Showing 1 - 10 of 18
Living in Thailand's age of impunity
News, Kong Rithdee, Published on 17/01/2026
» There's no place like Thailand. Joyscrolling TikTok and Reels reveals dozens of clips made by international visitors lamenting having to leave our lovely country and return to dreary Europe or joyless America. "Nobody talks about how hard it is to go from this" -- insert a cut of a wonderful beach in Krabi -- "to this"--cut to a drab, damp suburban street somewhere in the West. Add a crying-face emoji. "I want to move here!" the traveller announces. True, everybody loves Thailand.
Shift from elections to governance
Oped, Adam Nelson & Kristen Sample, Published on 01/10/2024
» With half of the global population having already voted or preparing to do so in 2024, the "year of elections" has had a profound impact on democracies worldwide. Now, as the year enters its final quarter, it is becoming increasingly apparent that 2025 will be an equally transformative "year of governance".
Exploding pagers: What was the point?
Oped, Gwynne Dyer, Published on 20/09/2024
» The exploding pagers that killed at least 12 people and injured 2,800 others in Lebanon and some adjacent places on Tuesday were mostly just a new wrinkle on the exploding cellphones that Israel has used to assassinate its opponents in the past, but there was one major innovation.
Journalism on trial in Guatemala
Oped, Christophe Deloire & Jose C Zamora, Published on 01/08/2023
» July 29 marks the first anniversary of the arrest of Guatemalan journalist José Rubén Zamora. As the founder and editor of the newspaper elPeriódico, Zamora spent decades uncovering political corruption before being arrested on fabricated money-laundering charges. In June, he was handed a six-year prison sentence, but the prosecution, insisting on a 40-year term, is expected to appeal. The harsher punishment, prosecutors say, would compensate those whose "name and reputation" have been tarnished by Zamora and his publication. Their real goal is to deter other journalists from following in Zamora's footsteps.
Irked by dual pricing
Oped, Postbag, Published on 12/07/2022
» I do not know what other countries charge foreigners or tourists regarding entry fees to tourist attraction places. But I think over over-charging is a no-no. It will drive tourists away from Thailand. And now the idea of dual pricing for hotel room rates is really, really "amazing" and "unbelievable".
Body Autonomy Is No Family Matter
Guru, Pornchai Sereemongkonpol, Published on 05/11/2021
» Last week, a Thai musician got into scorching hot water for sharing pictures and a video clip of him being "affectionate" with his nine-year-old daughter via his Instagram and TikTok. I put the quotation there since the public promptly questioned his social media display of affection towards his daughter, to say the least. Warning, I'm about to describe what he did to show the extent of his actions and you may find it very unpleasant.
Your 'new normal' future is diversified
News, Published on 02/11/2021
» A debate recently raged over whether a music producer's display of affection to his pre-teen daughter was appropriate.
Emojis for 2021
Guru, Pornchai Sereemongkonpol, Published on 05/03/2021
» If Clubhouse isn't enough to make Samsung fanboys considering abandoning Android for iOS, a new set of emojis may. It has been recently reported that iPhone users can look forwards to 217 new emojis that they can use to expand their emojinication (emoji + communication) with. These new ideogrammatic icons include a revamped version of the syringe icon to be bloodless to go with 2021 as the year of Covid-19 vaccination, obvi. The normal black headphone icon will turn white and look like Apple AirPods Max. Three new smileys. Two new hearts. A bunch of bearded men/women in different skin tones (Because why not?). And multiple pairs of couples with a mix of skin tones for interracial lovebirds.
Pandemic poll drives reform demands
Oped, Larry Jagan, Published on 04/11/2020
» Myanmar goes to the polls on Sunday in a critical election that will determine the country's future direction. At issue is the country's fragile political balance -- between the civilian government and the still very powerful military -- and more importantly, give renewed impetus to the current government's drive to reform the country and the constitution. This election gives the voters the chance to decide whether the National League for Democracy (NLD) government, led by the charismatic leader Aung San Suu Kyi, will be given a renewed mandate to push forward on the country's tentative reform path and strengthen its democratic institutions.