Showing 1 - 10 of 13
Once upon a time there were no mobiles
News, Roger Crutchley, Published on 21/08/2022
» The other day in a restaurant I watched some Thai youngsters who appeared much more interested in their smartphones than what they were eating. Their obvious phone skills made me quite envious but also just a little melancholy -- a reminder of how much things have changed since my early days, otherwise known as the Stone Age.
Alas, the truth is still putting its boots on
News, Roger Crutchley, Published on 05/05/2019
» According to the Washington Post, last week President Donald Trump notched up his 10,000th lie or untruth since took he took office. While many of the falsehoods are admittedly trifling and others child-like exaggerations of which he is so fond, there have also been a few embarrassing "whoppers". It still works out at about 17 alleged "porky pies" a day, which takes some doing.
Tuning up for another festive season
News, Roger Crutchley, Published on 23/12/2018
» As we hurtle into the Jinger Ben mayhem (Jingle Bells to the uninitiated), it certainly helps if you have a bit of stamina. It is the time you prepare yourself for wearing silly hats, singing even sillier songs and acting in jovial fashion when the last thing you feel like is being jovial. You might even be subjected to inebriated gentlemen singing Grandma Got Run Over By a Reindeer.
The politician, the spy and the showgirl
News, Roger Crutchley, Published on 10/12/2017
» The death of Christine Keeler this past week at the age of 75 inevitably brought back memories of what was known as the Profumo Affair, a classic 1960s British scandal of sex, lies and politics. Add a Soviet spy, kinky parties and decadent goings-on in high society featuring an ultimately tragic osteopath named Dr Stephen Ward, and it became a huge story.
Getting hung up over telephone boxes
News, Roger Crutchley, Published on 27/08/2017
» While walking along Silom Road the other day, I spotted a young lady making a call from a phone box. Now you don't see that very often these days -- a Thai woman without a smartphone. She must have been in a state of distress. Perhaps she was calling the police station to inform them her smartphone had been stolen.
Why 1967 wasn't just about the Beatles
News, Roger Crutchley, Published on 11/06/2017
» While writing about the 50th anniversary of Sgt Pepper a fortnight ago, it soon became apparent that 1967 was quite a remarkable year for a whole host of reasons aside from the Lonely Hearts Club Band. A quick glance at what was going on in 1967 might evoke a few memories among fellow wrinklies.
The cop, the seat belt and the fat farang
News, Roger Crutchley, Published on 21/05/2017
» While I always wear a safety belt when sitting in the front seat of a taxi, it is taking a little while to get in the habit of wearing them in the back, as now required by Thai law. This is a result of spending four decades in Thailand not wearing seat belts in the back -- primarily because there weren't any.
Sandcastles, seafood, but sorry, no sex
News, Roger Crutchley, Published on 05/03/2017
» In a week that began with a senior Pattaya policeman denying the existence of any prostitution in the resort, it was hard to take any news too seriously. Surprisingly, he didn't mention the highly acclaimed police swoop last year which netted 32 elderly expats in Pattaya for the heinous crime of playing bridge.
Thailand through the looking glass
News, Roger Crutchley, Published on 01/01/2017
» Well, here we are on the first day of a brand new year. It is customary at this time for newspaper columnists and other bores to predict what's going to happen in the world in the coming 12 months. Let's just hope it's a bit more cheery than the past year, which has been quite awful.
Let us hope 2016 is not too amazing
News, Roger Crutchley, Published on 03/01/2016
» I trust everyone is holding up well as we battle our way through the silly hats and hangovers season. Soon it will be back to grim reality — hangovers without the silly hats.