoeuvring after the ballots are counted, faith in democratic institutions will continue to decline, and with it, hope for meaningful political reform.

Somkid Sirikumarkul,
Bangkok,
Thailand

Thailand sends more labourers to Israel Than before hostage crisis October 7, 2023 The Southeast Asian Times Friday January 2, 2026 First published in the Bangkok Post, Thursday January 1, 2026

Re: "Thailand's delicate stance with Israel", in Bangkok Post Opinion, Tuesday December 9, 2025.
Thailand must tread carefully here.
Most of the international world has been against Israel's war against Palestine.
So if Thailand gets too close to Israel, it risks alienating many countries in the world.
But by the same token, Thailand now sends more labourers to Israel than before the hostage crisis began on October 7, 2023.
Before the crisis started, Thailand sent 36,000 individuals there, but it now sends about 60,000!
Thailand contributes significantly to the Israeli farming and construction sectors, among other things.
Nonetheless, Thailand does not want to have its economic relations further strained with many countries, especially the wealthier European ones.
I suppose the Thai government will continue to pursue a strategy of neutrality with other countries as they have been doing up until now.
After all, such a strategy seems to be paying off here.

Paul,
Bangkok,
Thailand

The Myanmar election Reflects China's policy of maintaining regional instability The Southeast Asian Times Thursday January 1, 2026 First published in the Bangkok Post, Wednesday December 31, 2025

Re: "Myanmar polls open amid civil war, junta-backed party tipped to win", in Bangkok Post World, Sunday December 28, 2025.
Myanmar's military government has begun a staged national election, disingenuously presenting it as a way out of the crisis of civil war.
The peace-loving citizens of Myanmar, many of whom can speak English and understand well the difference between a repressive authoritarian dictatorship and democracy as we know it, would choose democracy if this "election" permitted it.
The reason for this lack of true choice is China's pervasive influence upon their neighbour.
Beijing is the main reason the junta remains viable amid decades of fierce opposition from its own people.
Recent reporting in the news media confirms the delivery of Chinese-origin military transport aircraft to Myanmar, and independent analyses have documented Chinese technical and industrial links to the junta's expanding drone and munitions production.
These capabilities have affected the balance of the conflict and enabled large-scale military operations.
Diplomatically, China acts as a mediator between the junta and armed groups along the China–Myanmar border, brokering ceasefire arrangements that prioritise border stability.
This serves to normalise the junta as a governing authority, further enabling the power structure responsible for the conflict.
Perhaps most importantly, Myanmar's valuable rare-earth exports to China provide the military regime with a vital revenue stream in violation of international sanctions.
This trade deepens economic dependency upon China while conveniently dampening demands for political reform.
The Myanmar election reflects China's policy of maintaining regional instability to perpetuate authoritarian rule in nations along their borders.

Michael Setter,
Bangkok,
Thaiand

Travellers to Thailand pray for peace On both sides of the border The Southeast Asian Times Wednesday December 31, 2025 First published in the Bangkok Post, Friday December 26, 2025

Re: "Border conflict test big powers' resolve", in Bangkok Post, Opinion, Tuesday December 23, 2025.
Thank you to the Bangkok Post and Kavi Chongkittavorn for the incisive and clear discourse in the piece, and for the writer breaking down the situation for those of us located abroad and who don't get regular updates on the news of this ongoing tragedy.
Having travelled on both sides of the border in better and safer times, I can't believe that this is happening.
The situation is heartbreaking, given the beauty of both countries and the natural, spiritual, and historical blessings both countries share.
My wife and I will be praying for peace and for the blessed Thais who demonstrated such kindness to us when we were younger, rough-and-tumble, overland travellers who tramped and bused through the areas now affected.
Thank you to the Bangkok Post and to those who truly bring us the news that is meaningful even though it is difficult to hear and shocking to digest!
And thank you to all the Thais who have now been so horrifically affected by the conflict for your past kindness; you're in our prayers!

Mike Sluchinski,
Bangkok,
Thailand

About Christmas gift giving At Christmas The Southeast Asian Times Tuesday December 30, 2025 First published in the Bangkok Post, Friday December 26, 2025

Re: "Irresistible deals put them in debt. Now they're trying to kick the shopping habit", Bangkok Post, World, December 3, 2025.
The frenetic buy-more lead-in gifting to Christmas yet again testifies to its annual commercialisation that guts Christ's birth of its true worth.
Christmas online shopping mania to the tune of billions, anxious hand-wringing about delayed deliveries that don't make it in time for the Christmas tree gift unwrapping, the mad rush to avoid shopping mall crowds to buy gifts online, all testify to Australia's erring consumerist belief that physical gifts are the truest manifestation of goodwill towards our dearest and fairest.
How about emailing a snapshot of a hand-written letter that manifests our heartfelt thoughts and mindscape, or an e-Christmas card that supplants hand- or plane-delivery to neighbours or recipients on the other side of the world?
The eco-friendly currency for truly meaningful and priceless Christmas exchanges is manifest in the authenticity of thought expressed in handwritten celebration cards and end-of-year letters snapshot for speedy cyber-delivery.
This year, my family has banned Christmas gifting because we believe that this is not the true meaning of Christ's birth. It's a small first step away from colossal gifting, kids excepted, of course.
The saved funds will be disbursed to those without, in need, in grief, in hunger and in pain.

Joseph Ting,
Bangkok,
Thailand

Gold is a hedge against inflation Hence the gold price is soaring The Southeast Asian Times Monday December 29, 2025 First published in the Bangkok Post, Sunday December 28, 2025

Re: "Strength of baht spurs fear", in Bangkok Post, Wednesday December 24, 2025.
As someone who is something of an amateur investor, it never ceases to amaze me how clueless central bankers are in general, if not entirely when managing their countries' economies.
Take, for example, the Fed in the US. President Trump, bless him, has been waxing lyrical about how "hot" the US economy is right now.
So why, if things in America are so hunky dory, has the Fed under Jerome Powell just reduced interest rates?
Surely this is counterintuitive?
My impression was that hot economies usually require interest rate rises to cool their out-of-control markets, whilst it's economies that are in trouble that central banks tend to want to resuscitate by lowering rates.
Evidently not!
Now, witness the latest misstep from a central bank, alas from the Thai governor Vitai Ratanakorn, blaming the baht's appreciation on capital inflows from abroad, and into the gold market.
This, I'm afraid, is utter tosh.
There are even threats to tax gold trading, which, of course, would decimate one of the most vibrant markets, if not the last, in Thailand.
Talk about shooting yourself in the foot!
The real reason there are capital inflows into the gold market is that sound-thinking and, indeed, sound-money individuals or advocates are running for the hills as central banks around the world debase, with apparently gay abandon, their currencies.
Gold is a hedge against inflation, and people with half a brain can see that inflation is eroding their purchasing power, hence the gold price is soaring.
Of course, central banks hate people who want to protect their wealth, because they want to enslave you.
I realise that, at this point, I'm sounding a tad like Michael Setter, for which I apologise!
But I'm reminded of a wise saying: gold is the money of kings, silver is the money of gentlemen, and debt is the money of slaves.
Regarding baht strength, there is no mention of US dollar weakness, nor that the Thai central bank has been slow to react to said weakness they cite the excuse that they're "data driven", which basically means that they're reactive and not proactive.
Go figure!
The US dollar is down almost 10 percent against the Thai baht year-to-date.
The Vietnamese dong, by contrast, has barely moved versus the US dollar, making their exports 10 percent cheaper than those from Thailand.
This is the problem.
Thai exports and tourism traditionally, the two most lucrative sectors within the Thai economy are floundering because the Thai central bank has been asleep at the wheel and has failed to manage exchange rates appropriately.
Yet, perhaps unsurprisingly, no one, it seems, is owning up to the mismanagement. Rather, they're attempting, kind of ironically, to kill the goose that lays the golden egg.
I would urge your readers to wake up to the lies of central bankers, to their smoke and mirrors kind of propaganda, and become their own central bank, in order to protect themselves from the coming inflation.

