Showing 1 - 10 of 93
Did Apec elite taste enough of Thailand?
Oped, Anchalee Kongrut, Published on 26/11/2022
» What lasting benefits will Thailand enjoy having just wrapped up its hosting of Apec 2022 -- a global trade forum held in Bangkok last week? How will the much-touted meeting make Thailand better off in the long run? And will the excited chatter about a "BCG" economy ever amount to more than an acronym few working in those targeted sectors can decypher to give a full name to?
More taxes may not be a bad thing
News, Anchalee Kongrut, Published on 21/12/2018
» On Monday, I spent an unusually long time -- more than half a day -- just to get my car tyres replaced at a shop. Usually, it takes about two hours to get the old tyres replaced with the new ones.
Backtrack on cultural centre is far from convincing
News, Anchalee Kongrut, Published on 18/05/2018
» Bangkok Governor Aswin Kwanmuang appeared to cave in to pressure from artists who demanded the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) halt plans to take back the administration of the Bangkok Art and Cultural Centre (BACC). But judging from his statement, the maverick cop will not lay low for long.
Activist: 'Prayut as democracy hero' book a lie
News, Anchalee Kongrut, Published on 19/04/2018
» Firebrand activist Srisuwan Janya has vowed to sue the Fine Arts Department if it fails to recalls a book called the History of Thailand, which depicts coup maker and Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha as a patron of democracy.
Open economy evangelist
Asia focus, Anchalee Kongrut, Published on 14/08/2017
» New Zealand has long been known for kiwi fruit, lamb and the invincible All Blacks, the fearsome national rugby team. But in the global economic sphere, the country is also known as a champion of open economies and free trade. Last year, the country was rated the world's second-best place to do business by Forbes magazine. That helps confirm its reputation in the field of trade -- and explains why the British government chose a New Zealander to head its post-Brexit trade negotiating team.
Why Hong Kong matters
Asia focus, Anchalee Kongrut, Published on 03/07/2017
» Twenty years ago on the evening of June 30, all eyes turned to Hong Kong as the tiny territory, known as a regional financial hub, global toy manufacturer and epitome of a free society, was returned to mainland China after 155 years of British rule. As a fan of the city and a regular visitor, I still remember that emotionally charged day.
Books prove resilient to technology
News, Anchalee Kongrut, Published on 27/03/2017
» Over a decade ago, some pundits made the prediction that books would eventually disappear. Now it seems that books are not on the extinction list, ready for the "guillotine" of the disruptive technology of the digital media and the internet of things.
Soaps and sensibility
Asia focus, Anchalee Kongrut, Published on 20/03/2017
» I have never watched Plerng Phra Nang (A Lady's Flame), a prime-time soap opera on Thai television that depicts a bloody dynastic power struggle in a fictional kingdom. The series -- with elaborate period costumes and a lot of face-slapping and cat-fights among royal consorts -- has received bad press in Myanmar and Thailand alike.
Let's develop a culture of reading
News, Anchalee Kongrut, Published on 23/01/2017
» How much time do you spend reading in a single day? According to a Ministry of Culture survey, the average Thai spends 66 minutes per day reading. I am quite surprised and found the amount quite high. Yet the survey also includes digital content on the internet and social media, not only books.
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.