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To make it popular, ban it
News, Roger Crutchley, Published on 20/05/2012
» One would have thought that by now the authorities would have realised that if you ban something it will become popular, or at least more widely known. That will probably be the case of the film Shakespeare Must Die, a Thai adaptation of Macbeth. It was originally banned in April and an appeal by the film-makers was rejected last week. The authorities seem to think that the Thai public is incapable of making up its own mind whether a film is any good. Of course, the publicity created by the ban means that the news has gone around the world _ not exactly what the moral guardians responsible for the ban had in mind.
Timing was off, but the thought was there
News, Roger Crutchley, Published on 13/05/2012
» With an uncanny sense of bad timing, last week's ''PostScript'' about the excessive heat in Bangkok coincided with the weather making a sudden about turn as the thunderstorms rolled in and it piddled down, cooling things down considerably. Although I welcomed the less sultry weather, it wasn't exactly auspicious for the column. Still, at least it didn't start snowing.
Hot and maybe a little bothered
News, Roger Crutchley, Published on 06/05/2012
» It was Oscar Wilde who observed: ''conversation about the weather is the last refuge of the unimaginative''. He might have had a point, but it means there have been a lot of unimaginative folk in Thailand lately. I can hardly recall a conversation in recent weeks without a reference to the heat. It definitely has been ''a bit on the warm side''.
Writing on the wall
News, Roger Crutchley, Published on 29/04/2012
» Not far from my house in Bangkok is a large telephone junction box on which someone has recently sprayed in large black letters "Jon Smith Was Here!". Not the most original form of graffiti , but at least it was spelt correctly. It would have perhaps been more intriguing if it said "Lady Gaga Was Here" or maybe had a bit of local colour like "Thaksin Was Here".
Keep your shirt on, please
News, Roger Crutchley, Published on 22/04/2012
» Our thanks to Sgt Nop and the eagle-eyed boys in Ayutthaya's police force for livening up what had been a boring week by pouncing on a topless transvestite at the Songkran celebrations. Well, OK, they didn't exactly pounce, or even swoop.
The festival that never seems to end
News, Roger Crutchley, Published on 15/04/2012
» Songkran appears to have been going on for even longer than usual this year. There's an awful lot of city folks who disappeared a week ago for a ''long weekend'' and haven't been seen since. They probably won't be spotted again until the end of the week, which no doubt will be just in time for another long weekend.
Don't even try to judge these by their covers
News, Roger Crutchley, Published on 08/04/2012
» It is generally agreed that a snappy title helps the sales of a book, while some titles can be a complete turnoff. It is with this in mind that the English literary magazine Bookseller for the past 30 years has been handing out an annual prize for the oddest book title. As you may have read in last Sunday's edition, this year's award went to Thailand's Saiyuud Diwong for her quaintly named offering, Cooking With Poo.
Things could possibly get a bit silly today
News, Roger Crutchley, Published on 01/04/2012
» If you think you have read or heard a few strange stories today, it might be an idea to look at the date and remind yourself it is that special day which thrives on the silly side of life.
In-depth story, but it's full of holes
News, Roger Crutchley, Published on 25/03/2012
» The most entertaining news this week was the sudden emergence of a magnificent hole on Rama IV Road near the Thai-Belgium bridge. If you were particularly lucky you may have personally experienced the subsequent horrendous traffic jams on Rama IV and all neighbouring roads which seem to have lasted all week.
Welcome to the land of queues, please stand by
News, Roger Crutchley, Published on 18/03/2012
» One thing the current immigration woes at Suvarnabhumi have highlighted is that no one likes to stand in queues, be it at airports, banks, buffets or bathrooms.