Showing 1 - 10 of 43
Shaky foundations
Life, Peerawat Jariyasombat, Published on 21/06/2012
» 'You will be shocked," a real estate developer warned me when she learned of my plan to build. "Building a small house is actually a big problem. Though I have been in this business for decades, I can hardly bear it. It is very frustrating. Why don't you buy a ready-to-move-in unit from the housing project? It will be much better."
Tuition leaves little time for kids to be kids
Life, Peerawat Jariyasombat, Published on 21/08/2012
» I was in Siam Square the other day. It seems this trendy place right in the heart of bustling Bangkok still retains its exciting atmosphere _ people, especially teenagers and students, were seen everywhere, hanging around to shop, eat and show off their latest fashion and mobile trends. The roadside was busy, too. It was lined with kiosks selling everything from clothes, shoes, handbags, costume jewellery and gadgets to food and sweets that all looked tempting.
Ugly buildings add to visual pollution
Life, Peerawat Jariyasombat, Published on 02/10/2012
» I love to work by the window. In front of the desk in my house on the outskirts of Bangkok I can see flowers, trees, birds and squirrels, and the serenity of my tiny garden allows me to relax while writing articles.
One Pai is enough, please
Life, Peerawat Jariyasombat, Published on 14/11/2012
» One morning sipping my brew at a coffee shop in Chiang Mai's remote Mae Chaem district, which has the potential to be developed into a tourist destination, patrons at the table next to me asked their friend, a local politician, whether there are plans to turn Mae Chaem into a new Pai, the popular tourist hang-out in neighbouring Chiang Rai province. I almost spilled my coffee. I wished they were just kidding.
Bangkok choking on its residents
Life, Peerawat Jariyasombat, Published on 25/12/2012
» I asked my niece what gift would she want this Christmas. ''A playground,''she replied. ''There is nowhere I can play here.''
Bhutan balances beauty and development
Life, Peerawat Jariyasombat, Published on 07/02/2013
» Bhutan is a nice example of using national resource management to achieve utmost efficiency, particularly in the tourism area.
Life from the back of a baht bus
Life, Peerawat Jariyasombat, Published on 20/03/2013
» More than a few seasoned travellers I know suggest that when you want to get a real feel for your destination, you should definitely visit a fresh market. There you can learn more about local lifestyles, how lives begin in the morning, partake of local delicacies and, perhaps most interestingly, observe town hygiene.
No easy road to freedom on public holidays
Life, Peerawat Jariyasombat, Published on 23/04/2013
» Avoiding driving on crowded roads during a long weekend such as Songkran might be a good idea. But travelling on weekdays, though smaller traffic jams, may give you a different experience _ some of them beyond your imagination.
Our neighbours are on the road to change
Life, Peerawat Jariyasombat, Published on 28/05/2013
» I've just returned home after a 10-day trip around Myanmar. Since it's our next-door neighbour, most Thais assume that they know Myanmar very well, but I'm not sure that very many of us do actually have a deep understanding of this country which is now in the process of fast-paced change after making the decision to open its doors wider to the outside world.
Sunk by saffron scandals
Life, Peerawat Jariyasombat, Published on 03/07/2013
» Recently, the unbecoming behaviour of certain Buddhist monks has become the talk of the town. Probably the most scandalous case is the luxurious lifestyle of a famous phra, who uses brand-name products and travels like a billionaire on a private jet.