Showing 1 - 10 of 45
A plaintive song for the taxman
Roger Crutchley, Published on 29/03/2026
» I've just got back from filing my income tax and must thank the staff at the branch of the Revenue Department for their helpfulness and efficiency. It must be a thankless job knowing that nearly everyone they deal with would probably rather be somewhere else.
News bulletins are going 'off-ramp'
Roger Crutchley, Published on 22/03/2026
» An expression that is being used with increasing frequency in recent news reports, particularly concerning the goings on in the Middle East, is "off-ramp". Switch on the TV and it won't be long before a "talking head" will be authoritatively discussing "off-ramp" opportunities.
Let's hope 2026 is not too amazing
Roger Crutchley, Published on 04/01/2026
» Well here we are on the fourth day of a brand new year. I trust everyone is holding up well after the festivities because it can be quite gruelling pretending to behave in a jovial fashion if you are not feeling jovial at all.
Thai RoboCop walking tall at Songkran
Roger Crutchley, Published on 27/04/2025
» The most important news emerging from the recent Songkran activities is that Thailand finally has its own "RoboCop". The kingdom's first AI police robot was spotted on active duty in Nakhon Pathom province keeping an eagle eye on water-throwing activities. It has been given the name Pol Col Nakhon Pathom Plod Phai, which is admittedly bit of a mouthful but roughly translates as "Nakhon Pathom is safe".
Maybe it's time to look on the bright side
Roger Crutchley, Published on 05/01/2025
» It is that time of the year when columnists are expected to make a few pertinent predictions concerning what could be in store for the next 12 months. However, things are so unpredictable at the moment that even Nostradamus would struggle to come up with a half-decent forecast. We are also entering the Year of the Snake which is not particularly comforting.
The night I was eclipsed by the Moon
Roger Crutchley, Published on 20/10/2024
» I had planned to view the super full moon last Thursday night but unfortunately forgot all about it. My apologies to the Moon. That's the sort of thing that happens these days. It went down as another failure in my rocky relationship with the heavens and ranks up there with a lunar eclipse fiasco I was involved in many moons ago, if that's the right expression.
Playing cat and mouse at Downing Street
Roger Crutchley, Published on 06/10/2024
» Important news from London. Larry the Cat has a new housemate at Downing Street. Prime Minister Keir Starmer has announced the arrival of a white Siberian kitten called Prince. This breed of cat is apparently "good at problem solving" so considering the state of the UK at the moment it should be kept very busy in the PM's office. It is unclear if it will attend Cabinet meetings as being a Russian breed it may face security issues.
A country full of Eastern promise
Roger Crutchley, Published on 30/06/2024
» Watching the current Euro football championships has served as a reminder that the official name of the country known to most of us as Turkey, is now Turkiye, pronounced "Turkiya". This name was approved by the UN in 2022. The change was believed to have been made partly to disassociate the country from the large bird of the same name and other negative interpretations of the word "turkey". You can understand why Turks could be irritated by silly newspaper football headlines such as "England roast Turkey".
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.
Tales of Nessie won't stop resurfacing
Roger Crutchley, Published on 21/04/2024
» Today happens to be the 90th anniversary of the famous photograph claiming to be that of the "Loch Ness Monster". It was on April 21, 1934, that the Daily Mail carried the iconic front page pix of what became known as the "surgeon's photograph" because it was taken by London doctor Robert Kenneth Wilson.