RF,
Bangkok,
Thailand

'They make decisions in tall buildings'' ''And we only see the consequences'' The Southeast Asian Times Sunday December 28, 2025 First published in the Philippine Inquirer, Wednesday December 24, 2025

They say the Philippines government is distant.
''They make decisions in tall buildings,'' people whisper, ''and we only see the consequences.''
Sometimes I’ve felt that way.
As a student, I sit in class hearing about laws, public issues, leaders, and promises. It’s all big words and distant decisions.
I used to think: What can I, a 13-year-old from Rizal, do about that?
But then I realized: the government isn’t only for the powerful.
It’s for every citizen, even for me.
Every decision made by those in power affects our everyday lives: the roads we walk, the water we drink, the school we attend, the future we hope for.
And that means every citizen has a stake.
Including us: youth, students, dreamers.
I may not vote yet, but I can still pay attention.
I can learn about what’s happening in my city and my country.
I can question promises.
I can talk with my peers.
I can form my own thoughts.
I can care.
Because if we remain silent, that’s exactly what they expect: silence.
But if even one voice speaks, asks questions, demands honesty, holds leaders accountable, that’s when the government becomes real.
That’s when change begins.
So yes, the government feels far.
But our interest, our care, our voice that’s what brings it close.
And maybe, just maybe, that’s where hope begins.

Amir John Rebota,
Manila,
Philippines

Christmas is a season of peace and goodwill The Southeast Asian Times Thursday December 25, 2025 First published by the Bangkok Post Wednesday December 24, 2025

Christmas is a "season of peace and goodwill" for many around the world, but what is the reality?
It's time we all tried to make the world a better place, especially our leaders and politicians.
Santa would be happier.
Anyway, best wishes for 2026.

Dennis Fitzgerald,
Bangkok Post
Thailand

Rise in Muslim population in Thailand To 12 percent of total population by 2025 The Southeast Asian Times Wednesday December 24, 2025 First published by the Bangkok Post Sunday December 21, 2025

Re: "Gunmen had possible Islamic State links", and "Bondi beach 'hero'recovering after surgery", Bangkok Post World, Tuesday December 16, 2025.
None of the wire reports published in the Bangkok Post mentioned the educational background of the father, Sajid Akram, and his son, Naveed Akram, who are linked to radical Islamic culture and education system, where kids are taught hatred against non-Islamic religious people, especially against Jews.
The son, even though he was born and raised in Australia, was heavily radicalised with an ideology aligned with the Islamic State.
The first lesson for Thailand is to pay much more attention to locating radicalised foreign students, tourists and diasporas.
As part of a more vigilant immigration policy, I advise that more action be taken, including barring foreign preachers from preaching in Thai mosques, requiring preaching to be conducted in Thai, and having security agency officials present during preaching at every mosque during Friday prayers across Thailand.
The Thai government should strictly ban foreign students from applying for jobs in Thailand and require them to return to their home countries upon obtaining a degree.
It should ban talak, a term in Islamic law that refers to the dissolution of marriage, to stop husbands from marrying three times.
To introduce laws on divorce for Muslims, the courts must be under the authority of Thai judges.
Demographics have also changed over the last 20 years. During 2000-2005, the Muslim population was 4-5 percent of the total population or 3-4 million.
During 2024-2025, the Muslim population accounted for 12 percent of Thailand's total population, or 7.5 million.
The Australian government, under Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, consistently ignored anti-Semitism and violent protest marches on the streets of Australian cities.
The Thai government should have closer coordination with the Jewish state of Israel, as its intelligence is the best in the world.
Thailand can learn from them how to use technology to track potential acts of terrorism, because time bombs are ticking.

Jayut Jayanandana,
Bangkok,
Thailand

Cambodia Thailand border dispute stems from Franco-Siamese treaties 1904 and 1907 The Southeast Asian Times Tuesday December 23, 2025 First published by the Bangkok Post Sunday December 21, 2025

Re: "Border crisis is a measure of national resolve", Bangkok Post Opinion, Friday Deemberc 19, 2025
Your opinion piece by Anucha Charoenpo has all the certainty of the "truth" in which he unreservedly believes he knows about an unsettled dispute that is over 100 years old.
This dispute mostly stems from the Franco-Siamese treaties of 1904 and 1907, which defined the final boundary between Siam and French Indochina, the borders of which were inherited by Cambodia.
While the treaty defined the relevant segment of the boundary along the watershed line of the Dangrek Mountains, demarcation of the border by French surveyors produced maps that deviated from the line in the now-disputed areas.
Which brings us to two sides, both believing they are right and both sure of ownership of land which was never settled.
Hence, all "attacks" by Cambodia are to them a defence; similarly, Thailand's defence of its territory is an attack on Cambodia.
There is no end to this beyond a final settlement of exactly where the border is agreed upon by both sides.
And that looks totally impossible when so much nationalistic fervour is present on both sides, sustained by nationalistic press reports.

Steve Merchant.
Bangkok,
Thailand

 

 

 

 

China opposes using art as pretext for political manipulation And interference in China's internal affairs The Southeast Asian Times Monday December 22, 2025 First published in the Bangkok Post Friday December 19, 2025

Re: "Artists resist repression in Thailand, US", in Bangkok Post Opinion, Monday December 8, 2025.
In the article "Artists resist repression in Thailand, US", the content displayed
in the exhibition concerning China distorts China's policies on Xi Zang, Xin Jiang and Hong Kong.
China has opposed using art and cultural exchanges as a pretext for political manipulation and interference in China's internal affairs.

