opinion – Tom Vater

The conflict in Ukraine and Thailand’s cost of living crisis – for FES

November 30, 2022November 30, 2022tom

“The driving was fine during the COVID pandemic. The roads were empty, the gasoline was cheap and there was a lot of work.” Kate has been a Lalamove driver in Bangkok for the past two years. “I left my previous job in a night restaurant because, as a driver, I could work from 10am to […]

Writing About India

May 15, 2012May 16, 2012tomLeave a Comment

Many Asian governments don’t like their citizen to discuss their country’s history, culture, politics or current affairs. Severe restrictions, both in the form of laws as well as unwritten rules, suppress civil society entering into a dialogue with itself. Powerful elites introduce taboos of expression that one may cross only at one’s peril. In China, […]

Who owns the 21st Century?

February 22, 2011February 23, 2011tomLeave a Comment

Every day, we appear to be moving a little closer to a state of affairs where governments could become obsolete. Large parts of the world have always been ruled by people who don’t really qualify as governments, but in recent years, perfectly respectable rulers have also shown signs (not for the first time) that they […]