June 24, which fell on Monday this year, is a date most Thais overlook. It used to be our National Day, and was also called Constitutional Day since it marked the transition from absolute monarchy to a democratic constitutional monarchy in 1932. 

Led by China – and excluding the United States – the sprawling Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RECP) is poised to become the biggest global trade deal, linking half the world’s people and marking Beijing’s dominance in Asian trade.