In Thailand, TikTok users have turned the depiction of illicit activity by Chinese nationals into a stylised narrative where aesthetics and humour intertwine.
Category Archives: Commentaries
Johor’s Data Centres: Implications for the Talent Landscape
Despite Johor’s data centre boom, there are concerns about the number and quality of jobs they can generate. But demand is rising for skilled workers in ancillary industries, notably construction.
Can Vietnam Dodge the US Tariff Bullet?
Vietnam has done almost everything necessary to preclude the possibility of the US slapping tariffs on its exports. The question is whether this would be enough.
The Politics of Lanna Identity and the Restoration of Ethnic Thai Dishes
The Thai state has tried to use food hegemony to control cultural narratives but the sheer diversity of local cuisine is putting a brake on it.
Sound of Resistance: Indonesian Youth Expression of Social and Political Critique
A popular band’s retraction of a song critical of corruption in Indonesia highlights the chill in the political climate against outward dissent and activism.
Shaping Indonesia’s Democracy: Youth Alight Amidst #DarkIndonesia
Indonesia’s youth protests today call to mind past cases of student activism in the quarter century of post-reform democracy since the fall of Suharto. Will history repeat itself?
The Rules-based Order: In Dire Straits, But Not Dead
As the US steps away from the rules-based order it helped create, smaller countries need to step up to the plate to maintain it.
Thailand’s Unreliability as Broker Makes Peace Even More Elusive in Myanmar
Thailand’s efforts to mediate the peace in Myanmar are complicated by the kingdom’s extensive interests in the country.
Musk, Myanmar, and the Murky Future of Internet Freedom
Myanmar resistance groups depend on Starlink to circumvent government controls. But this can also be its Achilles heel.
Southeast Asia Should Take the Lead in Tackling the AI Climate Conundrum
Artificial intelligence can help resolve climate change problems, but only if the massive energy consumed by data centres comes from green sources.