Showing 1 - 9 of 9
Open economy evangelist
Asia focus, Anchalee Kongrut, Published on 14/08/2017
» New Zealand has long been known for kiwi fruit, lamb and the invincible All Blacks, the fearsome national rugby team. But in the global economic sphere, the country is also known as a champion of open economies and free trade. Last year, the country was rated the world's second-best place to do business by Forbes magazine. That helps confirm its reputation in the field of trade -- and explains why the British government chose a New Zealander to head its post-Brexit trade negotiating team.
World on the move
Asia focus, Anchalee Kongrut, Published on 26/06/2017
» It is not an overstatement to say that the world is no longer a safe and peaceful place. News of terrorist attacks has become a sad fact of daily life, most recently in London and Paris again this month.
Prognosis: Improving
Asia focus, Anchalee Kongrut, Published on 03/04/2017
» Two decades ago, the healthcare system of Myanmar was best described as comatose. It had been in declining condition since independence from Britain in the late 1940s. Envisioned as offering free primary healthcare, the system failed to do so in practice and languished because of a lack of investment as the country grew increasingly isolated under Ne Win and subsequent military leaders. In 2000, the World Health Organization (WHO) ranked the healthcare system in Myanmar 190th out of 191 countries.
Citizenship for sale
Asia focus, Anchalee Kongrut, Published on 13/03/2017
» Having multiple passports and citizenship that bears no relation to where you were born is something most people associates with James Bond or Jason Bourne. But these days it is no longer simply the stuff of spy stories.
The quest for a sustainable Songkran
Life, Anchalee Kongrut, Published on 13/04/2016
» Water splashing never came with guilt, until recently. This is Songkran, and water is the currency that we once spent as if there were no tomorrow.
Watching history unfold
Life, Anchalee Kongrut, Published on 06/04/2015
» When Vitthya Vejjajiva said he was going to write a biography of Phan Wannamethee — diplomat, Red Cross chief, former Free Thai Movement member and ex-permanent secretary at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) — he received encouragement from everyone except his subject.
You can judge a book by its cover
Life, Anchalee Kongrut, Published on 29/10/2012
» Nobody knows who coined the maxim "you can't judge a book by its cover". But it would come as no surprise if the creator of that cliche turned out to be a moralist who simply laced pearls of wisdom and used a book cover as a metaphor.
Germany leads way for RENEWABLE energy
Life, Anchalee Kongrut, Published on 23/02/2012
» Known as a nation of stern discipline, Germany never ceases to amaze.
Take a walk on the right side
Life, Anchalee Kongrut, Published on 10/02/2012
» Everyone who can drive might take this rule to heart. You have to take the left lane when you slow down and use the right lane when you want to speed up. You do the same when you drive in certain countries such as Britain and do the opposite when you drive in the US. That is the rule, with a penalty if you break traffic law. You are risking your own _ and others' _ safety, having your driving licence confiscated, a fine or even facing criminal charges if you and your vehicle are involved in an accident.