Showing 1-10 of 24 results
-
A bittersweet farewell to Life
Life, Pichaya Svasti, Published on 25/02/2019
» Amid the downturn and lower popularity of mainstream media, as opposed to fast-speed online channels, coupled with the deprivation of press freedom under the junta, it comes as no surprise to see newspapers and magazines ceasing publication.
-
Dressing up what 'Thainess' means
Life, Pichaya Svasti, Published on 10/04/2015
» It is not an overstatement to say the past two weeks have been a happy time in my life in the wake of a new trend for Thais to wear traditional costumes in everyday life. The reason is simple — I collect Thai handwoven textiles and want to wear them often.
-
Construction destruction
Life, Pichaya Svasti, Published on 09/07/2018
» Problems commonly faced by Bangkokians living in small alleys in Bangkok include the lack of footpaths, danger and vibration caused by running lorries and big buses, and the mushrooming of high-rise buildings. To me and my relatives, we encounter most of these problems.
-
Empathy and difficult choices
Life, Pichaya Svasti, Published on 17/04/2017
» That skinny woman clad in a sari carrying an infant in her arms waited for me in front of the bus door. A few small children wearing dirty torn clothes gathered around my legs looking up at me. Like robots, they repeatedly uttered words "Sawasdee, Maharanee [meaning a queen]. Khob khun kha", begging me to give them money. These sights and sounds were common at all pilgrimage sites in India I visited recently. Initially, I felt pity for them until I asked the guide and friends if I should give them money. They warned me against more beggars' arrivals.
-
A dream to live sufficiently
Life, Pichaya Svasti, Published on 02/01/2017
» From Oct 29 last year on, almost everyone who has paid respect to the late King Bhumibol Adulyadej at the Grand Palace has received a photo of the royal urn and a small packet of rice grains as tokens of his memory. What is special about the rice is the label saying "sufficiency", specially designed from the King's handwriting. Most recipients keep the rice grains on altars at home in loving memory of King Rama IX. Many farmers keep them for their rice farming while some want to grow rice and follow his sufficiency-economy principles. As a frequent palace visitor, I keep one packet for myself and give the other to my housemaid to plant in her rice field in Si Sa Ket province.
-
Do not feed the monkeys
Life, Pichaya Svasti, Published on 19/09/2016
» Since my childhood, I have loved all kinds of animals except snakes, rats and cockroaches. I have had several dogs and a cat as pets. I was bitten once by a temple cat, once by my own cat and several times by my dogs because I accidentally frightened them. However, the weirdest experience was being bitten by a monkey on Khao Wang, or Phra Nakhon Khiri, a mountain palace museum in Phetchaburi, over a year ago. When I was a teenager, I was once surrounded by monkeys who tried to steal my handbag at Phra Kan Shrine in Lop Buri.
-
Flagging up respect for the nation
Life, Pichaya Svasti, Published on 15/02/2016
» Sometimes, our daily routine turns out to be an extraordinary thing for other people. So is the Thai people's daily practice to stand still and respect the national flag twice a day. Thai students must stand in front of the raised flag and sing the national anthem at 8am sharp every day. Whenever we hear the national anthem in public places, especially outdoors, we stop walking or doing other things and stand still to show our respect.
-
Debunking myth, retelling history
Life, Pichaya Svasti, Published on 28/10/2015
» History or patriotic myth? When I first heard of a new book, The Thai History, I thought of nothing but another government effort to build a sense of nationalism among Thais. The 208-page book was written by the Fine Arts Department and launched last Thursday at the National Book Fair.
-
Our ageing society is on creaky foundations
Life, Pichaya Svasti, Published on 19/06/2015
» My increasing grey hair and fine lines and referring to the young generation as "people these days" are among signs that I am ageing. Although I have long admitted I am old and must prepare myself for a lonely retirement, I am not quite ready for it and the latest news made me feel pessimistic about the future.
-
Slaying the beast of human-elephant conflict
Life, Pichaya Svasti, Published on 23/07/2015
» A Thai proverb says, "You can't hide a dead elephant with a lotus leaf". This means a guilty conscience needs no accuser. It is absolutely true. The consequences of last week's brutal killing of a family of three wild elephants at a meditation centre in Hua Hin district, Prachuap Khiri Khan, prove the rule of karma does exist. The tragic deaths made headlines and raised public concerns. Officials later found the three pachyderms were electrocuted. An employee of the meditation centre was finally arrested for erecting the electrified fence that killed the elephants. He was charged with hunting protected animals and faces up to four years imprisonment and a 40,000 baht fine under the Wildlife Conservation Act if found guilty.
Your recent history
-
Recently searched
-
Recently viewed links
Did you find what you were looking for? Have you got some comments for us?
