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Some 2023 tales you may have missed
Roger Crutchley, Published on 31/12/2023
» It is customary at this time of the year for PostScript to look back at some of the major happenings of the last 12 months. But we will have a change this year because the news has been far too depressing. So instead we will examine some of the not-so-major happenings of 2023 that you might have missed amongst all the gloom and doom. They may not be particularly significant but are a lot more fun than the grim stuff we read every day.
Those elusive influential persons
Roger Crutchley, Published on 29/10/2023
» Most intriguing news of the week is that according to a parliamentary House committee there are only 180 "influential people" in the kingdom and in 10 provinces there are none at all. For those unfamiliar with the term "influential person" in Thailand, it is usually interpreted as someone who is powerful enough not to worry about the "long arm of the law" and can go about their sometimes shady business without fear of arrest.
Refugee deaths an immigration wake-up call
News, Published on 24/07/2023
» For around a week in late June, Western media were obsessed with the fate of the Titan, a small submersible carrying a few billionaires and others to the sunken Titanic and later found to have imploded within hours of beginning its descent. Meanwhile, a boat carrying some 750 economic refugees capsized off the Greek coast, killing hundreds who had boarded in Libya after making perilous journeys from places like Afghanistan, Pakistan and Syria. Pakistan declared a national day of mourning for its citizens lost at sea. But the West paid hardly any notice.
A tale of risk and loss
Patcharawalai Sanyanusin, Published on 10/07/2023
» Life is an adventure that pushes us to take risks to achieve a goal. Risks can be worthwhile but certain ones may be too dangerous and result in fatal loss.
Stand up, 'People'
Oped, Postbag, Published on 05/09/2020
» Re: "Time to elect city governor", (Editorial, Sept 4).
2019 more a celebration of 1969
News, Roger Crutchley, Published on 29/12/2019
» It is customary at this time of the year to take a look at some of the major happenings of the past 12 months. This past year has been rather unusual in that it marked a host of significant 50th anniversaries. In fact the year was almost as much about 1969 as 2019. So to kick things off, let's just recall a few of those events 50 years ago.
Women fail to crack glass ceiling in Communist Party
News, Published on 27/10/2017
» Every time China's ruling Communist Party convenes a major gathering, like the congress that just ended in Beijing, the list of delegates is hand-crafted in part to burnish the party's image as "representative of the masses" -- including giving some prominence to those in more menial jobs and ethnic minorities.
Not exactly a great sense of timing
News, Roger Crutchley, Published on 30/04/2017
» A front-runner for this year's Unfortunate Timing Award has to be the Tourism Association of Thailand (TAT) proudly announcing a special Bangkok Street Food festival for June, apparently blissfully unaware of the ongoing campaign by city authorities to clear those pesky vendors from most of the Big Mango's streets.
Torpedo the sub plan
News, Postbag, Published on 01/04/2017
» I think I have a permanent pain in the neck from years of shaking my head over the Royal Thai Navy (RTN) and its quest for submarines. As a military man I am familiar with high-ranking officers and their obsession for certain equipment, an obsession often not matching real mission requirements. The RTN is out to purchase Chinese Type 041 submarines. The Type 041 is a diesel electric sub, about 254 feet long, about 3,600 tonnes, and has a normal crew of 38. The armament is six torpedo tubes firing torpedoes, and possibly anti-ship missiles.
Sandwiches, subs and buckets of baht
News, Roger Crutchley, Published on 29/01/2017
» About 15 years ago, the Bangkok Post carried a report on Thailand marking National Submarine Day. It was a trifle puzzling because Thailand didn't have any submarines. In fact the kingdom hadn't possessed a sub since way back in 1951, and that was a relic of World War II.