Hou Pei,
Diplomatic staff of Public Diplomacy Division of Chinese Embassy,
Bangkok,
Thailand

 

 

Call for Palestinians and the Jewish peoples To live side by side peaceably The Southeast Asian Times Sunday December 21, 2025 First published in the Bangkok Post Friday December 19, 2025

Re: "Bondi gunmen 'driven by IS beliefs'", Bangkok Post World, Wednesday December 17, 2025.
Violence begets more unless it is conscientiously interrupted. Martin Luther King warned that "violence begets violence … adding deeper darkness to a night already devoid of stars". Gandhi was convinced that "an eye for an eye will only make the whole world blind". Nelson Mandela, having lived through institutionalised brutality, concluded that "violence can only breed more violence and repression".
These insights matter today, particularly when cycles of violence spill over into hatred against entire peoples.
In my recent troubled dreamscape, I see the thousands of pro-Palestinian marchers crossing the Sydney Harbour Bridge, stare across Circular Quay towards the mournful menorah cast upon Sydney Opera House sails, as the first symbolic meeting of the ways to understand one another's fossilised animosities and endless cycles of violence and retribution.
Palestinians and the Jewish peoples can live side by side peaceably, even if they remain divided by the slim slip of harbour that divides the bridge from the opera house.
To foster peaceful coexistence, we must continue the struggle to narrow the fixity of a historical schism. There is no other option.

Joseph Ting,
Bangkok,
Thailand

China Communist Party's totalitarianism Cannot be confused with Thailands democratic system The Southeast Asian Times Saturday December 20, 2025 First published in the Bangkok Post Friday December 19, 2025

Re: "Peacetime illusions", in Bangkok Post PostBag, Tuesday December 16, 2025.
Communist Party of China apologist Yingwai Suchaovanich says, "Pita Limjaroenrat was not suitable to declare himself the elected prime minister of Thailand."
Obviously non-conversant in matters of democratic governance, he confuses the China Communist Party's (CCP's) totalitarianism, which he has unreservedly endorsed time and again in the PostBag forum, with that of the parliamentary quasi-democratic system in Thailand.
The young and charismatic Mr Pita Limjaroenrateasily won the majority vote, which means the majority of voters made him the prime minister.
Yet his path to Government House was taken out by the entrenched power brokering and ultra-conservative factions, a move that walks away from democratic principles.

Michael Setter,
Bangkok,
Thailand

''To jaw-jaw is always better than to war-war" In the Thailand Cambodia border dispute The Southeast Asian Times Friday December 19, 2025 First published in the Bangkok Post Saturday December 13, 2025

Re: "Cambodia talks ruled out", Bangkok Post, Thursday December 11,
2025.
I was saddened to see that there is no room for diplomacy in the dispute with Cambodia.
To quote Churchill: "To jaw-jaw is always better than to war-war."
The Thai-Cambodian border has never been adequately agreed upon, but neither side is about to launch a full-scale invasion of the other because of the dispute.
Meanwhile, innocent people are being killed.
Surely it's time for an independent arbitration to be accepted by both sides.
The area of combat may be limited, but war is international news and is featured daily as a leading story around the world.
The national effect on our essential tourism industry is dramatic during peak times. Give peace a chance.

Phil Cox,
Bangkok,
Thailand

Just imagine a Thai Prime Minister Who worships the United States of America The Southeast Asian Times Thursday December 18, 2025 First published in the Bangkok Post Wednesday December 17, 2025

As the war escalates between Thailand and Cambodia, I recall that in 2023, I argued in PostBag that Pita Limjaroenrat was not suitable to declare himself the elected prime minister of Thailand. I was right.
Imagine a government with a prime minister, whose major policy and audacity are dedicated to undermining the military, with the rationale that it is meaningless to maintain a military force and a big defence budget in peacetime.
Just imagine a Prime Minister Pita who worships the United States of America as a model.
Instead of uniting Thai people to fight against the intruders, he would probably sprint to President Donald Trump, asking for approval, blessings and advice, and shake hands with his Cambodian counterpart, before jointly nominating Mr Trump to contest the next Nobel Peace Prize.
His successor, Natthaphong Ruengpanyawut, the current leader of the People's Party, cautioned Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul not to prolong the war and urged the government to sit down and negotiate with Cambodia. Similar to Mr Pita, Mr Natthaphong seems to champion seeking approval from the international community.
Notwithstanding their dovish hearts and passion for democracy, these so-called young-generation politicians seem to have forgotten that, along the 800km of the Thai-Cambodia border, thousands of Thai citizens live in fear and have to relocate, with over 900 schools temporarily shutting down.
For them, the only way to straighten this out is to protect civilians and take back all the Thai territories by military force.
Didn't we learn a lesson when Mr Trump changed the name of the Department of Defense to the Department of War?

Yingwai Suchaovanich,
Bangkok,
Thailand

Bank of Thailand Keeps an eye on the baht The Southeast Asian Times, Wednesday December 17, 2025 First published in the Bangkok Post, Tuesday December 16, 2025

Re: "BoT measures to halt rapid baht uptick", Bangkok Post Business, Friday December 5, 2025.
Let's the game begin. No, I am not talking about the ongoing 33rd SEA Games.
I am talking about the usual monthly or yearly manipulation of the baht.
Here we are at the middle of the month and it appears that the players are already placing their bets on where they want the baht to be.
Given that we are nearing the end of the year, it takes on more significance since maximisation of gains is paramount.
Forget that we just had a lifetime flood resulting in billions of baht in damage, that Parliament has just been dissolved, that we are in a cross border war, that an election date is still up in the air and that party defections are going fast and furious so that voters have no idea who is running for which party.
Of course all of that bad news makes the baht stronger.
What?
You say all of that should make it weaker?
Obviously, you are not a market manipulator.
The only thing that can make the baht weaker is having Thailand win 250 medals because that would be good news.
In the meantime, the Bank of Thailand (BoT) continues to keep an eye, a blind eye I might add, on the baht and will step in when it hits 25.

