Bangkok Post: Opinion

Sunday, November 25, 2012

A rice deal that never existed in the first place

By Veera Preteepchaikul

The truth is out, that the Commerce Ministry's claim of a 15-million-tonne government-to-government rice deal with China over three years is anything but real.There is a popular Thai saying that goes along these lines: “A dead elephant cannot be covered up by lotus leaves.”This is exactly ...

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• 15 March 2012

  Ombudsman barking up the wrong tree

  By Veera Preteepchaikul

  Although an increasing number of foreigners now own land in Thailand through nominees or their Thai spouses, the ombudsman's claim that foreigners now own one-third of the country is simply just not credible. Ombudsman Siracha Charoenpanij (Photo by Kitti Woraranchai) And if the truth be ...

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• 10 February 2012

  Water agencies just can't seem to communicate

  By Veera Preteepchaikul

  An old man sits on a makeshift wooden plank used as a walkway over flooded ground on Feb 8, 2011 after a flash flood in tambon Nom Kho of Sena district, Ayutthaya. (Photo by Sunthorn Pongpao) The conflicting statements from the various agencies about the current, unseasonal flooding in Sena ...

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• 25 January 2012

  Buffet cabinet and New Thailand

  By Veera Preteepchaikul

  About 100 Pheu Thai MPs are lining up, waiting for their turn at a cabinet seat, redolent of a large group of diners eagerly lining up at a buffet table which can seat only 35 people at a time.Pornsak Charoenprasert who? The name may not ring a bell with most of us, not even people in the media. The ...

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• 14 September 2011

  A matter of revenge or correction? You decide

  By Veera Preteepchaikul

  'No revenge but correction (mai kaekaen tae kaekhai)!" Such was the mantra vigorously preached by the Pheu Thai Party during the election campaign to assure its opponents, real or perceived, that they would not be avenged by the party through abrupt transfers out of their positions, ...

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• 16 May 2011

  Is this country ready for a woman prime minister?

  By Veera Preteepchaikul

  The notion that Thailand may have its first woman prime minister after the July 3 election has not been warmly greeted by many among us. Initial reactions have ranged from scepticism and criticism to contempt and outright rejection. Which is not unusual for something quite unprecedented and ...

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• 01 February 2011

  Coup rumours and crying 'wolf'

  By Veera Preteepchaikul

  Bangkok has, in the past week, been abuzz with the story of a pending coup spread by a couple of rumour-mongers, just as the political temperature has edged up with more street protests. But is there a real threat of a coup against the government at this time?The Thai military has always seen itself ...

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• 05 April 2010

  Has Thaksin-Hun Sen relationship turned sour?

  By Veera Preteepchaikul

  The picture showing Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva shaking hands with his Cambodian counterpart, Mr Hun Sen, and smiling at each other would be unthinkable almost two months ago when the two government leaders appeared to be at each other’s throat.Shortly before the February 26 Judgement Day ...

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• 09 February 2010

  Hun Sen's latest antic unbecoming of a premier

  By Veera Preteepchaikul

  I wonder whether it is still proper to address Mr Hun Sen as the prime minister of Cambodia.  Or whether he deserves to be addressed Mr Prime Minister, given his latest antic displayed over the weekend at the Thai-Cambodian border.The timing of Mr Hun Sen’s weekend visit to the border was viewed ...

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• 02 February 2010

  A comprehensive water policy is needed

  By Veera Preteepchaikul

   by Veera Prateepchaikul While the hot summer is just two months away, many parts of the country is already experiencing water shortage as water level at many dams and natural sources has dropped markedlyAccording to the Irrigation Department, 30 provinces, mostly in lower North and the ...

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• 20 January 2010

  Are we suffering from compassion fatigue?

  By Veera Preteepchaikul

  It appears as if our nation is suffering from “compassion fatigue” (a jargon coined by the United Nations and widely used during the 80s when Thailand was overwhelmed with Indochinese refugees).Initial reactions to the devastating earthquake in Haiti by the Thai media and the Thai government ...

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• 04 January 2010

  Time to brace for the worst political storm

  By Veera Preteepchaikul

  The festive season was just over and, I believe, most of my compatriots have had a good time celebrating the arrival of the Year of the Tiger.  Despite the heavy death toll from road accidents and the bombing attacks in the far South, there was no political violence which could spoil the festive ...

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• 13 November 2009

  Some wild suggestions to end Thai-Cambodian row

  By Veera Preteepchaikul

  Ousted prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra must feel at home with the red-carpet welcome accorded him by Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen and with his new job as economic adviser to the Cambodian government.Mr Thaksin’s meeting with some 300 top Cambodian businessmen and officials on Thursday ...

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