2021 did not augur well for many in Southeast Asia. One month in, a military coup occurred in Myanmar, implemented by generals who were humiliated at the ballot box the previous November, ousting the democratically-elected…

US secretary of state Antony Blinken almost made it to Thailand. Blinken had planned to visit his counterpart, Thai foreign minister Don Pramudwinai, but a journalist following the secretary tested positive for Covid-19. linken’s Thailand visit…

It was the power of social media that propelled two Buddhist monks in Thailand to become household names, their online broadcast on Facebook mixing jokes with unconventional wisdom. Well versed in the language and slang of…

The United Nations signed the Universal Declaration of Human Rights in 1948 and now marks the event annually on 10 December with the commemoration of Human Rights Day.  As this day passes year after year,…

Sometimes, it’s helpful for American presidents to have a doctrine, as they help guide policy and sharpen both strategy and messaging. Former President George W. Bush sharply defined his presidency on the doctrine of “either…

Each member state of the United Nations takes part in the Universal Periodic Review (UPR) process every five years. The aims are simple enough: evaluate and improve the human rights situations in all 193 UN…

After almost two years of interrupted education in Thailand due to the drawn out effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, children are feeling drained, exhausted, and depressed. The United Nations warned recently that a return to…

In the smoky aftermath of the Taliban’s quick retaking of Afghanistan, Quad members India, Japan, Australia met for the first time in person in September this year, discussing a wide range of agenda items, from…

When it was released in mid-September, the South Korean survival drama Squid Game captivated the world’s attention. Within four weeks, more than 140 million Netflix subscribers binge-watched the television programme, making it the streaming giant’s most-watched…

Last Monday, Thai Prime Minister Prayut Chan-ocha, at the United Nations Global Climate Change Conference (COP26) in Glasgow, Scotland told the assembled crowd that climate change is the “gravest challenge of our time” and highlighted that Thailand…