Showing 1 - 10 of 12
Thai army needs to march to a new tune
Oped, Anchalee Kongrut, Published on 13/05/2023
» I always get feelings of fear when I hear the army's famous propaganda song, Nak Paendin, which in Thai means "burden of the country". As a child born during the 1970s, this song reminds me of military putsches.
Thailand's crisis communication needs rethinking
Oped, Anchalee Kongrut, Published on 08/10/2022
» The renewed interest in transistor radios is just so bemusing, even to those who own a set and use it for news updates like myself.
November poll dreams may turn to dust
News, Anchalee Kongrut, Published on 19/01/2018
» The general election is just 311 days away -- as long as the National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO) keeps to its promise and sticks to the timetable for the political roadmap to democracy so the poll can proceed in November.
Double-edged sword called Section 44
News, Anchalee Kongrut, Published on 06/03/2017
» At first, the interim charter's Section 44 appears like a hidden sword that a knight in shining armour brings out only to fight a justifiable cause. Indeed, Prime Minister Gen Prayut Chan-o-cha makes us believe so. Power and force will be used when necessary and applied constructively, we are told.
The man, his maps, and his people
News, Anchalee Kongrut, Published on 17/10/2016
» The King rarely smiled -- that was the broad perception of many people about the late monarch, presumably gained from his appearance in news photos or video footage. "The King never smiles" is the perception of a Western writer who scripted a controversial book about him. But for millions of Thais, his solemn face did not matter. The presence of His Majesty King Bhumibol Adulyadej, or even a thought about of him, brought smiles to their own faces.
Thais must face up to China reality
News, Anchalee Kongrut, Published on 28/03/2016
» There has always been a special bond between China and Thailand, which hosts the largest overseas Chinese community in the world. In Thai culture, the Chinese influence is easily traced, through descendants whose origins can be found in rural areas of the southern Chinese mainland, from where their ancestors fled poverty, communism and political oppression to the more hospitable environs of Thailand.
Myanmar races ahead as we back-pedal
News, Anchalee Kongrut, Published on 17/03/2016
» All eyes have been on Myanmar this week as it finally voted a new president, Htin Kyaw, into office, in so doing becoming the latest debutante into the democratic club. A close aide (for many he is a proxy) of democracy icon Aug San Suu Kyi, who is blocked from taking up the role due to constitutional hurdles, Htin Kyaw is the first civilian leader of the country since 1962.
Je suis Nattanan
Life, Anchalee Kongrut, Published on 16/01/2015
» No, I’m not trying to drag you into a debate about free speech, the celebrated value that underlines the “Je suis Charlie” movement, which erupted as a tribute to the cartoonists and editorial staff of Charlie Hebdo, who were massacred by three gunmen in Paris on Jan 7. A huge number of people around the world have shown their support by becoming “Charlie”. Hollywood stars such George Clooney and his wife are Charlie. Many of my friends, but not all, are Charlie, too. At the same time, “Je ne suis pas Charlie” has sprung up here and there as well. I believe Charlies and non-Charlies can have lively debates — or get drunk together — because both groups are alike in condemning the use of violence.
The results are in
Life, Anchalee Kongrut, Published on 30/09/2014
» Which public poll have you read most recently? And if you actually buy those figures, what does that particular poll tell you about ourselves and our country?
The first and final step to freedom
Life, Anchalee Kongrut, Published on 27/08/2014
» Which type of campaign or protest do you think has been the most effective and interesting? Gandhi’s fasts? Sasin Chalermlarp’s marathon walk? Perhaps you prefer the Ice Bucket Challenge, which has recently become vogue on social media.