Showing 1 - 10 of 12
We can always live in a dollhouse
Roger Crutchley, Published on 07/07/2024
» Thai tourism authorities are always quick to make the most of any new fad, which might explain the appearance of a life-sized Labubu doll on the front page of the Bangkok Post this week. Apparently, the mascot is part of a promotion to attract Chinese tourists. I confess to not knowing anything about the Labubu craze although the Post's doll correspondent informs me the designer doll is a "kind-hearted monster with pointed ears and serrated teeth". Hmmm.
'King of fruits' is nothing to sniff at
News, Roger Crutchley, Published on 13/06/2021
» Most people who have a functioning hooter will be well aware we are in the middle of the durian season. I got a timely reminder when my wife returned triumphantly from a day trip to the orchards of Nakhon Nayok last weekend laden with what is called the "king of fruits''. It is also the smelliest of fruits, prompting a brisk trade in T-shirts bearing the message "tastes like heaven and smells like hell".
It's always 'bath' time in Thailand
News, Roger Crutchley, Published on 07/03/2021
» Flying in to a very quiet Suvarnabhumi recently I noticed the official ticket for the airport taxi still informs us of an additional "50 bath" (sic) you will be required to pay the driver at the end of the journey. The "bath" has been there since the ticket was introduced six years ago, so you can forgive what few tourists there are these days for believing they will be dealing in "baths" during their stay.
Well, it's only a slogan after all
News, Roger Crutchley, Published on 24/05/2020
» The Tourism Authority of Thailand has decreed that the "Amazing Thailand" slogan will need rebranding once the coronavirus situation is sorted out. So from October, we will be treated to "Amazing Trusted Thailand", emphasising safety and aimed at "high-end" tourists. Well-intentioned as it may be, this new slogan doesn't exactly roll off the tongue and the middle word may prompt a few wry smiles.
Once upon a time it was smooth as silk
News, Roger Crutchley, Published on 27/10/2019
» Judging from what a leading executive of Thai Airways International (THAI) said last week, the national airline is in a spot of bother and needs to turn things around quickly. Quite what the solution might be is unclear, although one suspects a "miracle" would come in quite handy. It is common knowledge that things have not been "smooth as silk" for many years.
A job guaranteed to create a stink
News, Roger Crutchley, Published on 25/06/2017
» You may recall a recent PostScript column concerning unusual occupations which featured "odour sniffers'' who have the delightful job of sniffing human armpits to check whether a deodorant is doing its job. I did not realise that professional sniffers are in such demand. Last week it was announced that Thailand's Pollution Control Department had recruited 167 "smell assessors'' to sniff out factories responsible for some of the more malodourous emissions that upset citizens.
There must be something about Hawaii
News, Roger Crutchley, Published on 09/10/2016
» The most reassuring news of the week was that the leader of a much-discussed Thai delegation to the US-Asean conference in Hawaii only ate noodles and rice aboard the chartered aircraft.
When flying was almost smooth as silk
News, Roger Crutchley, Published on 29/11/2015
» Life has not exactly been as “smooth as silk” for Thai International in recent years. It is a sad state of affairs for an airline that at one time was regarded as one of the finest in the region, especially before 1977 when it was a joint venture with Scandinavian Airlines.
Shoeless, almost trouserless and helpless
News, Roger Crutchley, Published on 05/07/2015
» A couple of months ago I was in the departure area of Suvarnabhumi airport on my way to the UK. It was 2am and I was standing in my socks, with my shoes off, belt off and trousers falling down.
Another year to remember, or maybe forget
News, Roger Crutchley, Published on 28/12/2014
» Well, we've just about scraped through another 12 months, although at times things did look a bit on the shaky side. At least all the whistle-blowing has abated. Here are a few reminders of events and characters that graced the year 2014, although some you may prefer to forget.