thailand



STORY OF THE DAY • May 18, 2020 • 2 min read

Covid-19 Thailand’s economy contracts for first time since 2014

By Agence France-Presse • May 18, 2020
Thailand's economy looks set to be among the hardest hit by the global economic downturn in Southeast Asia after its first contraction in six years. 2020 economic forecasts are also predicting the kingdom's sharpest drop since the 1997-98 Asian Financial Crisis

STORY OF THE DAY • May 07, 2020 • 16 min read

History How to get away with murder in Thailand: The downing of flight CX700Z

By Andrew MacGregor Marshall • May 07, 2020
On June 15, 1972, Cathay Pacific flight CX700Z tumbled out of the sky while flying over southern Vietnam, killing all 81 people on board. While the disaster officially remains unsolved, there was one clear suspect – Thai police officer Somchai Chaiyasut. Did he get away with mass murder?

STORY OF THE DAY • May 06, 2020 • 3 min read

Covid-19 Bangkok’s millionaires’ club enjoys lockdown luxury

By Dene-Hern Chen / Agence France-Presse • May 06, 2020
While the majority of Thai citizens suffer with a lockdown that has crushed the economy, left millions unemployed and created lines for food donations, the kingdom's super-rich have not forgone luxury during the pandemic and are enjoying a VIP delivery experience

STORY OF THE DAY • Apr 25, 2020 • 4 min read

World Malaria Day Mekong countries on track to eliminate malaria by 2030

By Miriam Deprez • Apr 25, 2020
As April 25th marks World Malaria Day, the Globe spoke with Dr Arjen Dondorp about the Mekong nations' steady march towards complete elimination by 2030. However, he warns that if complacency takes hold as Covid-19 takes centre stage, it will spell disaster for the region

Apr 23, 2020 • 13 min read
Mekong river

‘Us’ vs ‘them’: The politics dictating the rise and fall of the Mekong

Dams, economic interests and political power are just some of the factors contributing to the over-exploitation of the mighty Mekong. With several competing transnational bodies established to oversee its development, will any of them halt the river’s decline?
By Andrew Haffner • Apr 23, 2020

Apr 21, 2020 • 9 min read
Thai monarchy

Online criticism of Thai king goes viral during pandemic

In Thailand, the ruling monarchy has long been protected by some of the harshest lèse-majesté laws in the world. But the behaviour of the controversial King Maha Vajiralongkorn during the pandemic has opened him up to a flurry of online backlash
By Sarah Kim • Apr 21, 2020

Apr 21, 2020 • 4 min read
Social media

Twitter war with China results in ‘Milk Tea Alliance’

A war between Thai and Chinese Twitter users broke out this month, resulting Taiwanese and Hong Kong users declaring a 'Milk Tea Alliance' in solidarity with Thailand. The seemingly innocuous spat may highlight growing frustrations with China's regional influence
By Patrick Flannery • Apr 21, 2020

Apr 15, 2020 • 2 min read
Thai economy

Gold glitters as cash-strapped Thais sell jewellery

Hundreds of Bangkok residents rushed to goldsmith shops in Chinatown in order to sell their jewellery, as gold reached its highest levels since 2012 this week due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic pushes prices skywards
By Agence France-Presse • Apr 15, 2020

Apr 08, 2020 • 8 min read
Covid-19

As Thailand’s tourism plunges, elephants suffer

Thailand's captive elephants are facing food shortages and an uncertain future as Covid-19 has forced camp closures throughout the country. Without tourists and income, the scramble to feed them highlights the shortcomings of the kingdom's captive elephant care system
By Carolyn Cowan • Apr 08, 2020

Apr 07, 2020 • 2 min read
Covid-19

Overcrowded Thai dog shelter blames coronavirus for drop in donations

Donations of food and money have dramatically decreased at Auntie Ju's controversial shelter for stray dogs in Bangkok since the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic, leaving the some 1,500 dogs being housed there with little to survive on
By Agence France-Presse • Apr 07, 2020

Mar 30, 2020 • 14 min read
Statelessness in Thailand

The state of being

A holder of various international awards for social and environmental activism, Tuenjai Deetes has dedicated her life to eliminating statelessness in Thailand, fighting for the citizenship rights of the country's remote northern hill tribes
By Magdalena Rojo • Mar 30, 2020

Mar 02, 2020 • 12 min read
Deep South conflict

At the negotiating table

This week, the Thai government and Malay Muslims are engaging in a peace dialogue that seems among the best hopes yet of resolving decades of violence in the country's Deep South. Observers are cautiously optimistic, but at the grassroots level, not everyone in the southern provinces agrees
By Lukas Messmer • Mar 02, 2020