Showing 1 - 10 of 11
It seemed a good idea at the time
News, Roger Crutchley, Published on 27/11/2022
» The annual elephant festival in Surin attracted more than the usual attention last week after featuring an attempt to enter the hallowed Guinness Book of Records. Alas, the only record achieved was that hundreds of student "volunteers" roasted in the sun, exposed for hours to high temperatures reaching 39C.
Chasing quick cash
Life, Kanokporn Chanasongkram, Published on 23/11/2020
» On Sep 16, I could have been a lucky birthday girl had I bought the lottery with five and seven as the last two digits. Although my intuition told me to buy these numbers which represented my age, I didn't.
Sacred Figures Thai Mediums Should Channel Next
Guru, Pornchai Sereemongkonpol, Published on 08/06/2018
» Unless you've been living under a rock (or just back from a meditation retreat), you can't really avoid news or posts regarding khon song jao (mediums) on your news feed. These people claim to be able to channel Hindu deities, past Thai kings (uh-oh, 112), characters from classic Thai literature and Doraemon.
Let's have bureaucrats empower people
News, Published on 07/04/2018
» The outcry about the Khon Kaen deputy governor's letter last month to launch a programme to "stop citizens from being stupid" has largely been placated, following public apologies. But this incident reflects the flaws in the long-standing attitude of the bureaucracy in Thailand towards citizens. Right from the very start, the Thai bureaucracy was designed to control the destiny of the populace, not empower them.
Learning to speak govt's language
News, Kong Rithdee, Published on 19/08/2017
» The Newspeak is the Oldspeak. The New Testament is the Old Commandments. When they say the clock strikes 13, it means the clock strikes 13. The writing isn't in the law but on the wall.
Bus service is a long way from 'special'
News, Sirinya Wattanasukchai, Published on 28/09/2016
» Riding a bus earlier this week gave me a new experience, and not a good one.
Same story with Tibet
News, Postbag, Published on 26/02/2016
» Re: "China not in the wrong", (PostBag, Feb 25).
There seems to be little to smile about
News, Ploenpote Atthakor, Published on 11/01/2016
» Let's smile. It's something the state, in particular the Culture Ministry, is promoting in a campaign on decent Thai values -- it wants to see the younger generation smile properly.
Has reform failed, or has it even begun?
News, Atiya Achakulwisut, Published on 23/06/2015
» Maybe it's the natural swing of the pendulum — what goes up must come down — and that explains why we have gone from fight-to-the-death battles against inequality a few years ago, to high-minded campaigns for national reform last year, to struggles against overpriced lotteries, motorcycle racers and the age-old question of whether casinos should be allowed to operate legally in Thailand now.
Take Thainess with a grain of salt
Life, Usnisa Sukhsvasti, Published on 19/01/2015
» The main intersections of downtown Bangkok were once again closed to traffic and packed with crowds last week, but it had nothing to do with political protests. We were just being encouraged by the Tourism Authority of Thailand to "discover" our "Thainess" with an elaborate procession of decorated floats replete with dancers and literary tableaux.