Showing 31 - 40 of 191
A score to unsettle
Life, Anchalee Kongrut, Published on 16/06/2016
» Musician/composer Anant Narkkong is returning to perform at the Silent Film Festival that will kick off this evening at Scala Theatre in Siam Square. He will perform live with German pianist Gunter A. Buchwald for the famous film Nosferatu.
A cuppa sustainability
Life, Anchalee Kongrut, Published on 25/05/2016
» For the urban cool, coffee has somehow become a form of luxurious indulgence -- not just a tonic to wake you up in the morning, or a kick to keep your eyes wide open in the yawning afternoon. But for Theerasit Amornsaensuk, managing director of Green Net SE, coffee drinking has a higher function still -- that of protecting forested mountains, while coffee-growing can provide a means for local villagers to coexist with their environment.
Portrait of a middle-class lady
Life, Anchalee Kongrut, Published on 18/04/2016
» China has undergone a great transformation within a short period of time. An open economy, though still under control, has pushed the once-backward, poverty-ridden Communist country into an economic superpower within three decades. But wealth and progress come with complicated questions, such as that of how modernity affects individual identity, especially for women.
Going bananas over Chinese investment
Life, Anchalee Kongrut, Published on 20/04/2016
» Kluai hom -- or the Cavendish banana -- found itself in the spotlight recently on social media and in local news. The issue involves Chinese investors renting land in Chiang Rai to grow kluai hom. Local villagers complained about water because the farm sucked up a large volume of it, leaving so little for local farmers. Fears about the use of chemical fertilisers also arose. Another problem is that the practice might be against the law, which reserves the occupation of farmer for Thais. The public is alarmed because Chinese-backed kluai hom farming in Laos has already proved a disaster. Toxic pesticides are dumped into the river, while environmental management is below par.
The reluctant activist
Life, Anchalee Kongrut, Published on 25/04/2016
» The reign of the current government is not the perfect time for protesting. Anyone who raises voices against the National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO) might be summoned by the army for "attitude adjustment". Still, there are a few activists who dare to defy the military government -- among them is Somnuck Jongmeewasin.
No rhyme, no reason
Life, Anchalee Kongrut, Published on 02/05/2016
» There's a beautiful piece of prose in a Thai poem that reads: "Kavee rue lang laeng Siam" -- (Siam never runs out of poets). Composed over 120 years ago by Prince Paramanuchit Chinoros, the verse is part of Samuta Koj Kam Chan, and it describes the golden age of Thai literary culture, in which poetry was ingrained as part of people's speech. It was a time when rhyme and stanza were infused in normal dialogue. Men wrote poems, or sang them for courtship.
To squat or not?
Life, Anchalee Kongrut, Published on 09/05/2016
» Like religion and politics, toilet etiquette is a touchy subject. The latest proof is the debate on the future of traditional squat toilets in Thailand after a new law on the manufacturing standard of toilet seats came into effect on April 23. The law has provoked discussion and even fear that the state will ban the use of squat toilets, archaic but cheap household facilities that are still used in rural areas, as well as many houses and buildings.
Live your dreams
Life, Anchalee Kongrut, Published on 16/05/2016
» Cuba, a socialist country with breathtaking Spanish colonial architecture, exceptionally fine music and superior cigars, is finally getting the world's attention it so deserves. Restored diplomacy with the US is putting the country among the top tourist destinations. Cuba was given a further boost when US President Barack Obama made a state visit in March and Karl Lagerfeld staged a fashion show in Havana earlier this month by turning the leafy Paseo del Prado boulevard into an extravagant catwalk. Not to be left behind, Thai hoteliers recently went to Havana to ink a deal to open a high-end complex.
From TV lights to Buddhist enlightenment
Life, Anchalee Kongrut, Published on 18/05/2016
» Vuthithorn "Woody" Milintachinda, the TV host and producer, once described himself on his Facebook profile as "a person of 365 different personalities", a pronouncement justified by his eclectic background -- son of a diplomat, former New Yorker, talented TV-show host and successful executive of a media production company.
The quest for a sustainable Songkran
Life, Anchalee Kongrut, Published on 13/04/2016
» Water splashing never came with guilt, until recently. This is Songkran, and water is the currency that we once spent as if there were no tomorrow.