• OPINION

  Before we go to the moon...

  Guru, Pornchai Sereemongkonpol, Published on 18/12/2020

  » On Monday, Anek Laothamatas, the minister of Higher Education, Science, Research and Innovation, revealed that, by the middle of next month, a plan to send a spacecraft into the moon's orbit in seven years from now will be announced. According to him, Thailand will be the fifth Asian country to achieve this extraterrestrial feat, following China, Japan, South Korea and India. Khun Anek added that taxpayers' money will be used to yield tangible results rather than just more research and teaching, at the launch of a project to crowdfund locally-made vaccines against Covid-19 led by Chulalongkorn University.

• OPINION

  How to Name Your Car Like You're One of the 0.1%

  Guru, Pornchai Sereemongkonpol, Published on 19/02/2021

  » The 0.1% of Thais (not 1% 'cause Thailand has the highest wealth inequality in the world, you see) may rejoice at the recent news that soon you can pay an extra fee to give your vehicle a real name on a licence plate instead of the two-alphabets-and-numerals combo the 99.9% are familiar with. The new rules will allow a combination of more than two alphabets, vowels, tone marks and numbers in a vehicle registration plate for a personal car with no more than seven seats. In short, you can name your car after you or give it a person's name. For example, PM Prayut Chan-o-cha can name his "ประยุทธ์ 2 กรุงเทพมหานคร (Prayut 2 Bangkok)" to commemorate his second term. The plan is expected to be implemented around the middle of this year and you can bid for such a plate with starting price of B1 million. Money raised this way will be spent to improve road safety.

• OPINION

  Budget Rethink?

  Guru, Pornchai Sereemongkonpol, Published on 21/04/2017

  » Our dear cabinet recently approved a budget to buy 10 made-in-China tanks worth two billion baht while key members also seem keen on a plan proposed by the Royal Thai Navy to buy three submarines worth 36 billion baht. While I'm sure these dear sirs exercised their sound rationale before agreeing to such big purchases for the sake of Thailand's security, IMHO, with utmost respect, I would like to point out that there are other more beneficial ways the money could be used too.

• OPINION

  Driving Test: Bangkok Edition

  Guru, Pornchai Sereemongkonpol, Published on 14/10/2016

  » In a bid to make the roads safer, the Department of Land Transport recently announced a plan to raise the pass mark from 90% to 100% on the multiple-choice driving exam. Soon you'll have to answer all 50 questions correctly to obtain a driving licence. Of course, people can appear responsible on paper but they can actually, in real life, be jerks on the road. But if that extra 10% somehow makes the roads 1% safer, don't you think it's worth our collective effort to strive for full marks? This new requirement is expected to be in effect next year so, in the meantime, you can take my very own driving exam to find out how responsible a driver you can be (or whether you should never be allowed on Bangkok's roads, for the sake of everyone else).

• OPINION

  Taxi Timeline

  Guru, Pornchai Sereemongkonpol, Published on 11/06/2021

  » Taxi service in Thailand is about to enter a new drive after the Cabinet recently approved a draft regulation to allow the use of private cars for transport apps. The draft by the Ministry of Transport is expected to be put to use this month or within July. When enacted, vehicles with up to seven seats that are registered as personal cars can double as taxis via the apps.

• OPINION

  Political Art Toys

  Guru, Pornchai Sereemongkonpol, Published on 30/07/2021

  » The frustration against the status quo can be expressed in several ways. If you're a hip-hop artist, you can rap and rhyme about it in a viral music video. If you no longer give a damn, you can put a certain uncle on blast in your Facebook post and mention his official page (you know who you are). Even if you're just a bystander, you can't dodge political illustrations and memes on your newsfeed.

• OPINION

  Happy Belated April's Fool Day!

  Guru, Pornchai Sereemongkonpol, Published on 02/04/2021

  » Sometimes I feel like every other day is April's Fool Day in Thailand given the sheer number of unbelievable news stories, for good or bad reasons, that happen. To belatedly celebrate April's Fool Day in a way that the authorities won't have any problems with, I present you with 10 news stories -- your job will be to discern which ones are genuine. Put T in front of the story you think is true and put F if you think it's an April's Fool Day prank, you know the drill. The answers are provided at the end so no cheating!

• OPINION

  Help the Overlooked

  Guru, Pornchai Sereemongkonpol, Published on 29/01/2021

  » The ongoing spread of Covid-19 has brought to light the many groups of people who are struggling during these trying times and may need a little help. However, there may be a few other groups that perhaps may get overlooked. Here are three of them that you can help with.

• OPINION

  Baht Better Spent

  Guru, Pornchai Sereemongkonpol, Published on 28/08/2020

  » On Monday, the Royal Thai Navy defended its controversial purchase of two Chinese submarines at a humungous price tag of B22.5 billion (that's 11-digits, if you're wondering). The purchase incited online backlash for its inopportune timing, given the severe impact of Covid-19 on the economy. Not to mention, speculation of good ole corruption synonymous with a procurement project.

• OPINION

  New norms that don't make much sense

  Guru, Pornchai Sereemongkonpol, Published on 05/06/2020

  » The phrase "new normal" has become the new cliché as Thailand eases restrictions on businesses and activities. You can go to a cinema without having to worry if anyone will see you bawl your eyes out during an emotional scene since the seats around you are empty. As we learn to live with new norms of everyday life, you may come across some that don't seem to make much sense. Here are a few for your entertainment.

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