Posts tagged Bangkok
Moving forward while moving backwards: More of the same in Thai politics

Written by William J. Jones

In May 2023, the Thai general election saw a political ‘bomb’ drop on Thailand. The progressive reformist Move Forward Party placed first, taking 151 seats in the 500-member parliament, setting the stage for a head-on collision with Thailand’s conservative establishment.

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Thailand’s long-anticipated submarine deal hits yet another snag

Written by Zachary Abuza

Thailand’s submarine deal with China has been put on hold, not due to the public backlash, parliamentary scrutiny, or a lack of strategic rationale; the Gulf of Siam is too shallow for submarines to operate effectively. But since the military coup of 2014, the Thai military usually gets its way regardless of strategic rationale.

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Duterte, the last of the drug warriors?

Written by David Hutt

Much of the coverage of Southeast Asia’s drug wars has focused on the drug warriors themselves. But if, as experts say, populist politicians regard drug wars as an easy way to capture votes, perhaps the problem lies first with society, not with politics.

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India’s new consulates and sub-national diplomacy in South Asia

Written by Constantino Xavier and Nitika Nayar

As the region’s predominant power with a history of interventionism, India’s sub-national missions must be able to balance their sub-national outreach, especially to minority groups, with the security concerns of the host country’s central authorities.

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Burmese blowback: Prayuth’s myopic Myanmar policy

Written by Zachary Abuza

Myanmar might not be a failed state yet, but it is teetering towards becoming one. And the capture of the state by EAOs and transnational syndicates will impact Thai security for years to come.

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Malaysia and North Korea: Friends to foes

Written by Uday Bakhshi

It has also heavily focused on its cyber capabilities, and there are allegations it is propping up state-sanctioned financial crime syndicates to conduct heists. North Korea is not as isolated as the mainstream news narrative leads one to believe, and it will focus on these relations amid broader diplomatic considerations.

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