Showing 1 - 10 of 22
Bangkok's clean streets, empty souls
Oped, Sirinya Wattanasukchai, Published on 10/11/2025
» Banthat Thong used to be a neighbourhood, not a concept. You could live here and find everything: restaurants, bookstores, hardware shops, clinics, banks -- even a place to have your shirts made. It was one of those streets where life unfolded upstairs and business happened downstairs. Today, it is something else entirely.
Empowering the next generation of digital defenders
Life, Sirinya Wattanasukchai, Published on 16/04/2024
» Once the challenge was decoded, young participants in the room made their way to an adjacent building. Some dashed without a clear direction, while others looked at their devices searching for a clue about the next challenge. Attached discreetly to a corner of the building, this clue held the key to their next endeavour.
Baby's first vaccine
Life, Sirinya Wattanasukchai, Published on 11/08/2021
» If there are reasons that keep mothers from breastfeeding, the Covid-19 pandemic shouldn't be one of them. This Mother's Day, mothers are encouraged to continue to breastfeed while taking precautions.
High-rise rule would be wind of change for city
Oped, Sirinya Wattanasukchai, Published on 26/06/2021
» Earlier this month, there was good news in terms of public safety and the urban environment. It was reported that the Office of Natural Resources and Environmental Policy and Planning (Onep) was going to enforce a more stringent environmental impact assessment (EIA) rule for high-rise building developers.
Thainess and surf-skating, a safe match?
Oped, Sirinya Wattanasukchai, Published on 01/04/2021
» The "Rattana Go Surf" surf-skating group, with the presence of a woman politician and luminaries who showcased their surf-skating skills on the city streets last Sunday caused a stir. It's no surprise. In contrast to the latest trend of surf-skating in Thailand, Sunday's crowd turned up in traditional Thai attire, while some women also showed up in Thai-style strapless tops and other participants put on royal-patterned shirts. I can only imagine how suffocating it would have been wearing costumes which are obviously not appropriate for sports. Not to mention, several joined the risky sport without protective gear, such as helmets, all while trying to balance themselves on a skateboard, side by side with moving cars and other motorised vehicles.
Capital needs a new approach to tree surgery
Oped, Sirinya Wattanasukchai, Published on 17/02/2021
» Pictures of numerous chopped down tree trunks scattered near the walls of Wat Po in the Rattanakosin old town area were shared on social media and immediately triggered public outrage.
Uniform fuss can't be tackled uniformly
Oped, Sirinya Wattanasukchai, Published on 02/12/2020
» With some phu yai rattled by the campaign for students to wear casual attire launched on Tuesday by the "Bad Students" group, I am glad that we've come to the point where school uniforms may be disposed of. This could be the first time we've had a real discussion about them.
Gimme shelter as we wait for fewer buses
Oped, Sirinya Wattanasukchai, Published on 26/11/2020
» When I saw City Hall calling for new Bangkok bus stop designs, I was excited. The voices of regular people like millions of bus commuters would finally be heard. But when I went through the competition's requirements, I wasn't sure if there was anything worth celebrating.
Too many lives being lost at train crossings
Oped, Sirinya Wattanasukchai, Published on 16/10/2020
» It was Sunday morning and a group of Buddhists from Samut Prakan were on their way to make merit at a temple in Chachoengsao. Yet the trip ended in a tragedy as their vehicle crashed into a freight train. Altogether, 19 were killed and a few dozen injured.
'Smart city' plan or is it the eve of destruction?
Oped, Sirinya Wattanasukchai, Published on 23/07/2020
» Upon hearing that the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) has launched an initiative to make Bangkok's old town in the Rattanakosin area a smart city, I became curious. What does the agency have in mind when it thinks of "smart city"?