• OPINION

  Lessons from the Klong Dan court ruling

  News, Anchalee Kongrut, Published on 20/07/2018

  » Last Friday the 13th must have been horrible for the 11 defendants involved in a court case involving fraud in the 23-billion-baht Klong Dan wastewater treatment project -- a state infrastructure which has been built but left largely unused in Samut Prakan.

• OPINION

  Seeing the forest for the trees, finally

  News, Anchalee Kongrut, Published on 22/06/2018

  » The exposure of corruption allegedly involving government officials has become part of our daily news feed -- from embezzlement of state welfare funds for the destitute to stealing temple funds and misappropriation of a state budget for school lunches.

• OPINION

  Normal folk must play role in graft battle

  News, Anchalee Kongrut, Published on 04/05/2018

  » Nine, 67, 77 and 250 are numbers that gathered media attention and front-page leads in newspapers last week. No, I'm not talking about lottery number predictions. They are the numbers involved in the welfare funds corruption scandal as demonstrated in a report by the Public Sector Anti-Corruption Commission released last week.

• THAILAND

  Is Bangkok savvy enough to become a 'smart city'?

  News, Anchalee Kongrut, Published on 24/03/2018

  » The "smart city" has become a new buzzword for development policy in the Thailand 4.0 initiative, which would see big cities in the country like Bangkok, Phuket, Chiang Mai, Khon Kaen and the Eastern Economic Corridor, transformed into technology hubs. The government has established the National Smart City Committee and invited various agencies and experts to join. Sarinee Achavanuntakul was one of the experts invited to sit on the committee, but she turned down the military-led invitation. A Harvard graduate economist, Ms Sarinee had worked in banking and investment before opening Sal Forest Co. Ltd, a research firm on corporate sustainability. She has also launched and operates the respected online investigative news Thai Publica website. Her latest research project is about the current capacity of cities in Thailand to handle increasing levels of tourism. Ms Sarinee spoke to City Talk about how unsustainable Bangkok is and how big data and modern technology can help.

• BUSINESS

  Asean 4.0

  Asia focus, Anchalee Kongrut, Published on 25/09/2017

  » The world is in the midst of a digital transformation, and so is the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean). The region of 630 million people has become a strategic battleground for the digital economy, in which established tech giants and startups alike are trying to seize market opportunities.

• OPINION

  More jail time won't prevent drink-driving

  News, Anchalee Kongrut, Published on 05/07/2017

  » Last week, the Road Safety Policy Foundation launched a campaign for harsher punishments of drink-drivers, calling for authorities to give them immediate jail terms without suspension. For me, the campaign confirms two things. First, our law enforcement has failed to deter people from driving under the influence of alcohol. Second, as the long weekend approaches, the campaign suggests that it could be yet another period of carnage on the roads from accidents.

• OPINION

  Into the very dark depths of quarrying

  News, Anchalee Kongrut, Published on 19/07/2017

  » The gruesome murder of a village head in Krabi and seven other victims last week shed some light on quarrying in this country.

• BUSINESS

  Greening the palm oil supply chain

  Asia focus, Anchalee Kongrut, Published on 08/05/2017

  » 2016 will be remembered as the year of clear blue skies and clean air in the southern peninsula of Southeast Asia. For the first time in nearly two decades, choking haze from fires set to clear land for oil palm plantations was reduced significantly, in keeping with a promise made by Indonesian President Joko Widodo.

• BUSINESS

  Silk Road to sustainability?

  Asia focus, Anchalee Kongrut, Published on 22/05/2017

  » 'OBOR", which stands for "One Belt, One Road", has become the acronym of the moment in the glossary of foreign policy and investment. It sums up the enthusiasm that followed the successful Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation, held in Beijing on May 14 and 15.

• OPINION

  Remember Thailand's 'disappeared'

  News, Anchalee Kongrut, Published on 06/02/2017

  » As I browsed the photo exhibition, "For Those Who Died Trying", at the Bangkok Art and Culture Centre, one item stood out. It's the photo of the late Charoen Wat-akson, the environmentalist from Prachuap Khiri Khan. It must be a photo from his funeral, as it was also displayed at Bo Nok intersection on Phetkasem Road where he was gunned down on June 21, 2004.

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