Showing 1 - 10 of 18
A fond farewell to the poster people
Oped, Roger Crutchley, Published on 08/02/2026
» For a couple of months the streets in Bangkok and throughout Thailand have been decorated with posters of political candidates. But now the Big Day has arrived and soon the posters will disappear. In a strange sort of way, I will miss their presence as they were at least something to look at when stuck in the traffic. They generally appeared to be a cheerful lot, beaming at us with big cheesy grins as one would expect in the Land of Smiles.
The amazing paddy fields of England
Roger Crutchley, Published on 05/10/2025
» Important news from Blighty. Rice has been grown for the first time in Britain in the Fens of Cambridgeshire. Apparently this is a result of an unusually hot summer. For a project that had once been dismissed as a joke it's quite an achievement. Let's hope the notoriously fickle English weather doesn't spoil it all. It will probably start snowing tomorrow.
The hippo, the pumpkin and the haggis
Roger Crutchley, Published on 10/11/2024
» From the moment Thailand's celebrity pygmy hippo, Moo Deng predicted Donald Trump would triumph in the US election it was all over for the Democrats and Kamala Harris. Their fate had been sealed by the taste buds of the megastar mammal from Chon Buri.
Beatniks, beards, duffel coats and music
Roger Crutchley, Published on 11/08/2024
» There seems to be daily protests going on around the world including England. It is uncomfortable witnessing in my home country scenes of bricks being lobbed through windows, doors kicked in, businesses boarded up and terrified shopkeepers pulling down the shutters. Thankfully, things appear to have temporarily calmed down and hopefully it will stay that way.
A headline that went around the world
Oped, Roger Crutchley, Published on 21/01/2024
» There has recently been some discussion concerning the quirky law that bans the sale of alcohol in supermarkets and restaurants from 2pm to 5pm and also before 11am.
An unforgettable taste of romance
News, Roger Crutchley, Published on 13/02/2022
» In Thailand the silly season is never far away and things usually get even more daft around Valentine's Day, which happens to be tomorrow. However, the festival has taken bit of a hit in recent years courtesy of Covid. With kissing, canoodling, caressing, cuddling, snogging and hugging generally frowned upon by authorities the occasion has inevitably lost a lot of its romance.
Enjoying the delicate sound of thunder
News, Roger Crutchley, Published on 10/10/2021
» Something you get accustomed to in Bangkok at this time of the year is the distant sound of thunder, Mother Nature's way of reminding us of her power and also not to forget the umbrella if we are going out. I emphasise "distant" because the "flash, bang wallop!" thunderclaps directly overhead can be extremely scary and dangerous. But observing thunder and sheet lightning from a comfortable distance can actually be quite relaxing, almost like listening to the timpani tuning up at the Albert Hall.
When great debate went into extra time
News, Roger Crutchley, Published on 05/09/2021
» No-confidence debates like that taking place during the past week have become something of a tradition in Thailand, but it is rare for them to be successful. Perhaps the biggest excitement came some years ago when in the middle of such a debate one MP called a leading a politician a "toad", which didn't go down too well. But at least it livened up proceedings.
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.
Mandalay and other magical places
News, Roger Crutchley, Published on 11/04/2021
» Thanks to many readers who came up with their own memories in response to last week's column about places that sounded quite magical as a kid. Mandalay and Kathmandu were definitely the front-runners at grabbing children's imaginations in the old days.