Currency Player,
Bangkok,
Thailand

 

 

 

Thailand's distant third export category Is rubber and rubber goods The Southeast Asian Times, Tuesday December 16, 2025 First published in the Bangkok Post, Monday December 15, 2025

Re: "Expert urges cutting reliance on US buyers", in Bangkok Post, Business, Tuesday September 2, 2025 and "China begins push for Comac jets in Vietnam", Bangkok Post, Business, Wednesday January 22, 2025
Thailand's export portfolio in 2024 is dominated by electronics, automotive parts and machinery.
A distant third export category is rubber and rubber goods, representing about 8 percent of exports.
For a country often listed as the world's leading producer and exporter of natural rubber, one notable high value rubber product remains absent: aircraft tires.
For decades, as the Western bloc controlled both the commercial aviation market and the technology to support it, only a handful of companies were allowed to manufacture aircraft tires.
The four firms operating within this oligopolistic market are Michelin France, Bridgestone Japan, Goodyear USA, and Dunlop England.
Now, another aircraft producer is rising in the East: the Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China (Comac). China possesses a vast built in aviation market that is largely shielded from Western economic pressure.
This development opens at least one major opportunity for Thailand: becoming an aircraft tire supplier to Comac.
Aircraft tires differ fundamentally from automotive tires.
They must withstand extreme loads, rapid energy dissipation during high?speed landings, intense braking temperatures, repeated impacts, and comply with rigorous aerospace safety standards over long service lives.
These demands require specialised compounds particularly a higher share of premium natural rubber along with reinforced constructions and aerospace?grade testing systems that cannot be replicated by automotive tire production. Typical aircraft tire formulations contain 60–80 percent natural rubber, compared with 10–30 percent for passenger car tires.
Grand View Research says the global aircraft tire market is projected to reach US$2.68 billion by 2030. For Thailand, whose economy already has deep expertise in rubber cultivation and tire manufacturing, this is not a niche sector but a strategic industrial opportunity.
Over the next two decades, air travel is expected to increase sharply.
The Asia–Pacific region, led by China and India, is projected to account for 46 percent of global demand for new aircraft.
Within that, China alone is forecast to require more than 8,800 new commercial aircraft to serve its growing economy and expanding domestic network.
To seize this opportunity, the Thai government should act swiftly to initiate discussions with the Chinese government.
Other Asean rubber producing nations may pursue the same idea, but but we are the closest historically friendly neighbor with plenty of rubber plantations.

M L Saksiri Kridakorn,
Bangkok,
Thailand

 

Pope Leo XIV Admirably qualifies for the Fifa Peace Prize The Southeast Asian Times, Monday December 15, 2025 First published in the Bangkok Post, Saturday December 13, 2025

Re: "Pope issues ceasefire call", Bangkok Post World, Friday December 12,
2025.
With all respect to the pope, we all know that his call for a ceasefire between Thailand and Cambodia will be ignored by both sides.
And his prayers for "those dear people" will have zero effect.
But his statement admirably qualifies him for the next Fifa Peace Prize.

David Brown
Bangkok
Thailand

 

Southeast Asia, fractured and full of strife Is what plays into China's hands The Southeast Asian Times, Sunday December 14, 2025 First published in the Bangkok Post Saturday December 13, 2025

Re: "Edging far from peace", Bangkok Post Editorial, Thursday December 11, 2025.
Speaking plainly, Thailand and Cambodia are at war. Politicians, media, and Cambodia's subversive ally have whipped up a psychotic nationalism so absurd that people are willing to enlist in the hostilities and possibly face death.
It is well known that when a top politician loses popularity, there is nothing like a war to revive it.
The leaders of both Thailand and Cambodia use this to their personal advantage.
However, Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul has erred by continuing to pursue the traditional Thai strategy of alignment with both the US and China. This is not the post-World War II era.
China has been at war with the US for at least 30 years, and Cambodia has become its fiefdom.
That the US talks in a friendly manner to Cambodia should not hurt Thai feelings. Thailand has been sweet-talking China for decades.
Southeast Asia, fractured and full of strife, is what plays into China's hands. Myanmar is a good example of what happens.
One might hope that Prime Minister Anutin would turn to Washington, DC, rather than Beijing, given current conditions, and avoid further "clashes" at all costs. There is no virtue in war, and in war, there is no virtue in either losing or winning. War is what petulant, unwise children do.

Michael Setter,
Bangkok,
Thailand

 

Pattaya Bank officials arrested For aiding scammers to open accounts The Southeast Asian Times, Saturday December 13, 2025 First published in the Bangkok Post Thursday December 11, 2025

Re: "Baffling bank rules", Bangkok Post, PostBag, Saturday December 6, 2025 Shane's frustration with the difficulties of opening a bank account as a foreigner is understandable.
As far as I know, there is no law forbidding foreigners from opening new bank accounts. It is entirely at the bank's discretion.
What led to the stiff measures was the reported arrest of several bank officials in May at a bank in Pattaya for aiding scammers to open accounts to receive and divert fraudulent money.
Immediately after this incident, most of the banks found themselves in hot water.
They started to clean up their own houses while tightening the acceptance of new foreigners' accounts.
There are reported crackdowns on suspicious accounts owned by foreigners.
Right now, campaigns to shut down scammers nationwide are a hot topic; naturally, banks are more cautious than ever in screening new bank account applications.
In the meantime, Shane may have to wait for the big banks until the report on scammers' cases fades from the headlines, or try to contact smaller private banks looking for depositors.
The latter may welcome Shane with an olive branch.

Yingwai Suchaovanich,
Bangkok,
Thailand

Almost no one working in Phuket owns a home And many can barely afford rent The Southeast Asian Times, Friday December 12 2025 First published in the Bangkok Post Sunday December 7, 2025

Re: "Hurdles for sustainable tourism in Phuket", in Bangkok Post, Friday November 26, 2025.
Thank you for the article.
Tourism is rarely sustainable, despite all the banners and cheerful speeches as industry players exchange bouquets.
Holidaymakers take long showers.
They generate trash, human waste and detergent runoff.
How would they know anything about Phuket's limited trash incineration and water-treatment capacity?
Even basic garbage collection is a challenge and often leaves a lingering smell.
This coming high season will bring the worst traffic yet, as the post-Covid building boom has created record numbers of villas and micro-flats for visitors.
The province hasn't built a new road in more than 20 years. Phuket has virtually no public transport.
Even the excellent Smart Bus lacks support from the thousands of businesses along its north–south beach route.
Bhummikitti Ruktaengam, president of the Sustainable Tourism Development Foundation, suggests residents move their registration to Phuket. He has identified a core problem: almost no one working in Phuket owns a home here, and many can barely afford rent. As a result, local government is accountable mainly to families rooted here since the days when Phuket produced cashews, coconuts and rubber.
The notable exception is Phuket Town, where the younger generation, the same people who helped deliver the Sandbox, have revitalised the city and made it increasingly appealing. Crucially, they have given tourists something many popular beach areas still lack: pedestrian access.

