Showing 1 - 10 of 35
Something's brewing
Spectrum, Nanchanok Wongsamuth, Published on 15/01/2017
» A fortune teller suggested Puripong Suthisopapan and his business partner focus on selling beer when they opened their Be Right Back restaurant in Khon Kaen over a year ago. Starting only with one refrigerator, most of the beer they sold was illegally home-brewed as Thai law prohibits small-scale brewing.
Where hope has vanished
Spectrum, Nanchanok Wongsamuth, Published on 21/08/2016
» It was the spot where the villagers had found the chequered loincloth of missing land rights activist Den Khamlae a week earlier. Banjong Sanitnit, Den's brother-in-law, stopped at a nearby tree. He lit six incense sticks and poured rice whisky into a clear plastic cup so that it was a quarter full. And then he prayed.
Five more years? Concern as military gets out the vote
Spectrum, Nanchanok Wongsamuth, Published on 10/07/2016
» The coup-makers have spent over two years asking Thais for a bit more time to restore happiness to the country. Now, they are asking for another five years -- and they've asked community leaders to spread the message.
Reaching an uncritical mass
Spectrum, Nanchanok Wongsamuth, Published on 22/05/2016
» 'She's just a farmer. She knows nothing." That was the example Terachet Rojrachsombat used on Facebook to illustrate his lesson on ad hominem, or abusive, arguments. The post drew an immediate reaction.
Making megabucks from trips to Mecca
Spectrum, Nanchanok Wongsamuth, Published on 15/05/2016
» Like all Muslims, Lukman Baik has been looking forward to the once-in-a-lifetime hajj pilgrimage. Despite being a mandatory religious duty provided one is physically and financially capable, Mr Lukman has been trying hard to save money for the trip. For the 35-year-old rubber farmer, doing so has been difficult, especially at a time when Thailand is struggling with falling rubber prices.
Monopoly money under a tax
Spectrum, Nanchanok Wongsamuth, Published on 24/04/2016
» Poom Prasit had been smoking the local Krong Thip cigarettes for the past 13 years. On the day of the announcement of the latest tobacco tax hike in February, however, he immediately decided he would switch brands. The next day, he bought a pack of SMS instead.
Exodus chapter two: Fresh wave prepares to call it quits
Spectrum, Nanchanok Wongsamuth, Published on 17/04/2016
» Four years ago, Somrak Sila thought of leaving the country to work in Cambodia. But only now, two years after the coup, is the gallery owner seriously considering her options: continue her business by showcasing less provocative artists and material, or set up a new business in Portugal where she can operate more freely.
The top 10 don’t-do list
Spectrum, Nanchanok Wongsamuth, Published on 03/04/2016
» A 57-year-old Chiang Mai woman was charged with inciting rebellion last week for posting a photo of herself with a red plastic bowl on Facebook. The bowl, to sprinkle people with water during Songkran, also happened to carry a message from fugitive former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra. She faces the prospect of up to seven years’ jail if convicted of sedition.
Waves of fear over phone tower claims
Spectrum, Nanchanok Wongsamuth, Published on 27/03/2016
» ‘Radio waves from cell phone towers are not as harmful as you think” has become the official government tagline. It’s heard on radio spots, published in leaflets and banners on song thaew vehicles, as well as printed on billboards in front of schools and government buildings.
Screening out the dangers, and the pretenders
Spectrum, Nanchanok Wongsamuth, Published on 27/03/2016
» Images of a ghost with red hands hovering over a university student’s head have caught the attention of skytrain and subway commuters in the past two months. A blurb appearing on the ad using a horror font calls electromagnetic waves a “dangerous threat” that can cause brain damage.