13 Nov 2024
Thai foreign policy in the twilight zone
If foreign policy reflects domestic politics, its unsurprising that Thailand’s diplomacy is confused and haphazard.
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4 Nov 2024
ASEAN countries confront Chinese export glut
Left unchecked, a saturation of Chinese goods may complicate what has otherwise been a very compelling ASEAN growth story. -
31 Oct 2024
Asia’s year of electoral upsets
The poor result for the region’s most successful electoral machine in Japan on Sunday has only underlined a surprisingly bad year for incumbents across Asia. -
11 Oct 2024
Thailand’s path to climate resilience
While the government has taken steps to address the effects of climate change, efforts must be scaled up. -
9 Sep 2024
China’s rise in Southeast Asia is bringing in a golden age for Australia
Disquiet about Beijing’s growing presence is motivating countries across the region to seek deeper cooperation with Canberra. -
15 Aug 2024
Thailand loses a prime minister
Srettha Thavisin was not important, nor will his successor be. -
18 Jun 2024
The carbon sinks of Southeast Asia are in trouble
Global demand for palm oil and paper is threatening a fragile peatland ecosystem. International cooperation is needed now. -
10 May 2024
Thaksin Shinawatra’s Myanmar talks likely driven by politics and money
This is not the first time the former Thai PM has showcased his supposed statesman qualities. -
13 Feb 2024
ASEAN summit a chance for Australia to reach out to mainland Southeast Asia
Melbourne gathering is a unique chance for Australia to relate to Cambodia, Laos and Thailand in ways that do not depend on geopolitical alignment. -
27 Dec 2023
Power in Asia: Six surprising facts
Following the launch of the 2023 Asia Power Index, the authors dig into data that reveals how power is shifting in Asia. -
21 Dec 2023
The changing face of Thai nationalism today
Over the last century, Thailand has swung between two forms of nationalism – one focused on the monarchy, the other on the people. -
15 Dec 2023
The limits of Thailand’s populist politics
The new government is treading a well-worn path with cash hand-outs and other appeals to voters – only many wanted a different approach. -
22 Nov 2023
Why is Myanmar’s new deep-sea port such hot property?
An alternative route to the Strait of Malacca offers China, and others, a safer, faster and more efficient trade route. -
28 Sep 2023
The new Thai PM has his work cut out on Myanmar
After debuting at the UN General Assembly, the Thai PM must get to work on foreign policy issues, not least Myanmar. -
29 Aug 2023
Cambodia, Thailand and dealing with China: The more things change…
New prime ministers might be in the job, but don’t expect any big shifts in approaches to Beijing. -
15 Aug 2023
Pipe dreams: Turning an interconnected ASEAN gas market into a reality
An old idea for a regional network might hold the answer for energy demand into the future. -
14 Aug 2023
Thailand’s monarchy: Heirs and spares
A surprise visit to Thailand by two of King Vajiralongkorn’s sons after an absence of 27 years shows dynastical survival trumps personal animosity. -
29 May 2023
What Thailand’s youth leaders can learn from Chile’s radical government
The Move Forward Party hope to remake politics but that means carrying people along. -
16 May 2023
Thailand’s election: will the country move forward?
The Kingdom’s conservative forces may have little option but to give way to the elected parties, at least for now. -
8 May 2023
Does Thailand’s election matter?
The election won’t be free and fair but it could be highly consequential for the country and the region. -
30 Mar 2023
Paying for a new Thai democracy
The real winners are far from clear, but Thailand’s populist, party jumping election is Asia’s vote to watch this year. -
9 Feb 2023
With caution and tact: How Asian countries voted on Ukraine at the UN
A resolution forces nations to show their hand. After Russia’s invasion, consistency has not been to everyone’s liking. -
24 Aug 2022
Will Thailand’s prime minister defy time?