AM Phuket,
Phuket,
Thailand

No credit is given for Thai Anutin PM for establishing Good relations with both presidents Trump and Xi The Southeast Asian Times, Thursday December 11 2025 First published in the Bangkok Post Wednesday December 10, 2025

Re: "Thailand hit by a confluence of crises", Bangkok Post Opinion, Friday December 5, 2025.
Reading Thitinan Pongsudhirak's above column, one could be forgiven for assuming that before Anutin Charnvirakul became Prime Minister, there were no scam centres, no police corruption, nor any tropical storms.
Khun Thitinan cuts Anutin no slack.
Apparently, the woes of the world can be laid at his doorstep.
Indeed, I was surprised that Ajarn Thitinan didn't attempt to blame Mr Anutin for the debacle at the recent Miss Universe Competition.
No credit is given for Mr Anutin establishing good relations with both presidents Trump and Xi. His defence of Thailand sovereignty without further bloodshed is dismissed as sabre-rattling.
The Chinese rice order and efforts to boost rural incomes are not worthy of note. Nor is the successful rollout of the Kon La Khrueng scheme.
His frequent visits to Hat Yai are also ignored. Unlike his predecessor, he didn't choose to hide in Bangkok but was active on the ground, taking responsibility.
Strangely, it is palpable that the columnist has not cast his sceptical eyes over the People's Party and Pheu Thai policies to deal with these crises.
No wonder, because they do not have any.
One thing is clear: the People's Party make unreliable allies.
One day they back Mr Anutin and the next they are flirting with Pheu Thai. I wish them well in forming a coalition after the election, should they fail to win a majority.
It's entirely a matter for the Thai people to decide who should form the next government.
But to this observer, the choice is already clear.
Chaos and conflict with the ideologues of the Pheu Thai: or a Pheu Thai government whose only concern would be securing the early release of Thaksin; or a pragmatic moderate centre ground government of reform with Mr Anutin at the helm.

Simon Turner,
Bangkok,
Thailand

Stock Exchange of Thailand no longer Legitimate long-term savings vehicle The Southeast Asian Times, Wednesday December 10, 2025 First published in the Bangkok Post Sunday December 7, 2025

Re: "Thai bourse seeks to jump start growth", Bangkok Post Business, Saturday December 6, 2025.
Reading with interest and trying hard to make sense of these new "Jump+" SET reforms?
One core aspect is the important role Thai brokers play.
Over the past 10 years Thai retail investor participation in the local stock exchange has dwindled from 50 percent of total trading volume to barely 30 percent.
Brokers far too often induce or sanction over-trading, vs responsible investing. Over time, hyper-trading results in a poor investor experience, and investors no longer seeing the Stock Exchange of Thailand (SET) as a legitimate long-term savings vehicle.
This is what Stock Exchange of Thailand (SET) reforms should address.

Paul A Renaud,
Bangkok,
Thailand

Call for Thailand PM to strengthen the nation's ability To manage and mitigate disasters. The Southeast Asian Times, Tuesday December 9 2025 First published in the Bangkok Post Sunday December 7, 2025

Re: "New sub-committees 'to boost readiness'", Bangkok Post, December 5, 2025 and "Disaster struck as preparation fell short", Bangkok Post Opinion, December 3, 2025.
Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul should implement Thailand Development Research Institute (TDRI) recommendations to quickly strengthen the nation's ability to manage and mitigate disasters. In the South, for example, he should:
Give provincial governors true "super-CEO" authority to coordinate all local agencies.
Disasters emerge locally and require rapid, provincial-level decisions.
Yet Mr Anutin's proposed five sub-committees are all Bangkok-based and add to the red tape already created by 48 agencies in 13 ministries with overlapping water-management roles.
Worse, his five sub-committees have no clear overall leader.
Upgrade warning systems.
Nearly half the equipment is non-functional.
Fix it and integrate topography and land-use data into forecasts because the present 33 percent accuracy for next-day forecasts is worse than flipping a coin.
Partner with local universities for risk modelling and data analysis.
Strengthen Hat Yai's Disaster Research Center, for example, through planning with the Office of National Water Resources and the Irrigation Department, and expand public education and drills.
Then replicate the Hat Yai DRC model in other regions.
Regulate flood-prone land use.
Enforce zoning limits, remove vulnerable structures with fair compensation, and prioritise prevention over reactive dam-building.
Create professional river-basin management units with clear mandates to reduce overlapping, part-time committees.
Mr Anutin, you've already signalled plans to dissolve Parliament soon. Please act quickly.

Burin Kantabutra,
Bangkok,
Thailand

 

Call for United Nations Climate Change Summit To support farming and tree planting The Southeast Asian Times, Monday December 8, 2025 First published in the Bangkok Post Thursday December 6, 2025

Re: "Forecasts raise fears in Indonesia, Sri Lanka", Bangkok Post World, December 5, 2025 and "Carbon capture promoters turn out in force at COP30: NGO", Bangkok Post World, November 18, 2025.
Following the release of the latest Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) climate change report, almost all media outlets have been highlighting its key takeaways.
The recent floods in Sri Lanka and Southeast Asian nations, including the southern region of Thailand, are the worst example of this kind.
On all these occasions, the IPCC has often discussed sensible measures such as planting trees and developing forests to address climate change.
Interestingly enough, my native areas in Tamil Nadu have been hubs of natural resources, including large trees, rivers, seas, and mountains, as well as home to rigorous agricultural activities such as crop cultivation.
As a matter of fact, such green activities and natural canopies will definitely act as a protective layer to absorb emissions, help drain floods, and brace coastal communities against rising-sea-induced coastal erosion.
On top of all, public awareness is crucial to the fight against climate change. In fact, great efforts by green activists like Greta Thunberg towards climate change mitigation should be encouraged and appreciated.
Additionally, humans have been heavily reliant on natural resources and have been eating food derived from agricultural produce.
Just imagine what would happen to the world and humanity if farming were destroyed by climate change?
United Nations Climate Change Summit parleys should be more about taking decisive action than anything else, by supporting farming in all its forms and encouraging green activities like planting trees across every corner of the world, so as to arrest the impacts of climate change in the best possible way.

Senthil Saravana Durai,
Bangkok.
Thailand

Thailand has the lowest GDP growth Of all ASEAN nations The Southeast Asian Times, Sunday December 7, 2025 First published in the Bangkok Post Wednesday December 5, 2025

RE: "Thailand now the sick man of Asean", Bangkok Post, Opinion, Thursday October 30, 2025.
Thailand's economy is not doing well at all right now, according to columnist Chartchai Parasuk.
It has basically the lowest rate of GDP growth of all ASEAN nations, and the people are burdened by high levels of debt.
The best way for Thailand to achieve a standard of living similar to Malaysia or Singapore would be for the government to develop a knowledge system based on Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM), he notes.
Well, good luck on that!
Even Mr Chartchai admits that this would take at least 20 years to achieve, since this would entail the revamping of the whole arts-based Thai education.

