Showing 71 - 80 of 395
It’s no longer just a walk in the park
Roger Crutchley, Published on 09/03/2014
» With the Bangkok shutdown virtually shutting itself down, it was something of a relief to witness the Big Mango getting back to normal — well, sort of normal.
Life is just a lottery … even if it’s rigged
News, Roger Crutchley, Published on 23/03/2014
» Twice a month the whole of Thailand grinds to a halt. Now this is not because everyone has simultaneously fallen asleep, although in this country that is not beyond the realms of possibility.
It’s beginning to look like walking wounded
News, Roger Crutchley, Published on 06/04/2014
» Being a Thai politician can be a more hazardous occupation than you imagine. For a start they have to put up with all the insults. They may be thick skinned, but after a while being called a “buffalo”, “lizard” or “toad” must get on their nerves.
Hang on, there must be some mistake
News, Roger Crutchley, Published on 27/04/2014
» Being a certified wrinkly, I thought I was too ancient to enjoy a brand new experience, but that’s what happened last week, thanks to the Thai tax department of all the unlikely sources.
The curious case of the unwanted fire trucks
News, Roger Crutchley, Published on 04/05/2014
» The sorry tale of the unused fire trucks is approaching the doubtful status of a full-blooded Thai saga, with the usual ingredients of high farce, excuses and red herrings, ultimately sinking into a legal morass. And we are still no nearer getting the trucks fighting fires.
The lady who jumped in at the deep end
News, Roger Crutchley, Published on 11/05/2014
» It was almost three years ago the headline for this column read: "There could be a lady waiting in the wings." It marked the first indication, however unlikely it seemed at the time, that Yingluck Shinawatra could possibly become the next prime minister, which for Thailand was stepping into unknown territory.
The curious case of sacred traffic cones
News, Roger Crutchley, Published on 18/05/2014
» As in most cities, traffic cones in Bangkok are part of the urban landscape and nobody takes much notice of them, except when inebriated citizens occasionally try them on as hats.
Happy days are here again … well, sort of
News, Roger Crutchley, Published on 08/06/2014
» The recently launched “Return Happiness to the Public” campaign in Thailand could be fun. The only problem is … what makes us happy? Some might say, not having to listen to ancient marching songs over and over again would be high up there on the list.
Sometimes you just have to queue up
News, Roger Crutchley, Published on 22/06/2014
» The mad scramble at some of the free showings of King Naresuan 5 at certain cinemas in the past week shows to what lengths people will go in their current pursuit of “happiness”. Some ladies were even spotted running the wrong way up escalators in their efforts to get a precious freebie. The last time such mayhem was witnessed was when they announced the buffet was open at a recent hotel wedding reception, prompting a stampede worthy of The Charge of the Light Brigade.
Hello Dolly ... back where you belong
News, Roger Crutchley, Published on 06/07/2014
» It was good to see Dolly Parton receive such an enthusiastic reception from the 150,000-strong crowd at the muddy Glastonbury festival last weekend. I am not a huge fan of country music, but have always appreciated Dolly as an entertainer and songwriter. I much preferred her own low-key version of I Will Always Love You, which she wrote, to Whitney Houston’s massive hit.