Showing 1 - 10 of 17
Temple dogs a victim of religious commercialisation
Spectrum, Nattha Thepbamrung, Published on 25/03/2018
» Temples in tourist hotspot Phuket are experiencing a crisis of identity: are they places of compassion, contemplation and meditation, the spritual and social centres of the community? Or are they tourist attractions, beholden mainly to visitors?
Getting through a dangerous haze
Spectrum, Nattha Thepbamrung, Published on 31/08/2014
» As a freshman, Panuwad Hongsawatchai felt the wrath of his fellow students at Maejo University in Phrae when he refused to be part of its traditional hazing ceremonies intended to absorb him into campus life.
Making money over merit
Spectrum, Nattha Thepbamrung, Published on 17/08/2014
» Since it came out with its esoteric teachings on Buddhism in 1970, the secretive Dhammakaya temple and its adherents have been rumoured to be involved in illegal actions which are at odds with the traditional monkhood.
The great Phuket cleanup
Spectrum, Nattha Thepbamrung, Published on 13/07/2014
» Maj Gen Paween Pongsir’s four years of experience with Phuket police saw him dragooned from his new post in Surat Thani to return and clean up corruption in the popular tourist resort.
Marching to a happier beat
Spectrum, Nattha Thepbamrung, Published on 29/06/2014
» ‘I like to make funny faces to make people laugh,” says Sutariya “Kiew” Settawanit, her broad smile contrasting sharply against her crisp military fatigues and neatly arranged red beret. “I feel happy when I see my audience happy, even though I dress like a crazy person.”
The battle for hearts and minds
Spectrum, Nattha Thepbamrung, Published on 22/06/2014
» With Thailand’s long history of military coups, the country’s generals are well versed in the ways of post-putsch propaganda.
Krabi locked in power struggle
Spectrum, Nattha Thepbamrung, Published on 15/06/2014
» ‘We have suffered a great deal of misery because of the old coal-fired plant,” says Somneug Krodsua. “It is not acceptable that they plan to build another even bigger one in the same area this time.”
Degrees of dishonesty
Spectrum, Nattha Thepbamrung, Published on 25/05/2014
» Plagiarism seems to be a new word — especially for students.
Memoirs of a mama-san
Spectrum, Nattha Thepbamrung, Published on 18/05/2014
» The routine world of a young housewife and mother is shattered by heartbreak, and she reacts by plunging into a dark world of prostitution, human trafficking and association with the largest organised crime syndicate in the world.
Behind the wheel on hell ride
Spectrum, Nattha Thepbamrung, Published on 27/04/2014
» It’s Bangkok’s most notorious bus route, earning a dubious reputation for its erratic drivers — some unlicensed — who hurtle through traffic at breakneck speeds in congested areas in defiance of the road rules.