COMMENTARIES

Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul stands on stage with party members at a Bhumjaithai Party rally at Lumpini Park on 30 January 2026 in Bangkok, Thailand. (Photo by Lauren DeCicca / GETTY IMAGES ASIAPAC / Getty Images via AFP)

12 Mar 2026

The Unravelling of Thailand’s Military-Backed Parties

Prajak Kongkirati|Napon Jatusripitak

The Bhumjaithai Party has had to step into the gap left by Thailand’s two conservative parties.

12 Mar 2026

Malaysia’s Unity Government’s 10-Year Term Limit Terminated: What Next?

Francis E. Hutchinson

The prime minister and his government have little time to lose in pushing harder for reform, if they wish to retain their support base.

Malaysia Malaysian Elections Malaysian Politics

11 Mar 2026

Thailand’s New Conservative Turn

Mathis Lohatepanont

Fulcrum editor William Choong talks to Mathis Lohatepanont about the implications of the recent elections in Thailand. Mr Lohatepanont, a frequent contributor to Fulcrum, is a Ph.D. candidate at the Department of Political Science, University of Michigan.

Dialogues at Fulcrum Thai Politics Thailand

General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam Central Committee To Lam and General Secretary of the Lao People’s Revolutionary Party Central Committee and President of Laos Thongloun Sisoulith co-chaired a conference in Vientiane on 5 February 2026 on outcomes of the 14th National Party Congress, on the occasion of the former’s state visit to Laos. (Screengrab from Vietnam News Agency / Facebook)

11 Mar 2026

Beyond Brotherhood: Vietnam’s New Playbook for Laos

Nguyen Khac Giang

In an attempt to prevent the latter from drifting too far into China’s orbit, Vietnam has made overtures to Laos in the form of functional cooperation.

Laos Vietnam Vietnamese Politics

11 Mar 2026

Malaysia’s Negeri Sembilan: An Effective Regulatory Model for Sufi Movements and Tarekat Teachings

Mohd Faizal Musa

Negeri Sembilan’s religious authorities have found a balanced way to allow Sufism to thrive while respecting Islam’s orthodoxy.

Islam Malaysia

Prime minister and Bhumjaithai Party’s party leader Anutin Charnvirakul speaks about the party’s future vision for the country at the Global Dynamics and Thailand’s Future event at Queen Sirikit National Convention Center in Bangkok on 12 January 2026. (Photo by LILLIAN SUWANRUMPHA / AFP)

10 Mar 2026

Bhumjaithai-Led Government’s Platform Promises Financial Prudence but Needs Industrial Direction

Archanun Kohpaiboon

The Bhumjaithai Party’s election manifesto indicates policy continuity with modest additional fiscal spending. The incoming BJT-led government should decisively provide direction for Thailand’s manufacturing sector.

Thai Economy Thailand

10 Mar 2026

From Production Platforms to the Techno-Electric Stack

Marco Kamiya

China and the US are building new industrial structures known as techno-electric stacks. Southeast Asian economies need to think less about choosing sides and more about shaping and owning a piece of these stacks.

ASEAN Digital Economy Technology

9 Mar 2026

The Supreme Court and Trump’s Tariffs: Restrained or Resurgent?

Stephen Olson

Fulcrum editor Lee Hwok-Aun speaks with Stephen Olson, Visiting Senior Fellow at ISEAS – Yusof Ishak Institute, on the implications of the US Supreme Court declaring Trump’s IEEPA-based tariffs illegal.

Dialogues at Fulcrum Southeast Asia Tariffs Trade US

9 Mar 2026

Enhancing ASEAN–EU Cooperation on Subsea Cable Security

Barbora Valockova

ASEAN and the EU could transform their shared subsea cable vulnerabilities and complementary security approaches into practical resilience through closer interregional cooperation that eases the pressures of great power competition.

ASEAN European Union

Supporters of the Bhumjaithai Party (C) hold placards on the first day of the registration for Thailand's upcoming general election at the provincial hall in the southern province of Narathiwat on 27 December 2025. (Photo by Madaree Tohlala / AFP)

9 Mar 2026

Thailand’s Upper South: The Conservative Swing State

Tita Sanglee

While the 2026 Thai elections were marked by a win by conservative elements, the situation in the Upper South was marked by the lack of a hegemon among conservative parties.

Thai Elections Thai Politics Thailand