Showing 1 - 10 of 15
Lop Buri before the monkeying around
Roger Crutchley, Published on 02/06/2024
» One of the first towns I visited in Thailand in the early 1970s was Lop Buri, about 150 km north of Bangkok. Its main appeal was its convenient three-hour train journey from Hua Lamphong. It offered a chance to escape Bangkok for a couple of days and experience a taste of life in a small town.
Telling fortunes 'a nice little earner'
Roger Crutchley, Published on 26/05/2024
» A recent Thai news story concerned a man nabbed in an online fortune-telling scam. He would inform customers suffering from misfortune that their situation would dramatically improve if for a small fee he made a few prayers on his "direct line" to the deities in heaven.
As long as it's a bit better than last year
News, Roger Crutchley, Published on 02/01/2022
» It's that time of the year for columnists to suggest what could be in store for the next 12 months. However, things are so unpredictable at the moment even Nostradamus would struggle to come up with a half-decent forecast. Of course Thailand is not immune to the uncertainty although you wouldn't rule out occasional "misappropriation of funds" or to use the correct technical term, "cooking the books."
Thailand becoming even more amazing
News, Roger Crutchley, Published on 14/11/2021
» With the kingdom opening up again the Tourist Authority of Thailand have announced that they are primarily interested in "quality tourists". What exactly constitutes a quality tourist is not entirely clear, but one suspects it's a polite way of saying anyone with lots of money. No riff-raff or hoi polloi please.
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.
Nothing wrong with snoozing in Snoring
News, Roger Crutchley, Published on 01/08/2021
» One of the first things a visitor to Thailand is asked is probably what town they come from back home. My response of Reading invariably brings blank looks, so I usually add "just west of London" which admittedly doesn't make things any clearer. It would be nice if I came from a place that sounded a trifle more intriguing, such as the wonderful Nempnett Thrubwell in Somerset or Booby Dingle in Herefordshire.
The cuckoo-clock tune that went to No.1
News, Roger Crutchley, Published on 30/05/2021
» It was amusing to see that the UK entry to the Eurovision Song Contest last weekend attracted a grand total of zero votes. However, singer James Newman shouldn't fret too much as not getting any votes is almost a badge of honour in this annual festival of kitsch where music takes second place to gaudy, garish, glitter.
Spaghetti westerns lose musical icon
News, Roger Crutchley, Published on 12/07/2020
» The death of Italian composer Ennio Morricone last week inevitably sparked memories of those old spaghetti westerns, including the so-called "Dollars Trilogy", in which his creative music was a crucial element. Those early Sergio Leone films were not known for extended dialogue -- he let the music do the talking and Morricone's distinctive scores hit the right note.
It's 'Sherpa time' without the mountain
News, Roger Crutchley, Published on 31/05/2020
» Towards the end of British Prime Minister Boris Johnson's uncomfortable grilling by MPs last week he complained that preparing for the meeting had taken up a lot of "Sherpa time". As it seems unlikely Boris is planning an Everest expedition, the "Sherpas" he was referring to are apparently those people with the unenviable task of helping him prepare for such questioning, or more accurately, the ones who do all the hard work.
The doctor who became a wrap star
News, Roger Crutchley, Published on 10/05/2020
» It will come as no surprise that I know absolutely nothing about fashion. However I have been impressed by the stylish scarves warn by Doctor Deborah Birx in those White House coronavirus briefings. Whether draped over her shoulders like a wrap, or tied around her neck, the silk scarves are really quite attractive and look particularly suited to this elegant lady. Dr Birx's appearances have apparently prompted a considerable boost in sales of these upmarket scarves, especially the Hermes variety frequently worn by the doctor.