Recent Commentary
Pheu Thai is Banking on Corruption to Remedy Thailand’s Informal Economy
It’s one of the oldest marketing gimmicks in the world and it hasn’t lost its appeal. You’ve seen the slogans before: “Enter now for your chance to win!” Companies have expanded their market share by…
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Ahead of Snap Elections, Japan Needs Radical Honesty
Just months after being selected by her party as leader and later the first woman to become prime minister of Japan, Sanae Takaichi announced the dissolution of parliament, which will trigger an election on February…
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The Political Neglect of Thailand’s Deep South Cannot Continue
In the Deep South provinces of Thailand, violence is commonplace in January. In this month in 2025, two border patrol officers were killed in Narathiwat when their truck hit an explosive device. Around the same time,…
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Japan Must (Again) Resist Xenophobia amid ‘Japan First’ Rhetoric
As the 9th TICAD, the Tokyo International Conference on African Development concluded in Yokohama City, late last month, a seemingly innocent initiative to foster “hometown” partnerships was launched by the Japan International Development Agency (JICA)…
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Thai Royal Defamation Case Against American Academic Could Have Dire Consequences
Earlier this month, the prominent American academic Dr. Paul Chambers, a lecturer at Naresuan University in Phitsanulok, Thailand, was arrested on charges of insulting the Thai monarchy (lese-majeste). In addition to causing international headlines and earning a quick…
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The Dangerous Implications of Paul Chambers’ Article 112 Arrest
Charges under Thailand’s strict lese-majeste law used to be rare, both for Thais and foreigners. When foreigners were charged, it made public headlines, and such was the case of a drunken Swiss man, who defaced…
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Thailand’s Cooperation With China on Cross-border Crime Comes at a Cost
During Thai Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra’s recent meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing, one of the main topics of discussion was the proliferation of scam centers close to Thailand’s borders in Myanmar, Cambodia,…
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Americans Will Pay For Donald Trump’s Tariff War on China
In the first few weeks of his second term, President Donald Trump has resumed his advocacy for a renegotiation of trade deals, namely with Canada, Mexico and China. While the tenor of Trump’s discourse on…
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B-21 Raider: Future of Stealth Bombers or Costly Air Force Mistake?
After more than three decades in service with the United States Air Force, the Northrop-Grumman-built B-2 Spirit is set to retire, along with its older sibling, the B-1, replaced by the new B-21 Raider. Also…
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Making the Most of Paetongtarn’s Visit to Thailand’s Deep South
On January 14, two border patrol officers in Narathiwat province, in Thailand’s south, were killed when a homemade bomb detonated on their pickup truck on the way to Tua Ngo Border Patrol Police School where…
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