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Cambodia–Thailand: Winning the Peace, Not Just the War

Cambodia–Thailand: Winning the Peace, Not Just the War In a region long haunted by barbed wire borders and buried landmines, the recent thaw between Cambodia and Thailand is more than a diplomatic win—it’s a generational pivot toward peace, prosperity, and shared memory. The September 2025 General Border Committee (GBC) meeting in Koh Kong marked a turning point. Both sides agreed to remove heavy weapons , jointly clear landmines , and review disputed maps and village boundaries , including sensitive temple zones like Ta Muen Thom and Chong Bok .  This wasn’t just a ceasefire—it was a blueprint for coexistence. And, in all sincerity, both nations pleased to draw the war to an end as quickly as possible. The Thai army somewhat obstructive in ploughing its own path from GBC and parliament in setting vague if not impossible terms for Cambodia to end the war (beyond the truce and GBC) before returning the last 18 POWs, nor setting in place more barbed wire fences nor ending fighting ...
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Time for Taem and 21C Thai Commerce

In a move that’s turning heads across boardrooms and ministries alike, Suphajee “Taem” Suthumpun , the trailblazing CEO of Dusit Thani , has stepped out of the C-suite to take on a new challenge: Commerce Minister of Thailand .  PM Anutin pulling off something of a boardroom coup to unlock the logjam of  the Thai economy mired in the swamp of lese majeste or 14th floor distractions or Weekend Wars. With just four months until a potential parliamentary reset, Taem's appointment signals urgency, ambition, and a pivot toward digital diplomacy and regional reinvention. Taem isn’t just another executive parachuted into politics. She’s a tech-native hotelier , with a 36-year career spanning IBM , the  Microsoft family  and Thaicom , before transforming Dusit Thani into a global lifestyle brand.  Surely Taem is Here for Bangkok and playing to 21C Thailand's strengths in Hospitality and Tourism and the Digital Economy even the Space Economy? From Hospitality to Hybrid C...
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UK 21C foreign diplomacy with Yvette Cooper?

Yvette Cooper is the new UK Foreign Minister with a golden opportunity for UK 21C diplomacy reform: 1. Brexit’s Broken Promises The Gibraltar treaty remains unpublished. Northern Ireland’s border remains a regulatory minefield. CPTPP is signed but stalled. Cooper must release treaty texts, impact assessments, and negotiation memos. And begin a rapid Rejoin after the Brexit mess. 2. CPTPP: Signed, Sealed, Ignored Canada and Mexico still haven’t ratified UK accession after almost  year. SMEs remain locked out. Investor-State Dispute clauses threaten democratic sovereignty. Cooper must clarify implementation timelines and ISDS exposure. Silence is complicity. 3. Embassy Trade Targets: Lobbying in the Shadows UK embassies push trade deals, if any, with zero public oversight. Who sets the targets? Who benefits? FOIs will demand embassy-level lobbying logs, promotional budgets, and corporate access records. Cooper must expose the machinery behind the handshake and deliver trade targets p...
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Ten Big Reforms for Isaan, Thailand and Cambodia: A Borderless Future of Justice and Infrastructure

  Ten Big Reforms for Isaan, Thailand and Cambodia: A Borderless Future of Justice and Infrastructure 1. Rail Equity Corridor Launch a 600 km Isaan Rail Equity Plan  North-South connecting Mukdahan, Amnat Charoen, Yasothon, and Surin to Khon Kaen and Bangkok. Simultaneously fund a Surin–Siem Reap spur to rupture the rail desert and enable Khmer-Isaan cultural mobility. 2. Cross-Border Health Pact Establish a Thai–Cambodian Border Health Compact : shared clinics, mobile units, and Khmer-language services in Surin, Sisaket, and Battambang. Fund joint disease surveillance and maternal care. 3. Khmer Language Rights Charter Recognise Northern Khmer as a protected regional language. Fund bilingual education, media, and signage in Surin, Sisaket, and Buriram. In all sincerity, partner with Cambodian cultural ministries for curriculum co-design and temples website. 4. Ban on Land Grabs and Elite Logging Criminalise elite land seizures in Isaan and Cambodian border zones. Launch a j...
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After the Guns Fall Silent: What the Thai–Khmer Ceasefire Means for Isaan and the Borderlands

  After the Guns Fall Silent: What the Thai–Khmer Ceasefire Means for Isaan and the Borderlands The July 28 ceasefire between Thailand and Cambodia marked a fragile pause in a conflict that displaced over 300,000 civilians and left dozens dead. Brokered under pressure from Malaysia, China, and the U.S. , the agreement includes a freeze on troop movements, a ban on attacks against civilians, and the deployment of ASEAN observers .  But for communities along the border—especially in Thailand’s Isaan region —the real question is: what now? The future all the more uncertain with PM Paetongtarn forced out of power by the Constitutional Court from the leaked Hun Sen phone call.  The PM role is vacant and presumably her Soft Power role with the former an interim PM role just for the next 4 months, possibly a Pheu Thai-Move Forward coalition then Charter reform and elections. So stasis for Thailand until early 2026 at best on major issues on Land Bridge, Digital Wallet etc and f...
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From Jakarta to Westminster: Why UK MPs Need a Bills cap, a Ban on Flipping—and a Full-Scale Purge of Privilege

  Jakarta’s riots weren’t just about perks—they were about power. When Indonesian MPs awarded themselves allowances 10× the minimum wage, the streets erupted. Protesters demanded not just rollbacks, but rupture: wage justice, transparency, and an end to elite impunity.  Westminster should take note. Here in the UK, Parliament remains a fortress of entitlement. The 2009 expenses scandal exposed how MPs flipped homes, claimed for duck houses, and redecorated on the taxpayer’s dime. But the deeper rot— structural privilege, foreign influence, and institutional excess —was never excised. Bills cap Now: Cap the Cash, Cut the Corruption The average MP earns £86,584 , plus expenses, pensions, and often consultancy fees . IPSA continues to approve pay rises with minimal public oversight. Meanwhile, the UK median wage hovers around £33,000 . The gap is not just economic—it’s ethical. We need a Bills cap : a hard ceiling on total MP remuneration—salary, expenses, and perks—pegged to 1....
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Drowning in Corruption: Why the Philippines Needs to Drain the Dynasties

  As floodwaters rise across the Philippines, so does public fury. Not just at nature’s wrath—but at the engineered disaster of corruption. Billions of pesos have been siphoned off through “ghost” flood control projects, substandard infrastructure, and contractor monopolies.  The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) admitted that 20% of the ₱545 billion flood budget went to just 15 contractors , many linked to entrenched political clans. This isn’t mismanagement. It’s state-enabled looting . The public fury is only outgunned by Jakarta riots at Indonesian MPs featherbedding their salaries and perks. Shades of UK PPE or Migrant Hotels or Duck houses and Flipping or Baroness Mone and Dido or the King Charles Waitrose bag of castle funds and gongs. Senator Panfilo Lacson exposed how kickbacks now reach 58% of project costs , with road reflectors priced at ₱11,720 instead of ₱1,800. Solar streetlights were procured at ₱157,000 each—five times market value. The result? R...
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