Thai Cabinet Approves Civil Partnership Bill Article On 8 July 2020, the Thai Cabinet approved the Civil Partnership bill, which was proposed by the Ministry of Justice to allow for same-sex couples to register their partnership, and has submitted the bill to the House of Representatives Coordination Committee for consideration before it goes before Parliament. By Prachatai English
Thailand’s Silent Pandemic: Domestic Violence during COVID-19 Article While media reports have highlighted increases of reported domestic violence in countries around the world due to the lockdown stresses, the situation is unclear in Thailand. Although many women in Thailand seek out services from non-government organizations, there is widespread belief that a large number of abused women here suffer in silence. By Annelie Langerak
Native Honey Bees of Southeast Asia and Conservation Challenges Article The disappearance of the honey bee is widely publicized, especially in Europe and North America, with colony collapse disorder observed in apiaries of the western honey bee, Apis mellifera. Much less interest, however, has been paid to Southeast Asian native honey bees whose fate also deserves attention. This article explores the conservation challenges of the eight native honey bee species of Southeast Asia. By Eric Guerin
China, As Told by China: Beijing’s Influences Reach Thai Media and Beyond Article China is waging an unprecedented information campaign in Thailand through traditional and new media platforms, thanks to a sluice of partnerships with Thai media throughout 2019. Similar pattern is seen in the Southeast Asian region, where China is fast expanding its political, economic, and strategic stakes. By Teeranai Charuvastra
A Climate Call for Thailand Opinion Thais often associate climate change action to plastic waste which is not the whole point of it. It’s easier to feel empathy for marine lives who suffer from plastic waste but not be responsible for the carbon footprint. Many of us still don’t get the big picture. Fighting climate change would involve reducing carbon emission, driving less, saving energy, being vegetarian, using local products, avoiding aviation, waste separation, recycle and more. By Sanathorn Ratanapoompinyo
Institutional and Governance Aspect of the Energy Transition: Case of Thailand Blog With strong influences from fossil fuel industries on these policy mechanisms, real changes will occur only with strong push from many stakeholders and the public. Over the last ten to twenty years, there are a lot of progress on policy, planning, and actions on energy efficiency and renewable energy in the country. But with the political and governance context of Thailand, it may take many more years until the policy mechanisms in Thailand will work in favor of the transition to the energy system based on renewables. energy. By Suphakit Nuntavorakarn
On Land Grabbing and Cross-border Investment: Case of Cambodian Migrant Workers in Thailand from a Gender-lens Article Land grabbing in Southeast Asia continues to be an issue of concern. The population in the region largely live in rural areas and make their living by depending on natural resources such as land and water. This article is based on a research in Cambodia and discusses key findings by using gender lens to highlight changes occurred on various levels in the community. By Premrudee Daoroung
The Coal Situation in Thailand and Strategic Environmental Assessment Now is the right time to get serious about climate change. Many countries including Thailand have signed the Paris agreement which sets a common goal in keeping the global temperature to rise lower than two degrees Celsius. While the countries around the world have announced their intention to stop using coal in the near future yet the number of coal-fired power plants are going up and booming particularly in Southeast Asia region. Likewise in Thailand, we can see that energy and coal-fired power plants have been one of the boiling topics circulating in mainstream media in the past few years. By Titiwetaya Yaikratok
Rethinking Media Reform in Southeast Asia: Promoting a Participatory Approach for a More Democratic Media Internet users in Southeast Asia are confronted with a heavily regulated environment in which there are more restrictions being placed on freedom of expression. Despite technological advances, societies undergoing political transitions, such as Indonesia, Myanmar, and Thailand, have yet to enjoy the full democratic potentials of a free and independent media. Instead of top-down reforms for the media, these countries need policies that prioritize the public’s interests. Only with the meaning public’s meaningful participation of civil society can these reforms become sustainable while supporting democratization. By Gayathry Venkiteswaran
New Strategies of Sustainable Food Production in ASEAN – Perspectives from Thailand, Myanmar, and Singapore Organic food production is still a niche market in ASEAN countries, yet one on the rise. Health and ecological concerns have brought sustainable farming methods including small-scale and organic farming back to the table. This article takes a look at new strategies of sustainable food production in ASEAN with perspectives from Thailand, Myanmar, and Singapore. By Judith Bopp