Showing 91 - 100 of 356
Tourism can be made sustainable
News, Anchalee Kongrut, Published on 01/05/2017
» On the surface, the Andaman sea off Phi Phi Island is calm and clear, its emerald green colour is ever attractive. Yet, the underwater situation with an extensive area of bleached coral reef make this popular world-class dive site a red-alert tourism spot.
Myanmar deserves our patience
Asia focus, Anchalee Kongrut, Published on 17/04/2017
» What a difference a year makes. In the same hot summer last year, Myanmar was the rosy-cheeked debutante of the democratic world after the National League for Democracy (NLD) won a landslide victory in the 2015 election, paving the way for the first civilian-led government in 54 years. Foreign investors were rushing in, lured by economic growth that hit 8.5% in 2014, an emerging market of more than 50 million consumers in a resource-rich land with seemingly endless potential.
Women on the rise ... slowly
Asia focus, Anchalee Kongrut, Published on 10/04/2017
» Society never seems to run out of words of praise for women. "God created women to tame men," declared the French philosopher Voltaire. "Women hold up half the sky," said Mao Zedong.
The case for more female leaders
Asia focus, Anchalee Kongrut, Published on 10/04/2017
» During a school swimming class, an East German girl with pale blonde hair stood at the edge of the high diving board, staring down at the pool below for 45 minutes. Just before the class bell rang, she finally jumped. Angela Merkel was determined to overcome her fears, no matter how long it took.
Prognosis: Improving
Asia focus, Anchalee Kongrut, Published on 03/04/2017
» Two decades ago, the healthcare system of Myanmar was best described as comatose. It had been in declining condition since independence from Britain in the late 1940s. Envisioned as offering free primary healthcare, the system failed to do so in practice and languished because of a lack of investment as the country grew increasingly isolated under Ne Win and subsequent military leaders. In 2000, the World Health Organization (WHO) ranked the healthcare system in Myanmar 190th out of 191 countries.
Forest too precious for housing
News, Anchalee Kongrut, Published on 03/04/2017
» Many years ago I visited Mahachai, a fishery port zone in Samut Sakhon province. As I walked around I felt like I was a township in Myanmar. The community is dubbed Little Myanmar, with good reason. It is a place where you can hear many people talk in unfamiliar dialects, posters are written in the round letters of the Myanmar alphabet, and of course, women and men have yellowish tanaka paste on their faces.
Sweet success
Asia focus, Anchalee Kongrut, Published on 27/03/2017
» Does life really resemble a box of chocolates, as Forrest Gump observed, in which you never know what you're going to get? In terms of surprise and unpredictability, life could be more like the chocolate industry.
Books prove resilient to technology
News, Anchalee Kongrut, Published on 27/03/2017
» Over a decade ago, some pundits made the prediction that books would eventually disappear. Now it seems that books are not on the extinction list, ready for the "guillotine" of the disruptive technology of the digital media and the internet of things.
Soaps and sensibility
Asia focus, Anchalee Kongrut, Published on 20/03/2017
» I have never watched Plerng Phra Nang (A Lady's Flame), a prime-time soap opera on Thai television that depicts a bloody dynastic power struggle in a fictional kingdom. The series -- with elaborate period costumes and a lot of face-slapping and cat-fights among royal consorts -- has received bad press in Myanmar and Thailand alike.
Trials and tribulations of Bangkok taxis
News, Anchalee Kongrut, Published on 20/03/2017
» The cab driver pressed on the accelerator, driving fast and furiously until I felt enough was enough; I ordered him to pull over, gave him the fare and stepped out of the car. Picking up a local passenger like me from a shopping mall on Sukhumvit Road is not a way for him to make much money. I bet he drove straight back along the same road to pick up tourists.