Showing 1 - 10 of 11
On the shores of the nameless
Spectrum, Tunya Sukpanich, Published on 17/11/2013
» On Oct 12, villagers on Ranong province's Koh Phayam island were shocked to find two bodies lying on the beach _ and another washed up in a nearby mangrove. The rescue team later discovered more bodies floating in the sea.
Beasts of burden
Spectrum, Tunya Sukpanich, Published on 27/10/2013
» What began as a supposed attempt to stamp out elephant poaching has turned into a conflict of jumbo proportions.
Dark side of the force
Spectrum, Tunya Sukpanich, Published on 06/10/2013
» Early on the morning of Jan 20, 2011, a single gunshot rang out at Prachin Buri's Raboh Phai police station.
Jet-setting monk flies into turbulence
Spectrum, Tunya Sukpanich, Published on 07/07/2013
» He's a high-flying monk who stirred controversy when he was filmed aboard a private jet donning designer sunglasses and high-tech gadgets last month. But Phra Wirapol Sukphol now appears set for a hard landing as supporters and critics face off over accusations of fraud, money laundering and sexual misconduct at his Si Sa Ket monastery.
Foreign monks 'ain't misbehaving'
Spectrum, Tunya Sukpanich, Published on 28/04/2013
» The abbot of Bangkok's Wat Talom knows that the growing number of foreign monks staying there is causing disquiet in the local community, following complaints of overcrowding, soliciting cash and "improper" behaviour. Phra Maha Somnuek Chutintaro says the number of foreign monks at the temple in Phasicharoen district now totals 316, with the majority from Myanmar (160) followed by Bangladesh (60) and Cambodia (50) and the remainder from India, Vietnam and Laos.
Easy guns bring Wild West mentality
Spectrum, Tunya Sukpanich, Published on 18/11/2012
» In recent years Thailand has been flooded with illegal firearms and the misery they cause is plain for all to see. Every day there are media reports of shootouts and homicides that begin with domestic quarrels, school rivalries and traffic accidents, and quickly escalate. Law enforcement officials say the root cause is the easy availability of guns, and this is true for teenagers as well as adults. People prefer to buy weapons outside of legal channels because they are much cheaper, and don't involve the hassle of registering the guns as required under Thai law.
No good deed: Fight heats up over 'abandoned' temple
Spectrum, Tunya Sukpanich, Published on 30/09/2012
» A dispute over the legality of a temple on a remote island lake in the northeastern province of Sakon Nakhon is shedding light on the problem of abandoned and disused wats.
Herbs and vices: krathom a killer to some, curative to others
Spectrum, Tunya Sukpanich, Published on 16/09/2012
» More than 20,000 krathom trees in Nakhon Si Thammarat province have reportedly been cut down in the past few years as part of the government's policy to suppress the growing popularity of ''4X100'' krathom formulas among young people. It is not known how many more thousands of the trees may have been destroyed in other southern provinces. Many people say the harsh measures are unwarranted as krathom by itself has long been used as a traditional medicine and its effects are mild.
Land reform an unkept promise
Spectrum, Tunya Sukpanich, Published on 03/06/2012
» On June 6, the Supreme Court will decide the fate of three village leaders who are among more than 100 people arrested in 2002 for trespassing on private land in Lamphun's Ban Hong district. The villagers say they were justified in taking over the idle private land for cultivation, as the pledge of successive governments to distribute such land to the poor has not been fulfilled. So far, 35 villagers from Ban Hong, including the three village heads, have gone to court and 23 have been sentenced to jail.
Salvaging a Buddhist sanctuary
Spectrum, Tunya Sukpanich, Published on 05/02/2012
» A mong the major casualties of the recent floods was the 2,500-rai Buddhamonthon ("Buddhist park") religious park in Nakhon Pathom province. Today the park scarcely resembles the former green spiritual and recreational sanctuary in the shadow of Bangkok. The meticulously landscaped lawns are now covered with a thick layer of dried brown leaves and dead branches from trees and shrubs killed or severely shocked by the floodwaters that covered the park grounds for weeks. Many big trees were uprooted and still lie where they fell.