Showing 1 - 9 of 9
A missing item in the rural soundtrack
Roger Crutchley, Published on 18/01/2026
» As usual at this time of the year I have been enjoying life in the Northeastern province of Chaiyaphum for several weeks. However on this visit there was something slightly different which I couldn't immediately put my finger on. It took a few days before realising I was not being woken up by the usual early morning chorus of roosters or chickens of any sort.
A word that has me at sixes and sevens
Roger Crutchley, Published on 09/11/2025
» I try to keep up with the ever-evolving English language but after seeing the buzzwords provided by Dictionary.com this week I fear I am being left way behind.
In Isan it's all just a matter of taste
Roger Crutchley, Published on 24/08/2025
» There has been too much depressing news lately so let's lighten things up a bit. There was an article in the Post a few weeks ago concerning a shop in Khon Khaen that is serving ice cream heavily topped with grilled chicken. I haven't tried it and to be frank have no intention of doing so, but by all accounts it is going down very well amongst people in Isan.
Farewell Wanchai, a friend and colleague
Roger Crutchley, Published on 08/12/2024
» I was deeply saddened to hear that my good friend and colleague Wanchai Rujawongsanti passed away earlier this week at the young age of 61 after losing a battle with cancer. I worked with him on the sports desk at the Bangkok Post for two decades and it was a time I will always cherish.
Overdue return to land of rocket men
News, Roger Crutchley, Published on 02/07/2023
» Last weekend I found myself in the Northeastern province of Yasothon for the first time in more than 20 years. It brought back fond memories as there was a time ''Yaso" was something of a home away from home.
'King of fruits' is nothing to sniff at
News, Roger Crutchley, Published on 13/06/2021
» Most people who have a functioning hooter will be well aware we are in the middle of the durian season. I got a timely reminder when my wife returned triumphantly from a day trip to the orchards of Nakhon Nayok last weekend laden with what is called the "king of fruits''. It is also the smelliest of fruits, prompting a brisk trade in T-shirts bearing the message "tastes like heaven and smells like hell".
You can't escape a rural soundtrack
News, Roger Crutchley, Published on 03/01/2021
» Admittedly it's is not exactly earth-shattering news, but for the first time in 20 years I haven't spent the New Year holiday in Isan (the Northeast). This was not due to any dramas, but simply a combination of factors that made it more sensible to stay in the Big Mango.
Wagglers, winkers and grasshoppers
News, Roger Crutchley, Published on 27/09/2020
» A half-hearted spring-cleaning session at home during the week came to a welcome halt when I unearthed a long-lost copy of Have Fun With Thai Proverbs collecting dust under a pile of disintegrating paperbacks. Written by Dr Duangtip Somnapan Surintatip, the book is a reminder that there is a common thread to proverbs around the world. As the title suggests, it can be fun putting long-standing expressions into a Thai context.
Lazing on a stormy Sunday afternoon
News, Roger Crutchley, Published on 09/06/2019
» Every now and again, I escape to the Northeast (Isan), more specifically the northernmost part of Chaiyaphum province, to relax, unwind, mellow out, chill out and hopefully not freak out. It is always a rewarding experience to shake off the madness of the Big Mango for a few days and settle into a pace of life that drifts between slow, very slow and practically dormant. That's something I can handle quite comfortably. In some ways it must resemble being transferred to an inactive post.