Showing 1 - 10 of 14
Beasts of burden
Spectrum, Tunya Sukpanich, Published on 27/10/2013
» What began as a supposed attempt to stamp out elephant poaching has turned into a conflict of jumbo proportions.
A childhood behind bars
Spectrum, Tunya Sukpanich, Published on 22/09/2013
» To their classmates at an elite Bangkok international school, Nip and Djo are much like any of the other hundreds of foreign students.
Jet-setting monk flies into turbulence
Spectrum, Tunya Sukpanich, Published on 07/07/2013
» He's a high-flying monk who stirred controversy when he was filmed aboard a private jet donning designer sunglasses and high-tech gadgets last month. But Phra Wirapol Sukphol now appears set for a hard landing as supporters and critics face off over accusations of fraud, money laundering and sexual misconduct at his Si Sa Ket monastery.
Foreign monks 'ain't misbehaving'
Spectrum, Tunya Sukpanich, Published on 28/04/2013
» The abbot of Bangkok's Wat Talom knows that the growing number of foreign monks staying there is causing disquiet in the local community, following complaints of overcrowding, soliciting cash and "improper" behaviour. Phra Maha Somnuek Chutintaro says the number of foreign monks at the temple in Phasicharoen district now totals 316, with the majority from Myanmar (160) followed by Bangladesh (60) and Cambodia (50) and the remainder from India, Vietnam and Laos.
Cites wraps up in Bangkok to mixed reviews
Spectrum, Tunya Sukpanich, Published on 17/03/2013
» The Cites conference wrapped up in Bangkok on Thursday with opinions sharply divided on what advances the meeting made to protect the planet's endangered species. What progress the host country has made in this regard was also a subject of intense debate.
Nationalist agenda stirred ahead of temple meeting
Spectrum, Tunya Sukpanich, Published on 07/04/2013
» Thai villagers living near the disputed territory around Preah Vihear are demanding that their ''traditional'' farmland be returned to them in a reflection of a nationalist agenda being nurtured on the border.
Seized wildlife trapped in legal limbo
Spectrum, Tunya Sukpanich, Published on 20/01/2013
» The death of an elephant taken in a raid on a private elephant park in Kanchanaburi province in April last year highlights the strain on state agencies charged with taking custody of seized wildlife. The female elephant and 18 others were taken after park owners failed to provide proper identification documents and turned over to the Thai Elephant Conservation Centre in Lampang province to await legal proceedings.
'Human cargo in need of compassion'
Spectrum, Tunya Sukpanich, Published on 03/02/2013
» 'Why is this not human trafficking? If this is not human trafficking, what else could it be?'' asked an emotional Abdul Kalam, coordinator of Thailand's Rohingya National Organisation. He was referring to the decision last Monday to repatriate Rohingya from Myanmar's Rakhine state. The National Security Council, along with the Foreign Ministry, ruled that human trafficking plays no part in the rickety boats full of Rohingya that have washed up on Thai shores because there was no evidence of slave labour, forced prostitution or forced begging. Therefore the Rohingya can stay a maximum of six months in Thailand before they are sent back to Myanmar.
Easy guns bring Wild West mentality
Spectrum, Tunya Sukpanich, Published on 18/11/2012
» In recent years Thailand has been flooded with illegal firearms and the misery they cause is plain for all to see. Every day there are media reports of shootouts and homicides that begin with domestic quarrels, school rivalries and traffic accidents, and quickly escalate. Law enforcement officials say the root cause is the easy availability of guns, and this is true for teenagers as well as adults. People prefer to buy weapons outside of legal channels because they are much cheaper, and don't involve the hassle of registering the guns as required under Thai law.
In imperfect harmony
Spectrum, Tunya Sukpanich, Published on 26/08/2012
» Buddhism has a long history of forest meditation. The setting provides a tranquil and fitting environment for the contemplation of dhamma and man's relationship with nature.