Showing 1 - 10 of 22
Bangkok's clean streets, empty souls
Oped, Sirinya Wattanasukchai, Published on 10/11/2025
» Banthat Thong used to be a neighbourhood, not a concept. You could live here and find everything: restaurants, bookstores, hardware shops, clinics, banks -- even a place to have your shirts made. It was one of those streets where life unfolded upstairs and business happened downstairs. Today, it is something else entirely.
Put culture first in old town revamps
Oped, Sirinya Wattanasukchai, Published on 28/03/2024
» Will Thailand's old towns include their old communities as they are renovated? In many of these important districts, institutional owners of land are apt to evict legacy tenants to make way for redevelopment, threatening vintage architecture and eroding vibrant local cultures and ways of life.
Shutting down Hua Lamphong not a bright idea
Oped, Sirinya Wattanasukchai, Published on 03/02/2021
» When was your last train trip to somewhere in Thailand? Maybe in the last decade or two? Or maybe you cannot remember?
BMA's Green Line fares are unforgivable
Oped, Sirinya Wattanasukchai, Published on 20/01/2021
» The Bangkok Metropolitan Administration's (BMA) plan to raise the Green Line's fare ceiling to the absolute maximum, at over 100 baht, from the original 65 baht, has triggered an avalanche of criticism.
Govt gets it all wrong in closing down train lines
Oped, Sirinya Wattanasukchai, Published on 21/10/2020
» Should I, or should I not, take the train today?" might be the question du jour for city commuters right now. Apart from checking if a train is running or delayed, commuters find it helps to remain flexible in case authorities suddenly order the train services to temporarily shut. Such has been the response to the pro-democracy rallies that have erupted daily since the Oct 15 crackdown, when riot police used water cannon to disperse crowds.
Can one little plaque do that much 'damage'?
Oped, Sirinya Wattanasukchai, Published on 23/09/2020
» Less than 24 hours after the anti-dictatorship activists installed a plaque symbolising democracy at Sanam Luang before wrapping up the rally, state agencies managed to remove it, explaining that the brass item "damages" the historical site. Wow! Such swift action by state agencies is rare.
Better ways to spend B22.5bn than on two subs
Oped, Sirinya Wattanasukchai, Published on 26/08/2020
» As I saw my Bangkok-bound train approaching Yala train station last week, I hoped the ride would be a perfect end to my nostalgic trip to the southern province, my second in recent years. In the latest visit I was glad the time-capsuled town showed signs of change, with new chic cafes, restaurants and hotels opening.
Bus commuters won't gain from BMTA rehab
Oped, Sirinya Wattanasukchai, Published on 24/06/2020
» The Bangkok Mass Transit Authority (BMTA) is getting serious about rehabilitation, proposing a slew of plans in a scheme akin to that adopted for Thai Airways (THAI) to help the loss-ridden agency turn itself around.
Squashed liked sardines on the Covid-19 train
Oped, Sirinya Wattanasukchai, Published on 03/06/2020
» Whenever I hear the famous phrase "never lower your guard" that is repeated every day at the daily Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration (CCSA) press conferences, I have to wonder: Whose guard are they talking about?
Food apps trade convenience for plastic waste
News, Sirinya Wattanasukchai, Published on 22/11/2019
» Last week when my friends and I were hungry, we began to discuss possible options. Should we go out to a nearby restaurant, or grab leftovers from the refrigerator? One friend suggested using a food delivery service and everyone reached a consensus and agreed.