Bangkokpost.com : Opinion

There are no 'buffaloes'

Thu, 20 Jun 2013 03:04:00 GMT

In this heated political divide, the mud-slinging includes terms like "yellow/multi-colour buffalo fascists, brainwashed tools of the ammart" and "red buffalo thugs, brainwashed tools of Thaksin [Shinawatra]". Such insulting, derogatory branding is not only unfair and in poor taste, it’s also a gross generalisation that carries little truth.

Public deserves answers over expo bid failure

Wed, 19 Jun 2013 17:00:00 GMT

The government has gone quiet over the country's failure to remain in the running to host the 2020 World Expo.

An age-old conundrum

Wed, 19 Jun 2013 17:00:00 GMT

I recently visited my good Danish friends in Copenhagen as I do once or twice a year when chances permit. As per our tradition, before going out and losing a bit of humanity on the town, we salivate over a shared tray of Stegt flaesk (dudes, should we really be eating fried bacon at our age?) and exchange stories of our lives that extend beyond social media.

Pyongyang low on options amid triangle of cooperation

Wed, 19 Jun 2013 17:00:00 GMT

The planned North-South Korea meeting at Panmunjon on June 9 offered the remote hope that Pyongyang, after a third nuclear test, a new round of UN sanctions, and the spring season of hyperventilating belligerent rhetoric, could be coming to understand that it is, in fact, in an unprecedentedly bad place _ even for North Korea.

Pheu Thai seeks to restore voter confidence

Wed, 19 Jun 2013 17:00:00 GMT

The Pheu Thai Party insists that its defeat in the Don Muang by-election has not affected its popularity. But despite the brave front, everyone knows the pain of defeat cuts Pheu Thai very deep.

Time to rethink priorities

Wed, 19 Jun 2013 17:00:00 GMT

The recent contest in Don Muang was so close that both the Democrat and Pheu Thai parties must constantly seek to fulfil the needs of Don Muang residents rather than take them for granted _ and that is how a true democracy should be.

Sectarian strife needs Asean response

Wed, 19 Jun 2013 17:00:00 GMT

A regional response is urgently required to stop the escalating Buddhist-Muslim violence in the Asean region. The risk of a deadly regional backlash, stemming from religious hatred campaigns led by Buddhists extremist groups in Myanmar, is growing by the day. There are grave concerns this violence _ which has already fuelled incidents in Malaysia and Indonesia _ coupled with increasing tensions in...

Farmers lose in rice review

Wed, 19 Jun 2013 17:00:00 GMT

Finally, the government has accepted the fact that the rice-pledging scheme, the flagship populist policy of the Pheu Thai Party, cannot be allowed to continue without modifications.

Small acts of kindness shine in the face of refugee crises

Wed, 19 Jun 2013 17:00:00 GMT

Today is World Refugee Day, a day to pay tribute to the courage and resilience of people forced to flee their homes because of war and persecution.

Public deservesanswers over expo bid failure

Wed, 19 Jun 2013 17:00:00 GMT

The government has gone quiet over the country's failure to remain in the running to host the 2020 World Expo.

Sustainable rice prices are set by the market

Tue, 18 Jun 2013 17:00:00 GMT

Commerce Minister Boonsong Teriyapirom is under fire for his lack of transparency in disclosing information about the losses incurred by the rice-pledging scheme.

Orwell that ends well

Tue, 18 Jun 2013 17:00:00 GMT

The online privacy debate has been shattered by revelations that the US is spying on everything people say, email and browse. This must be a conundrum for supporters of Wikileaks, who assert that everything anyone says or does should be open for all to see and hear, but these same people _ including founder Julian Assange _ get very angry as soon as people start looking into them.

Me, myself and I

Tue, 18 Jun 2013 17:00:00 GMT

The summer has rolled in with a quiet tremor. I have yet to adjust my alarm clock. Slothing through my morning routine, I quickly scrolled through the recent uploads on Instagram.

Nothing new about monks living it up

Tue, 18 Jun 2013 17:00:00 GMT

Monks living in a cocoon of luxury is not news. Just drop by the dwellings of any elders in the clergy to see how they live.

Sustainable rice prices are set by the market, not the govt

Tue, 18 Jun 2013 17:00:00 GMT

Minister of Commerce Boonsong Teriyapirom is under fire for his lack of transparency in disclosing information about the losses incurred by the rice-pledging scheme.

City condo buyers must proceed with care

Tue, 18 Jun 2013 17:00:00 GMT

Atraffic light shines in just one of three colours. But Bangkok's condominium market has hundreds of intersections, and at any given time, some lights are green, some yellow, others red. So if you are shopping for a condominium, or already own one, or work in banking or real estate, it's worth trying to view the big picture, to judge how the city's traffic now flows.

Chalerm running scared

Tue, 18 Jun 2013 17:00:00 GMT

Incredible. Deputy Prime Minister Chalerm Yubamrung looks the other way when his red-shirt men rally and intimidate people, but he now is in a panic because an anti-government group has grown from 300 to 3,000 and is gaining support daily. Mr Chalerm is reacting like a scared rabbit. I wonder what he'd do if he was ever turfed out and brought to charge.

How complex is a ceasefire?

Tue, 18 Jun 2013 17:00:00 GMT

The chances of a peaceful, quiet Ramadan seem to be getting weaker every day, instead of stronger. Last Thursday in Kuala Lumpur, the government and the Barisan Revolusi Nasional (BRN) peace talks delegates were upbeat about a month-long ceasefire during the Muslim fasting month.

Who really benefitted from the rice scheme?

Tue, 18 Jun 2013 04:59:00 GMT

Better late than never. The Yingluck government is finally back-peddling on its most ambitious and, perhaps, most destructive populist policy, the rice pledging scheme -- which set the purchase price of paddy about 40% above market price and cost taxpayers 136 billion baht in losses, according to official estimates, in just the first year, with more to come.

Is lakhon a guilty pleasure?

Mon, 17 Jun 2013 17:00:00 GMT

I have a secret crush. He is in high society, handsome and has ties to royalty. He is kind and sensitive with a heart that can melt an iceberg. We spend weekends together sharing tea and relaxing. That's right, I am infatuated with the khunchai from the hit lakhon drama series Suparbburuth Chutathep.

Is lakhon TV a guilty pleasure?

Mon, 17 Jun 2013 17:00:00 GMT

Boonsong fails the Jolie test, dismally

Mon, 17 Jun 2013 17:00:00 GMT

Commerce Minister Boonsong Teriyapirom wouldn't be able to pass for Angelina Jolie. He obviously does not have those lips or the acting skills.

Real power still lies in the hands of the few

Mon, 17 Jun 2013 17:00:00 GMT

For a long time, many commentators in Thailand argued that the massive inequalities in our society did not matter. That has changed. Our fierce political conflict has done that. In fact, income inequality _ the gap between rich and poor _ has improved slightly over the last decade, but it has improved very slowly and is significantly worse here than in neighbouring countries.

PM keeps bad company

Mon, 17 Jun 2013 17:00:00 GMT

The recent assault and beating of white-mask protesters in Chiang Mai by red shirts was a reminder, if any were needed, that red shirts are willing and able to inflict violence on those they disagree with. The Chiang Mai case is special, however, as that chapter of the movement, Rak Chiang Mai 51 (RCM51), has been particularly notorious for its intolerance.

Reality bites ruling party

Mon, 17 Jun 2013 17:00:00 GMT

Voters and the Democrats have put another hitch in the strut of the ruling Pheu Thai Party. The loss of the Don Muang by-election on Sunday is the party's second setback in a row in high-profile polls in the Bangkok area.