Showing 1 - 10 of 21
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.
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.
The fear of becoming a banana state
News, Anchalee Kongrut, Published on 15/08/2016
» 'The company changed the pattern of the rains, accelerated the cycle of harvests and moved the river from where it had always been." This vivid line is from the book <i>One Hundred Years of Solitude</i>, a magnum opus written by Gabriel Garcia Marquez, a Nobel Prize-winning writer.
Book smart
Life, Anchalee Kongrut, Published on 11/04/2016
» Consumer spending has dampened. Popular annual trade and sales events -- such as the Bangkok International Motor Show, which ended last week -- have uncharacteristically experienced lukewarm responses. Yet organisers of the National Book Fair, just ended, have reason to celebrate, as bookworms swarmed the Queen Sirikit National Convention Centre over the past two weeks. It seems that despite the economic downturn and limitless entertainment options, people still buy books.
Death becomes us all
Life, Anchalee Kongrut, Published on 20/01/2016
» The year began with grim news in the entertainment industry. For fans of Western pop culture, the unexpected death of David Bowie shocked the entire world. Just a few days later, fans of the Harry Potter movies were stunned by the death of British actor Alan Rickman, who played the role of the series' most complex character, Severus Snape, a role that fortified Rickman's acting repertoire.