• OPINION

  The positivity factor

  Guru, Sumati Sivasiamphai, Published on 17/04/2015

  » I try not to wax philosophical in this space very often because I don't want my dear readers to actually know how many crazy voices float around in my head. But lately, perhaps because there's been too much on my Plato (har, har, get it?), I feel obliged to meditate on one phenomenon I can't quite figure out — the positivity factor.

• OPINION

  Eight ways to go beyond Earth Hour

  Guru, Sumati Sivasiamphai, Published on 27/03/2015

  » Earth Hour 2015 will take place tomorrow (Mar 28). The annual global event encourages individuals, households and businesses to turn off their lights and other electrical devices from 8:30-9:30pm to show their commitment to the planet, and presumably to tell Thomas Edison to suck it for his energy-wasting invention.

• OPINION

  Love is all around

  Guru, Sumati Sivasiamphai, Published on 13/02/2015

  » Don't worry if you're spending today, Friday the 13th, hiding out in case anything bad happens. By tomorrow you can forget all about the unlucky day when you'll be pampered with flowers and chocolates – unless your significant other forgets, then you can bet there will be hell to pay.

• OPINION

  Things that would actually make Thais happy

  Guru, Sumati Sivasiamphai, Published on 20/06/2014

  » There’s nothing Thais love more than a good campaign. The latest crusade comes courtesy of the National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO), who are now scrambling to “bring back happiness” to the Thai people following the military’s coup last month.

• OPINION

  Every coup has a silver lining

  Guru, Sumati Sivasiamphai, Published on 13/06/2014

  » It has been about three weeks since our military overlords took over the country in the May 22 coup. Despite some valiant efforts by the army to repay rice farmers money owed to them, a plan to revise various state projects, and the military junta chief using an hour of his precious time to pen the sappy song “Returning Happiness to the People”, there still seems to be some confusion over what sort of real reform will actually be achieved.

• OPINION

  Thailand versus the world

  Guru, Sumati Sivasiamphai, Published on 16/05/2014

  » Think of when you last complained about Thailand. Don’t worry, take your time, I’ll wait. After all, my life consists of being stuck in traffic/lingering impatiently for an incompetent worker to help me/rolling my eyes at the never-ending political drama/cursing because no cab will take me where I want to go when it’s raining/sobbing hysterically because all my pretty shoes are ruined courtesy of Bangkok’s sidewalks.

• OPINION

  Things that give Bangkokians anxiety

  Guru, Sumati Sivasiamphai, Published on 02/05/2014

  » Thais are usually thought to be carefree people with a sabai-sabai attitude to everything in life. That’s why even a 56-year-old woman can have the worry-free skin of a nubile girl. However in the bedlam that is Bangkok, there are bound to be a few things that will cause anxiety. Here are 20 of them:

• OPINION

  In loving memory of bangkok shutdown

  Guru, Sumati Sivasiamphai, Published on 07/03/2014

  » And so Bangkok Shutdown has ended, not with a bang, but with a confused whimper. While you were probably still sleeping off Saturday night’s debauchery, Sunday morning saw protesters leave their bases at Asok, Pathumwan and Ratchaprasong to form one super-stage at Lumpini Park.

• OPINION

  PDRC Spring/Summer 2014

  Guru, Sumati Sivasiamphai, Published on 21/02/2014

  » As the caretaker government and police finally get off their asses to try and clear rally sites around Bangkok, there may hopefully soon be an end to the People’s Democratic Reform Committee (PDRC)’s shutdown of the city. But when (or if) a conclusion is ever reached, there’s no telling what long-term effects will actually be achieved.

• OPINION

  Political Stress Syndrome

  Guru, Sumati Sivasiamphai, Published on 07/02/2014

  » "Why in the world would I be experiencing such a fake-sounding condition?" you may be asking, while chewing your hair and pulling out all your eyelashes.

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