Pita Limjaroenrat has failed to secure approval as Thailand’s next prime minister. This underscores the stark reality: leaders in Thailand are not elected by the will of the people, but permitted to rise to power with the support or at least the acquiescence of the conservative establishment.
Category Archives: Commentaries
Middle-Power Diplomacy: Decoding Vietnam’s Recent Diplomatic Endeavours
Vietnam’s continued engagement with regional middle powers such as India and South Korea enhances its autonomy in a time of intensified great power competition between China and the U.S.
NATO Expansion Does Not Justify Russia’s Invasion of Ukraine
Apologists for the Russian invasion of Ukraine lay the blame on NATO’s eastward expansion. But Russian discomfort over the expansion cannot justify its brutal invasion of Ukraine.
How the Nine-Dash Line Undermines China’s Economic Interests in Vietnam
China’s controversial nine-dash line claim to the South China Sea is creating problems for its businesses operating in Vietnam.
Indonesia Looks East: Widodo’s Engagement with Australia and Papua New Guinea
Despite earlier misgivings about his overly domestic focus, President Joko Widodo’s recent trip to Australia underscores how he has matured as a statesman and improved bilateral ties with Indonesia’s southern neighbour. Indonesia’s growing middle power influence was illustrated by Widodo’s subsequent visit to Papua New Guinea.
Quad-lite Makes Right?
Analyses about the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue (Quad) tend to focus on its four-way formal structures. An examination of the bilateral and plurilateral interactions between Quad members, as well as those between Quad members and other regional states, suggests that their coalition building is much more nimble and flexible.
From Likes to Lies: Disinformation in the Philippines and Thailand
Recent elections in Thailand and the Philippines have seen the use of disinformation. Currently, policy options to tackle such a phenomenon remain limited.
Will the Labour Party Successfully Challenge the Dominance of “Elektabilitas” Politics in Indonesia?
A small new party is sticking to its ideological guns but will probably not make much of a dent in the established elite’s stranglehold on Indonesia’s electoral politics.
What’s the Matter with MUDA – is it Moody or just Misunderstood?
The Malaysian United Democratic Alliance (MUDA) has parted ways with Pakatan Harapan to contest the upcoming state elections. Although some have written the youth-focused party off, there might yet be method to its madness.
An ‘Islamic Lifestyle’: When Piety Meets Consumerism?
The growing Muslim middle class’s appetite for consumer goods with halal and religious-inspired branding raises challenging questions about whether conspicuous consumption sits well with expressions of religiosity.