Paul,
Bangkok,
Thailand

PM Anutin should draw lessons from Hat Yai To improve flood control infrastructure and mechanisms The Southeast Asian Times, Saturday December 6, 2025 First published in the Bangkok Post Tuesday December 4, 2025

Re: "Anutin's credibility shaken by floods", Bangkok Post, Opinion, Monday November 29, 2025.
The devastating flood in Hat Yai demonstrates how unprepared and incapable the current government is.
In 2001, Udon Thani saw its worst flood ever, though of a lesser magnitude than Hat Yai's.
I remember my factory on the outskirts of Udon Thani was inundated overnight after then-prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra ordered that water be pumped from the city with all the available water pumps in the region.
I accompanied an assistant provincial governor who toured the factory compound on a boat.
But after the visit, I never heard anything from him, nor did I receive any flood relief from local authorities.
As usual, the water naturally receded after a week following do it yourself DIY or remedies.
Shortly after the flood, a pragmatic governor named Chaiyapon Rattanaka took office.
During his four years as Udon Thani governor, measures were implemented to improve flood control infrastructures.
These included the expansion and widening of existing natural waterways and urban canals, the construction of a new drainage system in the city, and the development of multiple water retention ponds.
Udon Thani hasn't seen any significant flooding since then.
From September 2023, PM Anutin Charnvirakul has been at the helm of the Interior Ministry, apart from the few months from June to August when his party withdrew from the Pheu Thai coalition government.
An interior minister should know well that many provinces, including Hat Yai, are prone to flooding, and implementing flood control projects and measures, if any, should be a priority.
Attention to the Hat Yai flood disaster will fade away once Mr Anutin calls a snap election.
If Mr Anutin returns as prime minister, which is highly likely, he should draw the lessons from Hat Yai to improve flood control infrastructure and mechanisms throughout the country.

Yingwai Suchaovanich,
Bangkok,
Thailand

The effect of toxins on food irrigated by water Coming from the poisonous Kok River is worrying The Southeast Asian Times, Friday December 5, 2025 First published in the Bangkok Post Thursday December 4, 2025

Re: ''Toxic threat sweeps all before it", Bangkok Post, December 1, 2025. Your recent report left me more than a little confused about a village I have known for 37 years.
The description bore little resemblance to the village I visit maybe four times a week when I visit my local supermarket or withdraw money from the ATM.
Those golden years of rafting took place before the highway was constructed over the mountain range.
There were also regular long-tailed boats, the quick way in those days to Chiang Rai.
But once a decent highway, the 107-1089, was cut through the hills, Tha Ton was reachable by lunchtime, and the need for an overnight stay was removed.
Trekking trips dried up many years ago, and the cheaper hotels that relied on them are just about all gone.
For a while, large bus groups of Chinese passed through either going to or from Doi Mae Salong, but they disappeared after the Covid-19 outbreak.
A new boat pier opposite the Saranya Hotel looked like efforts to revive tourism were underway, but the riverfront and part of the pier were destroyed by the huge flood 15 months ago and still haven't been repaired.
For the few tourists who do arrive, there are few good eating places, no bustling night market and one nightlife bar/entertainment venue.
Much of the riverfront is derelict, and only the Saranya and the recently rebuilt restaurant opposite look modern, clean and reputable.
Far more worrying for us who live here is the effect of the toxins on the food coming from the river-edge fields, irrigated by water in blue pipes still visible coming from the Kok River.
One obvious truth from your report is that local authorities appear to be doing nothing to halt that activity, to ensure our markets are not selling poisonous goods and offer us clear information on where the toxins stop.

Steve Merchant,
Bangkok,
Thailand

 

No coming back from the devastation The Chinese Land Bridge will wreak upon Thailand The Southeast Asian Times Thursday December 4, 2025 First published in the Bangkok Post Tuesday December 2, 2025

Re: "Land Bridge built on shaky science", Bangkok Post Editorial, Tuesday November 23, 2025.
This editorial deserves to have an expanded whitepaper, slideshow, and video presentation offered nationwide to illustrate the indisputable facts point by point.
Marine scientists, environmentalists and fishing communities have exposed the government's Environmental and Health Impact Assessment (EHIA) as a bald-faced mountain of lies.
Fraudulent science is the least of it, but it does illustrate well just how far the administration is willing to go to deceive people.
Is the government the greatest treasure of this land?
Or are the magnificent natural wonders which the government wants to destroy worth more than their sorry selves?
If Thaksin or any bejewelled bigwig, for that matter rots in jail for crimes committed against the nation, will it bring back the treasures that will forever be destroyed to build this trillion-baht megaproject?
Of course not.
Far worse than a war with Cambodia, there is no coming back from the devastation the Land Bridge project will wreak upon this nation.
Does Thailand really want to mow down the jungle, displace farmers, and put up new towns with Chinese signage everywhere while giant cargo ships putter around in the Gulf spilling bilge water and spewing diesel fumes?
If the government cannot understand this pending tragedy as the crime that it really is, then they must be removed for failing to protect Thailand's national interests. No two ways about it.

Michael Setter,
Bangkok,
Thailand

 

Thailand's zero percent inflation sounds neat But it often signals weak demand The Southeast Asian Times Wednesday 3 December 2025 First published in the Bangkok Post Wednesday November 26, 2025

Re: "New central bank governor envisions expanded role", Bangkok Post, Business, Monday November 24, 2025.
Thailand's zero percent to even slightly continued negative inflation is not good.
Healthy economies usually aim for about 2 percent inflation as this is enough to keep money circulating, but not so high that it erodes purchasing power quickly.
This zero percent inflation sounds neat, but it often signals weak demand.
This can mean slow growth, low investment, businesses hesitant to expand, and wages staying stagnant, it increases the risk of slipping into deflation.
Deflation is trouble as people then just delay purchases, companies cut prices, profits shrink, and layoffs start.
Debts become costlier, as with 0 percent or negative inflation, the real burden of debt rises for governments, companies, and already heavily indebted Thai consumers.

Paul A Renaud,
Bangkok,
Thailand

Call for Thailand's inflatable raft manufacturers To design rafts for survival in floods The Southeast Asian Times Tuesday 2 December 2025 First published in the Bangkok Post Sunday November 30, 2025

Re: "When flood warnings come too late", in Bangkok Post Opinion, Monday November 29, 2025.
It must be obvious by now, to everyone who lives in Thailand, that a solution to widespread seasonal flooding is not at hand.
Blaming the government, while tempting, will not solve anything.
Throwing one's hands in the air and blaming everything on climate change will not solve anything either.
I would like to suggest several points which I hope might help alleviate the suffering by people in flood prone areas.
There are numerous inflatable raft manufacturers and or sellers in Thailand.
Why does the government not have a design competition for rafts that are built for survival during floods and give the winner a contract for 200,000 rafts to start?
The government can specify the features required, such as an easily retractable roof and solar panels on the side of the raft which would charge a battery.
Small electric compressors are cheap and already a feature of inflatable household mattresses.
It was recently announced that EV motorcycle sales are not what the government had hoped for.
Why not ask motorcycle EV manufacturers to work with the winner of the raft design contest to allow an electric motorcycle to power the raft through its battery system?
A removable rigid bottom that would allow not only motor cycles to be carried, but allow for cooking and sleeping.
Every raft would have a unique VIN, and one would be given to every registered household in flood hit areas for the last 15 years. A floatable carrying case would contain each raft.
Also part of the competition would be designing large inflatable flotation platforms that would serve as emergency kitchens that cook and hand out food.
Other large platforms like this could also serve as clinics, police security posts, and both food and fuel supply points.
This would also be a cost to the government, but it would not be a huge cost relative to government revenue or reserves.
Very large elevated car parks should be built near flood prone areas. They won't be able to hold all the vehicles in one area, but maybe the motorways can hold the rest as some are doing now?
These dedicated car parks would then be used to store the kitchen, clinic, and police platforms noted above during non-flood seasons.
Floods just don't happen in Thailand. If the raft designs are creatively done to do the best job possible in protecting and providing comfort to people in harm's way, this would then become an export opportunity.
This would provide additional employment and revenue to the government.
A simple idea, easy to execute and finance, would provide an enduring legacy for any government that wished to take up the challenge.
Solutions for mitigating the floods is a letter for another day.

