Showing 11,501 - 11,510 of 11,985
All you need is love, and a sense of the absurd
Oped, Roger Crutchley, Published on 11/02/2018
» The approach of Valentine’s Day means we are heading into the annual silly season, although some might argue that in Thailand it is the silly season all year round. Valentine’s is admittedly one of the most spurious celebrations of the calendar, which probably explains why it becomes more popular here every year. However, it serves as a desperately needed break from the daily diet of depressing news.
Premchai a liability to his own business
Oped, Editorial, Published on 11/02/2018
» TIT, or “This is Thailand”, is the phrase that has been commonly used here for years when people make fun of the country’s law enforcement, supposedly good governance and other systems. During the past few months, Thailand has been caught in the debate on how the law and the government are going to deal with Deputy Prime Minister Prawit Wongsuwon, who has been caught wearing 25 luxury watches worth close to 40 million baht in total but had failed to include them in his assets declaration. The agency which is investigating the case against him is led by his former secretary, while his alibi has been that he had borrowed the watches from his friends, one of whom has passed away.
There's devotion
Oped, Postbag, Published on 11/02/2018
» Re: “Ex-park staffer ‘aided hunting group’,” (BP, Feb 10). Not only the defence on the 25 “borrowed” wristwatches worth 39.5 million baht (“NACC vows to wrap up Prawit probe”, BP, Feb 10) challenges common decency of logic but your latest news of the deputy police chief considering charging Wichien Chinnawong, chief of the Western Thungyai Wildlife Sanctuary, for not having collected admission fees from the influential tycoon has given me a mixed feeling of either to laugh or cry.
Gender stereotypes holding back tomorrow's science solutions
Oped, Published on 11/02/2018
» Our future will be marked by scientific and technological progress, just like our past. That future progress will be the greatest when it draws on the full talent, creativity and ideas of women and girls in science. Most countries, industrialised or not, are far from achieving gender parity in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics subjects (Stem) at every level of the education system. That deficit feeds the employment gap. According to estimates by the Unesco Institute of Statistics, women currently represent less than 30% of the research and development workforce worldwide.
Wake me up when Thaiism rings true
Oped, Kong Rithdee, Published on 10/02/2018
» It has been widely translated as “Thainess”. But “Thainess” may not be accurate when describing Thai Niyom, Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha’s latest catchphrase and sort-of policy. The correct term in English, I propose, should be “Thaiism”, just like populism ( Pracha Niyom), nationalism ( Chat Niyom), conservatism ( Anurak Niyom), authoritarianism ( Amnat Niyom), or alcoholism, you know, the excessive use of alcohol to drown out grief and the pain of broken promises.
Moving on from the Pyeongchang Olympics to peace?
Oped, Yoon Young-kwan, Published on 10/02/2018
» After some two years of rising tensions on the Korean Peninsula, the reprieve, however brief, that the upcoming Winter Olympics in the South Korean city of Pyeongchang promises to bring is more than welcome. But, with some military experts estimating that the probability of war now surpasses 50%, complacency is not an option.
Many gates, no bars
Oped, Postbag, Published on 10/02/2018
» Let’s see now. First there was watchgate, then we had copgate and now we have poachgate. Will the gates ever stop? No. Because this is amazing Thailand and we all know the elites don’t do jail time.
Painting the town dead
Oped, Editorial, Published on 10/02/2018
» The Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) asked residents in old-town areas earlier this month to keep their houses in good condition to entice more tourists. Bangkok governor Aswin Kwanmuang said he wanted them to paint or repaint their houses as part of the so-called taemsi (paint) campaign.
Valentine's Day Memes
Guru, Pornchai Sereemongkonpol, Published on 09/02/2018
» Although St Valentine's Day isn't a Thai thing, it doesn't stop Thai people celebrating the day with lovely fanfare. Here are a few unique twists for the day, captured as memes.
City loses historic icon in Mahakan fight
Oped, Ploenpote Atthakor, Published on 09/02/2018
» Bangkok yesterday lost one of the rare, vintage houses that represent the bygone days of the Rattanakosin era when it was demolished and reduced to a pile of rubble.