• OPINION

  Yingluck gone but populism sticks around

  News, Anchalee Kongrut, Published on 30/08/2017

  » Ousted premier Yingluck Shinawatra has gone -- some might say -- with the wind. And the way she fled the country was so sly, like a Hollywood film noir where the femme fatale coolly sashays out of the scene having outwitted everyone.

• OPINION

  Dams and deafening

  Life, Anchalee Kongrut, Published on 17/02/2012

  » Once in a while, Yingluck Shinawatra does something that makes sense to me. Since becoming prime minister she has tended to turn a deaf ear to criticism and her below-par response to last year's deluge certainly didn't inspire much confidence in her leadership skills, but I recently found myself nodding in agreement with something she said. She declared that she is going to give the highest priority to reforestation and the digging of small ponds as flood-prevention measures.

• THAILAND

  Can Thailand meet the challenges of 2018?

  News, Anchalee Kongrut, Published on 06/01/2018

  » The military government ended 2017 by saying that this year -- supposedly its last in power -- it will wage war on poverty.

• OPINION

      An election singing the same old tune

  News, Anchalee Kongrut, Published on 05/06/2017

  » The harsh public criticism against Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha and his "four questions" gives an impression that people in country look forward to an election. Putting aside the fact that some politicians can be unscrupulous, or there might be a possibility of street demonstrations, it appears people are willing to give democracy a chance. After all, it is my belief that Thais have special relations with democracy.

• LIFE

  When the price isn't right

  Life, Anchalee Kongrut, Published on 21/11/2016

  » Regardless of the market price, khao remains a symbol of life and sustenance, of joy and sometimes pain, especially for farmers who tend to the minuscule grains. Rice is in our mouths, but given its economic and cultural importance, it also occupies a special place in Thai people's hearts.

• OPINION

  We are all just singing in the rain

  News, Anchalee Kongrut, Published on 03/10/2016

  » I've always believed a good crisis can make for a great opportunity. Yet, I find it hard to apply the Pollyanna principle to the case of water management in Thailand.

• OPINION

  Feng shui no match for Section 44

  News, Anchalee Kongrut, Published on 03/03/2016

  » You may think I am drunk, or have gone mad, when I say Thailand, as a country, no longer follows feng shui, or space management in accordance with the Chinese-originated art or practice of creating harmonious surroundings that enhance the balance of yin and yang for one particular place.

• LIFE

  Waiting to exhale

  Life, Anchalee Kongrut, Published on 24/07/2015

  » The work schedule was gruelling: he had three days to take portraits of 200 villagers. For photographer Roengrit Kongmuang, the task was compounded by the simple act of breathing.

• THAILAND

  The rocky road to development

  Life, Anchalee Kongrut, Published on 02/09/2015

  » One Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha's many ideas is the "New Bangkok Landmark", in the form of a 14km-long bicycle way that would, if launched, be built along the Chao Phraya. This caused some panic attacks among local architects. After the idea was thrown around earlier in the year, prominent Thai architects voiced their disagreement and suggested that at least the design -- an expressway-like structure built into the water along the river bank -- be revised, if not abandoned altogether. The cost of the project is said to be around 14 billion baht.

• LIFE

  Paradise lost

  Life, Anchalee Kongrut, Published on 22/04/2015

  » In his weekly television address last Friday, Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha reaffirmed what many had feared: the government is committed to developing Pak Bara Deep Sea Port in Satun province, despite concerns about environmental impact and local livelihoods. The port will handle cargo and oil deliveries from the Indian Ocean.

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