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Our war against graft requires action
The controversial cop killing at a house party in Nakhon Pathom province hosted by Praween “Kamnan Nok” Chankhlai has spotlighted the unholy collaboration between local mafias and policemen. In this partner-in-crime relationship, bribery has been the currency that greases the wheel of corruption, from rigged procurement to bribes for overweight trucks. As such, the Kamnan […]
Tech news still cowed by digital giants
As more and more people get news and information from social media, one key issue has emerged in the international arena: bargaining power between news outlets and social media giants for fair remuneration. Some countries have enacted laws requiring major social media platforms to pay for news. A glaring example was when Australia in 2021 introduced the News Media and Digital Platforms Mandatory Bargaining Code (News Media […]
Finding a remedy for reckless driving
Every year, nearly 20,000 people are killed in road accidents in Thailand. That is 50 people every day or two every two hours. Such a horrific toll makes Thailand’s roads among the most dangerous in the world. The loss not only concerns human lives. The economic cost to the government amounts to nearly 500 billion […]
Tackling vague laws, for public safety
In Bangkok’s construction industry, demands for kickbacks from city authorities are nothing new. But when it was the Bangkok governor who exposed the corruption himself, change may be on the way. Early in June, governor Chadchart Sittipunt reportedly revealed an attempt by a public works official from the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) to demand 300,000 […]
Fixing fiscal laws to have fair elections
As the election campaign heats up, political parties are fiercely competing to win votes by offering generous cash handouts, raising concerns about their impact on the country’s fiscal discipline for the incoming administration. Such concerns are warranted. Yet the focus on the post-election financial burden should not overshadow the outgoing administration’s last-minute budget spending for […]
Removing oppressive school rules
School uniform and hairstyle rules are part and parcel of Thailand’s education.Three years ago, groups that called themselves “progressive students” started to challenge the stiff rules, calling for the state to respect their rights to make their own decisions. The staunch campaign caused the Ministry of Education (MOE) to ease its rules on hairstyles, allowing […]
Challenges in tackling PM2.5 crisis
Chiang Mai has repeatedly been named the world’s most air-polluted city this year. Not exactly a title to be envious about. The city was hit hard by PM2.5 ultra-fine dust on March 31. IQair.com, an air quality reporting website, reported Chiang Mai had an air quality index of 320 with an ultra-fine PM2.5 dust level […]
Uncertainty ahead for Thai economy
The Thai economy will face many headwinds but also tailwinds next year, mainly from the global economy and geopolitical tensions. In 2022, the Thai economy slowly recovered from the Covid pandemic as lockdowns ended and the economy was reopened to international travel. After contracting by more than 6% in 2020, Thailand’s real gross domestic product […]
How to avoid EEC waste ‘time bomb’
Despite the government’s bravado about the Eastern Economic Corridor (EEC) being the country’s economic powerhouse, one important question still gets an elusive answer: Has the EEC fulfilled its promise of protecting the environment? The environmental concern is valid. Take the Eastern Seaboard, for example — the location of heavy industry as well as the Map […]