Showing 1 - 9 of 9
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.
Hot off the press on Ratchadamnoen Ave
News, Roger Crutchley, Published on 03/10/2021
» After last week's column regarding old seafaring expressions still in everyday use, I thought we could take a look at a few sayings that have their origins in newspapers.
In the wake of the not so great debate
News, Roger Crutchley, Published on 04/10/2020
» While there might have been an element of entertainment in a perverse sort of way watching the US presidential candidates slagging one another off like squabbling children, these politicians still have a lot to learn in the art of insulting behaviour.
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.
Shake hands on it… on second thoughts
News, Roger Crutchley, Published on 15/03/2020
» I was at a recent gathering with friends in Bangkok where the customary handshakes were replaced by a variety of awkward fist bumps, elbow nudges, foot-shakes, waving of arms and other silly ways of saying "hello". But there were definitely no nose-to-nose greetings. Not shaking hands with your closest friends is probably the most noticeable example of how the Covid-19 crisis has affected everyday life. Even Britain's Queen Elizabeth has let it be known that she will not be shaking hands with anyone "for the foreseeable future".
You can't beat that old black magic
News, Roger Crutchley, Published on 02/06/2019
» It is well-known that superstition is deeply ingrained in Thailand, from the poorest farmers to the richest businessmen, politicians and even prime ministers. If things go wrong, malevolent spirits often get the blame and the only way to solve the issue is to indulge in exotic ceremonies to appease them. It makes sense really -- in Thailand you won't get anywhere until you've got the ghosts and the supernatural on your side.
Summertime, and the livin' ain't easy
News, Roger Crutchley, Published on 24/02/2019
» According to the Meteorological Department, Thailand's summer officially began last Thursday, amidst warnings that this year it will be even more torrid than ever. So you can put away your fur coats, scarves, snow boots and thermal underwear for the time being. While sweltering heat is not exactly welcome news, it hardly comes as a surprise. It is a trifle absurd to complain about the heat in Thailand. After all, that's what happens in the tropics -- it gets a bit steamy.
Is everybody happy? You bet they are
News, Roger Crutchley, Published on 25/02/2018
» It was nearly four years ago the powers that be announced the "Return Happiness to the Public" campaign and since then we have all been insanely happy, like it or not. So last week's news that Thailand has been named the "least miserable country in the world" for the fourth successive year by the Bloomberg Misery Index, hardly raised an eyebrow. However, there was some debate if there is any subtle difference between "most happy" and "least miserable".
On handling the gentlemen of the press
News, Roger Crutchley, Published on 14/01/2018
» It is hardly a secret that the Thai prime minister is not exactly enamoured with the media. The press can admittedly at times be a pain in the posterior for those in power. It cannot be much fun having microphones shoved in your face after breakfast every morning by a scrum of journalists asking awkward questions about watches, submarines and elections.