Showing 1 - 10 of 10
Beasts of burden
Spectrum, Tunya Sukpanich, Published on 27/10/2013
» What began as a supposed attempt to stamp out elephant poaching has turned into a conflict of jumbo proportions.
Out of mind, in plain sight
Spectrum, Tunya Sukpanich, Published on 21/07/2013
» Son was a familiar figure wandering aimlessly and obviously "out of it" in Rangsit district, where he lived in a local temple. Rescue workers came to the temple in response to a call from a concerned citizen and took him for treatment at a government mental hospital, and slowly he regained his wits and memory. Son couldn't remember anything about his family but fortunately they did not forget him. Now he is safe, recuperating at his home in Chaiyaphum province. Son is one of a lucky few suffering from severe mental illness on the streets who receive attention and help. Most suffer in silence and loneliness.
Jet-setting monk flies into turbulence
Spectrum, Tunya Sukpanich, Published on 07/07/2013
» He's a high-flying monk who stirred controversy when he was filmed aboard a private jet donning designer sunglasses and high-tech gadgets last month. But Phra Wirapol Sukphol now appears set for a hard landing as supporters and critics face off over accusations of fraud, money laundering and sexual misconduct at his Si Sa Ket monastery.
Breathing new life into the South's abandoned paddies
Spectrum, Tunya Sukpanich, Published on 24/02/2013
» At a training centre at the Buffalo Conservation Village in Suphan Buri province, some 120 villagers from Pattani province _ both Muslims and Buddhists _ are learning new farming methods, part of a government initiative aimed at revitalising rice production in the South.
Seized wildlife trapped in legal limbo
Spectrum, Tunya Sukpanich, Published on 20/01/2013
» The death of an elephant taken in a raid on a private elephant park in Kanchanaburi province in April last year highlights the strain on state agencies charged with taking custody of seized wildlife. The female elephant and 18 others were taken after park owners failed to provide proper identification documents and turned over to the Thai Elephant Conservation Centre in Lampang province to await legal proceedings.
Easy guns bring Wild West mentality
Spectrum, Tunya Sukpanich, Published on 18/11/2012
» In recent years Thailand has been flooded with illegal firearms and the misery they cause is plain for all to see. Every day there are media reports of shootouts and homicides that begin with domestic quarrels, school rivalries and traffic accidents, and quickly escalate. Law enforcement officials say the root cause is the easy availability of guns, and this is true for teenagers as well as adults. People prefer to buy weapons outside of legal channels because they are much cheaper, and don't involve the hassle of registering the guns as required under Thai law.
No good deed: Fight heats up over 'abandoned' temple
Spectrum, Tunya Sukpanich, Published on 30/09/2012
» A dispute over the legality of a temple on a remote island lake in the northeastern province of Sakon Nakhon is shedding light on the problem of abandoned and disused wats.
Clean needles mean less damage done
Spectrum, Tunya Sukpanich, Published on 08/07/2012
» Providing clean needles and syringes to intravenous drug users is a proven way to slow the spread of HIV infection. It's the cornerstone of an approach known as harm reduction that has had success around the world.
Map Ta Phut locals demand say in industrial safeguards
Spectrum, Tunya Sukpanich, Published on 20/05/2012
» Two weeks after two horrific chemical accidents at Map Ta Phut industrial estate left 12 people dead and hundreds injured, many who reside near the estate are still living in fear. They are demanding to know why there were no effective safeguards in place to protect them despite many chemical accidents occurring in the area over the past few years.
Pioneering advocate for worker health says battle still uphill
Spectrum, Tunya Sukpanich, Published on 15/04/2012
» In 1993 when Somboon Sikhamdokkae discovered she was suffering from an occupational lung disease caused by working in a textile factory, she decided to establish a group to help other sick workers.