Showing 1 - 10 of 14
Hedgehoppers in search of good news
Roger Crutchley, Published on 01/02/2026
» Being the very first day of February it would have been nice if there was some good news worth celebrating, but unfortunately nothing immediately springs to mind. Cheerful news is an increasingly rare commodity these days. It all seems to be gloom and doom and hardly portends a joyful 2026. It can get a bit wearying grappling with news reports featuring contradictions, cover-ups and cock-ups, often accompanied by half-truths, prevarications and porky pies. But this is the world we now live in.
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.
Are tourists ready for Thai ghosts?
Roger Crutchley, Published on 16/06/2024
» The latest inspiration from the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) is to promote "Ghost Tourism" to spice up the experiences of visitors who may be a little weary of bars, beaches and the usual bunkum.
Well, at least 2023 shouldn't be boring
News, Roger Crutchley, Published on 15/01/2023
» We are only halfway through the first month of 2023 and on the local news front we have already been treated to enough controversies, allegations and head-scratching explanations to keep us going for the entire year. For comic relief there is even a hint of a sex scandal.
The 'best job in the world' takes its toll
News, Roger Crutchley, Published on 10/07/2022
» I am no fan of politicians but occasionally politics creates some splendid theatre, although some might call it pantomime. This was the case in the British Houses of Parliament this past week as Prime Minister Boris Johnson attempted to hold on to what he called "the best job in the world".
Where roosters crow before daybreak
News, Roger Crutchley, Published on 09/01/2022
» For the past three weeks I have been waking up to the sound of roosters, many of which sneakily start warming up their vocal chords well before dawn. With this evidence you don't have to be Sherlock Holmes to deduce that I have been in the Northeast of Thailand, or Isan. It has become a regular destination at the New Year and with the exception of the early morning calls from the chickens, it is always a pleasurable experience.
A country so different to anywhere else
News, Roger Crutchley, Published on 22/08/2021
» The dramatic events in Afghanistan inevitably sparked memories of my own brief experiences of the country more than 50 years ago while on an overland trip from London to New Delhi and beyond.
A lovely bunch of coconuts and all that
News, Roger Crutchley, Published on 19/07/2020
» The humble coconut (ma prow) has been in the news lately following allegations of abuse of Thai monkeys used in harvesting the fruit. I admit to not being familiar enough with the training of the monkeys to know if they are maltreated as alleged and certainly would not endorse any cruelty. But if they are treated well it shouldn't be a problem. On sporadic visits to the South I've seen the monkeys at work and play, and they appeared to be quite happy scampering up the coconut palms. They certainly have more fun than those used in medical research.
The choice is yours, and best of luck
News, Roger Crutchley, Published on 17/03/2019
» There's an old dictum, "democracy is the right to make the wrong choice", and one suspects there are plenty of wrong choices available out there, but hopefully also a few good ones as we enter the final straight leading to March 24.
Famous last words, some less famous
News, Roger Crutchley, Published on 10/02/2019
» I nearly ended up in "The Great Newspaper in the Sky" recently when a thundering truck ignored the red lights at a Klong Toey junction and missed our taxi by a whisker. The taxi driver seemed to think the incident was amusing, while all I managed was to blurt out "bloody hell!"