Showing 1 - 10 of 13
Kaset Fair a stark contrast to organic life
News, Anchalee Kongrut, Published on 12/12/2016
» December, leading as it does into the New Year, is a time of festivals, fairs and joyous activities. Among them is the Kaset Fair, an annual event organised by Kasetsart University, the country's leading agricultural institute and cradle that produces manpower for agriculture-related agencies.
Roiling on the river
Life, Anchalee Kongrut, Published on 11/10/2016
» Yossapon Somboon is staring out at the Chao Phraya. He's standing at Phra Sumen Fort on Phra Athit Road, with its green park that offers one of the best spots to look at the river. There is a giant cork tree. There are slopes and well designed terraces where visitors come in the evening to rest, picnic or just look at the water. Nearby is the ancient fort, a traditional community -- a tranquil scene, a pocket of peace in the bustling capital.
From salt to solar
Life, Anchalee Kongrut, Published on 14/09/2016
» If this year's severe drought returns next dry season, Uncle Wai Rodtayoy and other salt farmers in tambon Koek Kharm of Samut Sakhon, known as the country's largest sea-salt-farming area, will see mounting debts.
Banana split
Life, Anchalee Kongrut, Published on 17/08/2016
» High on the list of fruits Thais cannot live without is kluai namwa, or cultivated banana, a tropical strand only grown in South and Southeast Asia. The cultivated banana has long been an affordable, ubiquitous food staple for Thais, the same way apples are for Westerners.
Klity offers lessons for us all
News, Anchalee Kongrut, Published on 18/07/2016
» The scene is almost deja vu: A group of Karen villagers dressed in traditional costume and their representative lawyers clad in solemn suits hold their hands high in victory. The location is the Supreme Court. Journalists rush to interview them and file reports that read: "Klity villagers win court battle". Again.
The quest for a sustainable Songkran
Life, Anchalee Kongrut, Published on 13/04/2016
» Water splashing never came with guilt, until recently. This is Songkran, and water is the currency that we once spent as if there were no tomorrow.
Songkran will be a dry old argument
News, Anchalee Kongrut, Published on 11/04/2016
» Are you ready for Songkran? I expect many revellers have already prepared colourful flower-pattern shirts to wear and talcum powder to apply on faces. The most important thing, though, are the water splashing devices, those ubiquitous guns or adapted water canons which I refer to as "Wasteful Water Mass Dispensers" (WMD).
The rocky road to development
Life, Anchalee Kongrut, Published on 02/09/2015
» One Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha's many ideas is the "New Bangkok Landmark", in the form of a 14km-long bicycle way that would, if launched, be built along the Chao Phraya. This caused some panic attacks among local architects. After the idea was thrown around earlier in the year, prominent Thai architects voiced their disagreement and suggested that at least the design -- an expressway-like structure built into the water along the river bank -- be revised, if not abandoned altogether. The cost of the project is said to be around 14 billion baht.
Floating fiction
Life, Anchalee Kongrut, Published on 25/02/2015
» Some of the most enduring images of Thailand are of the country's floating markets. Regardless of their authenticity or practicality, the postcard-perfect setting is a boon for international and domestic tourism. While the famous Damnoen Saduak and Amphawa markets continue to attract visitors from all over the world, Bangkok has been treated to its own "temporary" canal bazaar this month, during the Talad Nam Festival at Khlong Phadung Krung Kasem.
Poetry and pollution
Business, Anchalee Kongrut, Published on 09/05/2014
» Environmental enthusiasts might be caught by surprise. By The River (Sai Nam Tid Chua) is a documentary film based on the toxic poisoning at Klity village in Kanchanaburi province, but it’s not a “green” film in the conventional sense. Your befuddlement is thus understandable. The film is a surprising departure from “save-the-world” films driven by serious content, grim footage, long interviews and heavy messages, if not cartoon animation that preaches urban kids to hug trees and denounce capitalists (remember The Lorax and Dr Seuss?).