Showing 1 - 9 of 9
To squat or not?
Life, Anchalee Kongrut, Published on 09/05/2016
» Like religion and politics, toilet etiquette is a touchy subject. The latest proof is the debate on the future of traditional squat toilets in Thailand after a new law on the manufacturing standard of toilet seats came into effect on April 23. The law has provoked discussion and even fear that the state will ban the use of squat toilets, archaic but cheap household facilities that are still used in rural areas, as well as many houses and buildings.
Drought, fishing scandals and winding roads
Life, Anchalee Kongrut, Published on 23/12/2015
» In the past year, environmental disasters once again proved how much of an impact they have on everyone's lives: the air we breathe (the haze in the South, blown over from Indonesia); the water we use (the contentious Chao Phraya roads); the lights we see (the coal-fired power plants); the ground beneath our feet (the gold mining scandals); the food we eat (the fishery disputes). In all of this, local communities and the rural poor feel the heat and the fire more than Bangkok's urbanites and they're the people who keep showing public resistance against environmental problems and the depletion of natural resources, despite the grip of military rule.
An endangered craft
Life, Anchalee Kongrut, Published on 27/05/2015
» Ban Khlong Rua, a Muslim village in Krabi province, might be just another small fishing village on the Andaman Sea. But for southerners living along this side of the coast, the name represents the hub of Andaman fishing boatbuilding.
Seismic shift in thinking
Life, Anchalee Kongrut, Published on 12/05/2015
» Whenever Prof Pennung Warnitchai — renowned expert on structural engineering from the Asia Institute of Technology (AIT) — appears in the media, people assume there must have been an earthquake or some other kind of seismic activity.
Protecting their natural rights
Life, Anchalee Kongrut, Published on 03/12/2014
» Some animals are considered man's best friend, and we love them as long as they don't become a burden. When love fizzles out, as all love does, those once cute pets or loyal beasts can be subject to mistreatment.
Tales from the kingdom
Life, Anchalee Kongrut, Published on 27/01/2014
» Using one's national language sometimes has a downside. Among the obvious disadvantages are communication barriers and the low exposure of local literature on the international scene.
Food, glorious food
Life, Anchalee Kongrut, Published on 25/10/2013
» Kingkorn Narintarakul na Ayutthaya has long been known for being fastidious when it comes to food.
Keep calm and help yourself
Life, Anchalee Kongrut, Published on 06/05/2013
» Shhhh! Ideally, reading Quiet: The Power Of Introverts In A World That Can't Stop Talking requires a subdued atmosphere, for despite the tongue-in-cheek title the book turns out to be a serious read, a cocktail of self-help, cultural study and business analysis for human resource management.
You can judge a book by its cover
Life, Anchalee Kongrut, Published on 29/10/2012
» Nobody knows who coined the maxim "you can't judge a book by its cover". But it would come as no surprise if the creator of that cliche turned out to be a moralist who simply laced pearls of wisdom and used a book cover as a metaphor.