Stan Pattaya,
Bangkok,
Thailand

The Rome Statute of the ICC relevant to Philippines Despite Philippines withdrawal from the Rome Statute The Southeast Asian Times Monday1 December 2025 First published in the Philippine Inquirer Friday November 28 2025

Republic Act No. 9851, the Philippine Act on Crimes Against International Humanitarian Law, Genocide, and Other Crimes Against Humanity, does not require implementing rules and regulations (IRR), contrary to the contention of the legal counsel of Sen. Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa.
This is in view of his possible surrender or extradition by the Philippine government under Section 17 to the International Criminal Court, based on the warrant of arrest and surrender for Dela Rosa as a charged co-perpetrator in the crimes against humanity of murder case linked to former President Rodrigo Duterte’s “drug war.”
Dela Rosa’s counsel further contends that surrendering or extraditing the senator under Section 17 without an IRR would be unconstitutional purportedly for depriving him of liberty without due process of law, with the IRR serving as the legal instrument of that due process.
Before dealing with this issue of procedural due process and safeguards for a Section 17 surrender or extradition of Dela Rosa to the ICC under RA 9851, it should be noted that the law has been in effect since early 2010, or for more than 15 years, without an IRR. RA 9851 has also been reaffirmed and applied several times by the Supreme Court.
In Pangilinan v. Cayetano (2021), the Supreme Court reaffirmed the fallback value of RA 9851. There have also already been convictions and acquittals for violations of RA 9851 at the regional trial court (RTC) level.
These judicial affirmatory rulings and applications of RA 9851 were done even without an IRR. The legislative intent of RA 9851 indicates that it no longer requires an IRR, otherwise one would have been provided.
As it is, a number of our major criminal laws, most notably the Revised Penal Code, the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act, and the Anti-Plunder Act, do not provide for an IRR. Even without an IRR, these are laws that can and must be implemented.
RA 9851’s constitutionality has never been questioned before the Supreme Court. We may sooner or later see it being questioned there in case not only of a RA 9851 Section 17 surrender or extradition of Dela Rosa to the ICC, but also in a possible later RA 9851 case for the crime against humanity of murder that may yet be filed, as ought to be, in the RTC against perpetrators of the Duterte “drug war,” whether or not they are haled to the ICC.
Dealing now with the issue of procedural due process and safeguards, in the absence of an IRR, the law itself provides the recourse under Section 10, which covers the “applicability of international law.”
This includes the Rome Statute whose Article 59 on “arrest proceedings in the custodial state” which also covers interim release and surrender is particularly relevant to the Philippine government’s continuing obligation to cooperate with the ICC, despite its withdrawal from the Rome Statute.
The Rome Statute’s Article 59(2) provides that “A person arrested shall be brought promptly before the competent judicial authority in the custodial State which shall determine, in accordance with the law of that State, that: (a)
The warrant applies to that person; (b)
The person has been arrested in accordance with the proper process; and (c)
The person’s rights have been respected.”
The “competent judicial authority” can be an RTC which has original and exclusive jurisdiction over crimes against humanity, or it can and would likely be the Supreme Court, in this prominent case of first impression.
We have laws on arrest and rights of arrested persons.
No need for an IRR.

Soliman M. Santos Jr.,
Mnaila,
Philippines

Tidal gauge measurements consistently reveal There is no sea-level rise The Southeast Asian Times Sunday November 30, 2025 First published in the Bangkok Post, Saturday November 29, 2025

Re: "Rising heat needs urgent response", Bangkok Post Opinion, Monday November 24, 2025.
After repeating the obligatory but egregiously false lie that this year was the hottest on record, the United Nations climate alarmists claim, "By 2060, under a high-emissions scenario, the Islamic Republic of Iran, Mongolia, Myanmar, Turkey and Uzbekistan could lose more than 70 percent of their glacier mass. These phenomena also add to sea-level rise, raising existential risks for some countries in the Pacific."
The current estimated annual global land-ice loss corresponds to 1.8mm of sea-level rise per year.
Even if all of the land ice in the above-mentioned five nations disappeared entirely, the resultant sea level change would be so small as to be undetectable.
Such mathematically projected changes based upon intentionally skewed models still cannot demonstrate "existential risks for some countries in the Pacific". Tidal gauge measurements, the only real and directly observed data for sea level rise, consistently reveal there is none.
The UN and its bloated bureaucracy rarely achieve anything that remotely justifies their existence.

Michael Setter,
Bangkok,
Thailand

Thailand's Small and Medium-sized Enterprises Starved of financing under strict inflexible lending rules The Southeast Asian Times Saturday November 29, 2025 First published in the Bangkok Post, Thursday November 27, 2025

Re: "Home seizures spike on bad debt", Bangkok Post, Business, Tuesday November 25, 2025.
Thailand's household debt crisis isn't caused by a lack of credit, it's caused by credit going to the wrong group.
Banks and lenders make it incredibly easy for households to take on personal loans and credit card debt at some of the highest interest rates in the region.
Apart from that, there are car loans with low down payments and promotions offered by collaborating with car sellers.
Meanwhile, the very sector that creates jobs and income, our Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SME's) is starved of financing under strict, inflexible lending rules and regulations, sometimes demanding triple security, such as a title deed, personal guarantee, and forcing them to buy an insurance policy on top of that.
So instead of empowering people to earn more, the system encourages them to borrow more.
That's the imbalance that needs to be fixed.

