Showing 1 - 10 of 11
Coursing through a town's veins
Life, Anchalee Kongrut, Published on 23/01/2017
» Narong Tiammek, former deputy dean of Muban Chombueng Rajabhat University, should have felt like he was walking (or jogging) on a cloud. The Chombueng Marathon, a local running event that he created 32 years ago, has become a phenomenal success. The number of registered runners steadily climbed up from less than 100 runners in the first year to 13,040 this year, around 5,500 more than in 2016.
On the same page
Muse, Anchalee Kongrut, Published on 21/01/2017
» When Nalin Vanasin, a 43-year-old entrepreneur and mother of two, volunteered to work for Neilson Hays Library, she remembered seeing many eyebrows raised. A few of her friends even asked whether people still go to the library. Such a condescending attitude is somehow understandable. In our digital world, physical books are going out of date. Libraries, known as the fortresses of intellectuals for over two millennia, have become relics of the past.
The picture book-perfect library
Life, Anchalee Kongrut, Published on 13/01/2017
» Neilson Hays Library on Surawong Road turns 95 this year. One of the most handsome buildings remaining in the bustling district, the library will close for six months of renovations, starting in March. But members and visitors can rest assured, the lending service will not be affected, and the library continues to ensure its relevance to young readers with a recently launched short story competition (see box).
Of the gay people, for the gay people
Life, Anchalee Kongrut, Published on 04/11/2016
» Utain Boonorana has been known among his readers as "Mor Tud" or, "the gay doctor". A medical professional by trade, Utain spends his free time penning books about gay romance. His latest novel is Kue Ter Nai Hua Jai (You're In My Mind), published by Hyacint, a publishing house dedicated to LGBT literature, released this month.
A place among the dead
Life, Anchalee Kongrut, Published on 26/07/2016
» Cemeteries are a sanctuary for the dead and the mourners. But the Bangkok Protestant Cemetery on Charoen Krung 72/5, known as Soi Susan Farang, has been known as a tourist attraction, due to the beautiful architecture of the memorial sites and splendidly carved gravestones. The cemetery, besides being one of the oldest burial grounds that remain unaffected by the urban development of the city, has a cultural value as a testament of foreign cultures present in Thailand from the mid-19th century until the present day.
To squat or not?
Life, Anchalee Kongrut, Published on 09/05/2016
» Like religion and politics, toilet etiquette is a touchy subject. The latest proof is the debate on the future of traditional squat toilets in Thailand after a new law on the manufacturing standard of toilet seats came into effect on April 23. The law has provoked discussion and even fear that the state will ban the use of squat toilets, archaic but cheap household facilities that are still used in rural areas, as well as many houses and buildings.
Asian authors shine
Life, Anchalee Kongrut, Published on 22/06/2015
» Death is a fascinating subject for many books, essays and reflections. We remember Sogyal Rinpoche's trailblazing The Tibetan Book Of Living And Dying, he himself a Tibetan monk, perhaps presenting an interesting contrast to this new book on death penned by an unlikely author, Satish Modi, an industrial mogul of India.
Road to recovery
Life, Anchalee Kongrut, Published on 11/03/2015
» New Year's Eve, 2013 was the worst that Gregor Rasp, an Austrian who has lived in Bangkok for decades, has ever had.
Taming human behaviour
Life, Anchalee Kongrut, Published on 14/01/2015
» Two recent cases of wild elephants charging at tourists’ vehicles in Khao Yai National Park may have many people thinking twice about visiting the area.
Fostering in the forest
Life, Anchalee Kongrut, Published on 12/11/2014
» Many decades ago, the village of Baan Pang Chum Pee, in the Mae On district of Chiang Mai, resembled an ecological Armageddon. All of its trees had been cut down, leaving the mountains looking like rocky sand dunes. After decades of extensive logging, the trees had disappeared from the forest and the villagers learned some harsh lessons, as the rivers dried up and farmers and fishermen struggled to make a living.