Depending on how you count it, Prayut Chan-o-cha’s tenure could be up in 2023 … or not. In politics, numbers matter. -
27 Jul 2022
What Vietnam can learn from Thailand’s fight against illegal fishing
After being issued a yellow card, Hanoi must look to its neighbours and international laws for the way forward. -
9 Jun 2022
Thailand seeking to profit from a global food crisis
The war in Ukraine has highlighted weaknesses in Thailand’s policymaking and prompted cartel behaviour … again. -
6 Jun 2022
Proceed with caution: high-speed rail for Bangkok and Kuala Lumpur
The potential connectivity benefits for two of Asia’s big cities are huge. The obstacles are many. -
16 May 2022
Diplomacy is indispensable to manage the Mekong
The goal of a healthy river won’t be helped by misreading the shared mission of the Mekong River Commission. -
12 Apr 2022
How the Mekong River Commission ignores reality
Nothing is worth celebrating in how a once mighty wild river has been cruelly tamed. -
7 Mar 2022
Reading Southeast Asia on Ukraine
Russia’s invasion has unified the West with new clarity, yet exposed ambiguity and uncertainty in Southeast Asia. -
1 Dec 2021
Increasingly illiberal Thailand
By stifling free expression, authorities are shutting off any prospect of change that is broadly acceptable to all. -
26 Nov 2021
Trouble on the Mekong
Countries along one of Asia’s longest rivers need to address the effects of climate change and overdevelopment. -
15 Nov 2021
Thailand’s regressive royal insult law
The kingdom’s youth and others are speaking out about their monarchy, at great personal expense. -
13 Oct 2021
Thailand’s military and human rights
A history of violence against troops and civilians is finally being recognised, and justice is creeping in. -
22 Sep 2021
By land or sea: Thailand perseveres with the Kra Canal
The fabled Thai waterway meant to bypass the Strait of Malacca has been mooted for centuries. Could its time have come? -
30 Aug 2021
Thai lives matter, too
Alleged police brutality captured in a widely shared video puts a spotlight on abuses and demands for reform. -
14 Jul 2021
Sun, surf and a sandbox escape from a pandemic
Thailand’s holiday island Phuket is trialling vaccine tourism in a bid to recover from the Covid-19 wave. -
27 May 2021
Thailand’s overcrowded prisons hit by Covid-19 surge
Amid one of the world’s highest incarceration rates, an outbreak was always a risk. But the government has struggled. -
15 Apr 2021
Thailand’s sweeping associations law courts disaster
Draft legislation to strictly control all kinds of groups could crush civil society and drive out foreign organisations. -
9 Dec 2020
A reckoning for Thailand’s indigenous defence industry
The Covid pandemic forced into action long-held plans to remodel defence procurement, but it’s a big challenge. -
28 Oct 2020
Thailand: Military, monarchy and the masses
To understand today’s protests, look to the decades past and the country’s incomplete transition to democracy. -
16 Oct 2020
Progressive politics in Thailand’s polarised polity
A new “hyperleader” has capitalised on the mood of a younger generation fed up with being patronised. -
10 Sep 2020
Rising protests and a sinking economy spell trouble in Thailand
A wave of dissatisfaction with the ruling elite and a Covid-induced recession have shaken the country’s foundations. -
11 Aug 2020
Chinese dams and the Mekong drought
The environmental impact of China’s dam building upstream is undeniable. The silence from some quarters is surprising. -
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24 Jul 2020
Book review: The memory of a massacre in Thailand
Survivors and perpetrators alike have preferred silence as a way of coping with a traumatic past. -
3 Jul 2020
Southeast Asian democracies in declining health amid Covid-19
An illiberal turn across the region has been exacerbated by the pandemic. Australia should take note. -
12 Jun 2020
Thailand: Another dissenter disappears
A fresh abduction case raises serious questions, not for the first time, about the reach of Thai authorities. -
6 May 2020
Thailand: Killings of insurgents ends southern separatist ceasefire
The focus is the Thai state. Foreigners and foreign interest are not targets in this fight. -
14 Apr 2020
Covid-19 ceasefire unlikely to hasten peace in Thailand’s south
The tempo of violence in the long-running insurgency has slowed for years, yet the virus may not stop it altogether. -
10 Mar 2020
On the Mekong, Khon Pi rapids saved – for now
The drive to dam the river continues to outpace real understanding of the dams’ impact.