Showing 61 - 70 of 100
Nation readies for new chapter
News, Editorial, Published on 07/11/2021
» The moment the nation has been praying for finally came last Monday after an 18-month spell where "Thainess" lost a little of its je ne sais quoi without the cacophonous backdrop of a steady stream of foreign tourists.
More meditating, less talking please
Life, Patcharawalai Sanyanusin, Published on 18/10/2021
» Whenever there are reports of Buddhist monks misbehaving or violating the monastic code of conduct, we often hear comments like "They are causing a decay to the religion" and "They should be kicked out of the monastery right away".
French learn about their Aussie 'mates'
News, Roger Crutchley, Published on 26/09/2021
» It is encouraging to learn that it is not just Thailand that gets into deep water involving contracts over submarines. France is most upset with Australia for pulling the plug on a nuclear submarine deal, resulting in various shades of not-so-diplomatic name-calling. Standing out was the rather poignant observation from the recalled French ambassador to Australia that "what makes me sad is that we thought we were mates but we were stabbed in the back".
An unlikely place to have a good laugh
News, Roger Crutchley, Published on 12/09/2021
» The news has been so gloomy lately I have spent some time scouring newspapers for something remotely cheerful to write about … and failing miserably. I would even settle for silly news which is usually abundant in Thailand, but even that is in scarce supply these days.
When great debate went into extra time
News, Roger Crutchley, Published on 05/09/2021
» No-confidence debates like that taking place during the past week have become something of a tradition in Thailand, but it is rare for them to be successful. Perhaps the biggest excitement came some years ago when in the middle of such a debate one MP called a leading a politician a "toad", which didn't go down too well. But at least it livened up proceedings.
A country so different to anywhere else
News, Roger Crutchley, Published on 22/08/2021
» The dramatic events in Afghanistan inevitably sparked memories of my own brief experiences of the country more than 50 years ago while on an overland trip from London to New Delhi and beyond.
Asean lags behind Myanmar curve
Oped, Thitinan Pongsudhirak, Published on 06/08/2021
» The more it tries to catch up on Myanmar's post-coup crisis, the more Asean falls behind. Since Myanmar's military takeover on Feb 1, Asean has spent nearly the first three months getting its act together for a "special summit" and a "five-point consensus" on April 24 and then more than another three months to meekly implement the agreement. In the event, the appointment of Brunei's Second Foreign Minister Erywan bin Mohd Yusof as the Asean envoy to promote dialogue and humanitarian assistance in Myanmar is likely to prove too little, too late for what has been desperately needed on the ground.
Some Olympic nationalism is good
Oped, Published on 03/08/2021
» In addition to being postponed by a year, the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games have been steeped in controversy. According to one recent survey, 78% of Japanese citizens thought the Games should be cancelled, owing to concerns about the pandemic. Since then, Japanese media have been shining a spotlight on the fact that not all visiting athletes (including 100 from the United States) are vaccinated against Covid-19.
Home alone … a case of bad timing
Oped, Roger Crutchley, Published on 18/07/2021
» The emotional events at Wembley Stadium last Sunday inevitably stirred personal memories of a similar happening with a different outcome 55 years previously in the summer of 1966.
A day for mustard and relish, but no ketchup
News, Roger Crutchley, Published on 04/07/2021
» Despite not being American I attended several July 4 celebrations in Bangkok back in the days when they were held at the old ISB campus on Sukhumvit Soi 15. A colleague's recommendation of "cheap beer and heavenly hot dogs" was enough to convince me it was possibly not the worst way to spend a Saturday afternoon in Bangkok.