• OPINION

  The fear of becoming a banana state

  News, Anchalee Kongrut, Published on 15/08/2016

  » 'The company changed the pattern of the rains, accelerated the cycle of harvests and moved the river from where it had always been." This vivid line is from the book <i>One Hundred Years of Solitude</i>, a magnum opus written by Gabriel Garcia Marquez, a Nobel Prize-winning writer.

• LIFE

  Going bananas over Chinese investment

  Life, Anchalee Kongrut, Published on 20/04/2016

  » Kluai hom -- or the Cavendish banana -- found itself in the spotlight recently on social media and in local news. The issue involves Chinese investors renting land in Chiang Rai to grow kluai hom. Local villagers complained about water because the farm sucked up a large volume of it, leaving so little for local farmers. Fears about the use of chemical fertilisers also arose. Another problem is that the practice might be against the law, which reserves the occupation of farmer for Thais. The public is alarmed because Chinese-backed kluai hom farming in Laos has already proved a disaster. Toxic pesticides are dumped into the river, while environmental management is below par.

• BUSINESS

  Great expectations

  Asia focus, Anchalee Kongrut, Published on 02/10/2017

  » Joanne Kua, the young chief executive officer of KSK Group Berhad, is typical of the next generation of family business leaders. After pursuing a successful career beyond her native Malaysia, she has returned home determined to leave her mark, yet is aware of the need to prove herself.

• OPINION

  Cash crop policy a recipe for floods

  News, Anchalee Kongrut, Published on 24/08/2018

  » Like several cities in Thailand, Nan, an increasingly popular tourist town in the northern region, has been devastated by floods since July.

• BUSINESS

  Facing disruption on the digital Silk Road

  Business, Anchalee Kongrut, Published on 27/07/2018

  » While manufacturing has helped China skyrocket from a backward socialist country to a global economic powerhouse, the country is still faced with the challenges of disruptive digital technology.

• 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

  The picture book-perfect library

  Life, Anchalee Kongrut, Published on 13/01/2017

  » Neilson Hays Library on Surawong Road turns 95 this year. One of the most handsome buildings remaining in the bustling district, the library will close for six months of renovations, starting in March. But members and visitors can rest assured, the lending service will not be affected, and the library continues to ensure its relevance to young readers with a recently launched short story competition (see box).

• THAILAND

  Razing 'cane

  Life, Anchalee Kongrut, Published on 30/03/2016

  » March and April are months of haze. The white-grey smoke may be just a seasonal nuisance that exists only in the northern and southern regions in Thailand, but in a sugar plantation in Dan Chang of Suphan Buri province, haze has long been a part of the people's daily lives and of the worrisome harvesting cycle. Villagers in Dan Chang get used to dry-coughing. Smoke hangs over the roofs of their houses and seeps indoors.

• LIFE

  Going walkabout

  Life, Anchalee Kongrut, Published on 04/03/2015

  » Despite poor footpaths and humid weather, Bangkokians walk more than is believed, according to an academic study that focuses on the "walkability scores" of the capital. 

• LIFE

  Changing the future to preserve the past

  Life, Anchalee Kongrut, Published on 12/01/2015

  » Change is coming to the National Library of Thailand (NLT). Anyone who visits the compound can see construction workers on scaffolding replacing tiles. The Vajiraya Building that houses works and book collections of King Rama VI is temporarily closed for renovation.

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