The Reformist Mind,
Bangkok,
Thailand

U.S. President Donald Trump should be happy That others ike him are cheering the China obsolete system The Southeast Asian Times Friday November 28, 2025 First published in the Bangkok Post, Wednesday November 26, 2025

Re: "Know the difference", Bangkok Post, PostBag, Friday November 21, 2025.
Sibeymai is correct that I am not a military strategist.
But with a science background from Imperial College, London, though many decades ago, perhaps I can offer a simple, easy-to-understand insight.
The water that circulates through a nuclear reactor, in a sealed primary loop of pipes, absorbs heat from nuclear fission.
These highly radioactive waters carry heat from the core to the steam generators, which then heat the water and steam in a secondary loop that builds the massive steam required for the catapults on an aircraft carrier.
After creating a massive pulse by steam and ejecting an aircraft, a significant portion of water is lost overboard, and this is the water that the ship's desalination plant must constantly replace.
Such inefficiency in building up steam is only one of many reasons why America's super nuclear-powered carrier, USS Gerald R Ford, abandoned the steam catapult.
The conventional steam system offers less precise launch control, is difficult to adjust for varying aircraft weights, and incurs high maintenance costs.
The Chinese carriers are not powered by diesel engines; they use different propulsion systems across their current three carriers.
The latest 003 Fujian carrier is conventionally powered by integrated electric propulsion.
The soon-to-be-released 004 carrier will use nuclear propulsion and is coupled with the unique Chinese electromagnetic catapults.
Donald Trump should be happy that some others are cheering the obsolete system like him.

Yingwai Suchaovanich,
Bangkok,
Thailand

100,000 trees felled in Amazon rain forest to make way For highway to Cop30 climate summit in Belem, Brazil The Southeast Asian Times Thursday November 27, 2025 First published in the Bangkok Post, Tuesday November 24, 2025

Re: "Fossil fuel showdown looms on UN climate summit's final day", Bangkok Post, World, Friday November 21, 2025.
A fire broke out at the climate conference in Brazil.
A conference for 50,000 people who had travelled by private jet to Brazil to protect the environment and save the world.
To comfortably reach the conference centre from the plane, 100,000 trees in the endangered Amazon rainforest were cut down to create a four-lane highway.
The participants stayed in two luxury cruise ships fuelled by crude oil because they wanted air conditioning.
While these participants were discussing the need for the rest of humanity to abandon fossil fuels, their conference, too, was fuelled by fossil fuels, as the fire revealed.
Photos show the participants standing outside among diesel generators and trucks fuelled by diesel.
No unreliable energy by wind or solar panels for the climate activists.
Once again, as this episode shows, these hypocrites demonstrate that protecting the climate and environment is irrelevant to them.
Only other people should live by their rules and, in the future, live in poverty on unreliable wind and solar energy.

Anna Aarts,
Bangkok,
Thailand

How does ASEAN sustain centrality Under bilateral pressure and transactional diplomacy The Southeast Asian Times Wednesday November 26, 2025 First published in the Bangkok Post, Tuesday November 24, 2025

Re: "Asean regains footing despite setbacks", in Bangkok Post Opinion, Friday November 21, 2025.
In the light of the Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) recent successes, as well as in the face of its persistent internal divergences, it is imperative to ask how the grouping sustain its "centrality" when external powers increasingly shape final results through bilateral pressure and transactional diplomacy.
Reality shows that without effective solidarity of Asean's members, the centrality of this regional institution risks remaining just aspirational.

Ioan Voicu,
Bangkok,
Thailand

Motorcyclists ride on footpaths in Bangkok Roads pose danger to anyone on two wheels The Southeast Asian Times Tuesday November 25, 2025 First published in the Bangkok Post, Sunday November 23, 2025

Re: "City Hall expands project to renovate walkways", in Bangkok Post, March 21, 2025.
As a topic of widespread concern, the use of footpaths by motorcyclists in Bangkok has persisted for as long as I can remember.
One major reason for this intransigence, I believe, is that crowded roads pose real dangers to anyone on two wheels.
However, the growing number of motorcycle taxis, goods delivery riders and couriers while providing valuable public services has also contributed to the problem.
Many ride wherever they please, and often as fast as they please.
AI CCTV cameras have been introduced to catch motorcyclists in pedestrian areas, but they seem to have had little effect.
The government has paid limited attention to this issue, and anyone who walks regularly can attest to the risks of using footpaths today.
Police are visible, but I have rarely seen them stop offending riders though perhaps they do on occasion.
Most motorcycle taxis are registered, but this does not appear to lessen the risks they pose to pedestrians.
Bangkok is a major tourism centre, and the situation hardly leaves a good impression on visitors.
Would it be possible for commercial operators to enforce rules for their riders?
If not, the government should step in and impose heavy fines on business owners for the actions of their employees.
Someone must take responsibility.

Richard Jones,
Bangkok,
Thailand

Call for Thailand Finance policymakers to revisit The core principles of free-market capitalism The Southeast Asian Times, Monday November 24, 2025 First published in the Bangkok Post, Sunday November 23, 2025

Re: "Minister vows VAT increases", in Bangkok Post, November 21, 2025.
Not once in this article is the collection of income tax mentioned.
No one pays their fair share, many fudge the figures, and plenty do not even bother to file.
The Value Added Tax (VAT) programme is a weight dragging down productivity, yet the Finance Ministry thinks it is a good idea to increase it.
Why?
Purportedly to show investors the government is stable, though Fitch and Moody's clearly disagree.
Perhaps the finance policymakers could revisit the core principles of free-market capitalism.
They might also consider urging banks to stop perpetually inflating their non-performing loans, allowing the real estate sector to return to a genuine supply-and-demand marketplace rather than one where asset prices rise regardless of overall economic conditions.
Or how about investing in workforce development so Thailand becomes competitive enough for the Foreign Business Act to become obsolete? And then there is the radical notion of greater foreign ownership, which might actually bring much-needed investment.
But no, instead, let's raise VAT to the maximum and wreak havoc on poor households.

Michael Setter,
Bangkok,
Thailand

The US carriers are nuclear powered The Chinese carriers are diesel powered The Southeast Asian Times, Sunday November 23, 2025 First published in the Bangkok Post, Friday November 21, 2025

Re: "Naval innovation", in Bangkok Post PostBag, Thursday November 20, 2025.
Clearly, Yingwai Suchaovanich is not a military strategist.
The writer praises China's mastery of technology and would have us believe that electromagnetic catapults on their latest aircraft carrier are superior to steam driven catapults on American carriers.
The Chinese carriers are diesel powered.
The kinetic energy produced must be converted to electricity, possibly by steam. So to function, the catapult requires the engine itself, condensers, turbines, generators, transformers, as well as transmission and control equipment all multiple failure points and highly susceptible to damage in combat situations, or even possible electronic counter measures.
The US carriers are nuclear powered.
What does a nuclear reactor have an endless supply of?
Steam!
It is relatively simple to physically get steam from the nuclear reactor to the catapult, with no energy conversion required, no complicated or vulnerable technology.
It is tried and tested. Provided the reactor is still generating steam the catapults can still function or are relatively easy to repair.
Just because you can apply technology to something does not always mean you should.

Sibeymai,
Bangkok,
Thailand

USS Gerald R Ford commissioned in 2017 China Fujian commissioned 2025 The Southeast Asian Times, Saturday November 22, 2025 First published in the Bangkok Post Friday November 21, 2025