Showing 121 - 130 of 536
Asean urged to ease rules on workers
News, Anchalee Kongrut, Published on 10/10/2017
» The World Bank is urging Asean member countries to ease labour restrictions so migrant workers can earn money overseas to boost welfare and deepen economic integration.
When beer becomes too convenient
News, Anchalee Kongrut, Published on 11/10/2017
» Beer was never my drink of choice until a recent vacation in Germany made me "see the light" as I was introduced to many delicious pilsner, wheat and craft beers.
The light dims in Hong Kong
Asia focus, Anchalee Kongrut, Published on 16/10/2017
» Like many Thais, I have always considered Hong Kong my favourite destination. Perhaps it's because I've long been a big fan of the soap operas and martial arts films from Shaw Brothers Film Studio that dominated our television sets and cinemas during the 1970s and '80s. Hong Kong in those days was the epitome of glitz, a unique, vibrant and advanced Asian city where Eastern and Western cultures melted together into an exciting blend.
Hong Kong connects
Asia focus, Anchalee Kongrut, Published on 16/10/2017
» Two decades after its return to the "motherland", some people lament that Hong Kong is not the place it used to be. Political protest, symbolised by the "Umbrella Movement" of 2014, has tarnished the island's image of stability and Western-style open society. The tightening grip of Beijing has worn down the territory's mojo, to the dismay of the creative classes, artists and publishers who helped make Hong Kong a bastion of freedom of expression in Asia.
Bigger drains won't save us from floods
News, Anchalee Kongrut, Published on 18/10/2017
» Last week Bangkok was badly hit by floods that brought back the haunting memories of the big floods of 2011. Despite assurances by Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha that a flood on the scale of that of 2011 would not occur again, I felt we are not really safe.
Bangkok's secret weapon in war against floods
News, Anchalee Kongrut, Published on 21/10/2017
» When the torrential rains of Oct 13 caused heavy flooding in Bangkok, several parts of the city were swamped, including Chulalongkorn University Centenary Park in Sam Yan. However, as the park slowly filled with water, Kotchakorn Voraakhom, the landscape architect who designed the project, remained unconcerned. She even expressed her satisfaction in a Facebook post that the park had finally delivered on one of its purposes -- the detention of flood water.
Rainy days ahead unless we fix floods
News, Anchalee Kongrut, Published on 23/08/2017
» The sea gypsies of Koh Lipe, a tourist island in the Andaman Sea, have had a close relationship with water all their lives. Water for them is intrinsic and very much tied to the phases of the moon. In times of high tide or heavy monsoon, water will cover parts of their land, but these seafarers have learned to cope, and they even commute on boats. Rising water levels have never been a major concern for these people, at least until recently.
Sports and sensibility
Asia focus, Anchalee Kongrut, Published on 28/08/2017
» Malaysia, the host of the 29th SEA Games, appears well on its way to getting what it wants most -- a huge trove of medals to top the table. However, it remains to be seen whether the expressed wish of the organisers -- to create unity and promote integration -- will be met.
Yingluck gone but populism sticks around
News, Anchalee Kongrut, Published on 30/08/2017
» Ousted premier Yingluck Shinawatra has gone -- some might say -- with the wind. And the way she fled the country was so sly, like a Hollywood film noir where the femme fatale coolly sashays out of the scene having outwitted everyone.
Fresh optimism in KL
Asia focus, Anchalee Kongrut, Published on 11/09/2017
» Anyone who visits Kuala Lumpur these days will feel the vibe of optimism, in the form of construction that is humming along across the capital city. The Malaysian government is injecting massive sums to develop transport infrastructure -- an element the country lacks in comparison with close neighbours Singapore or even Thailand.