Showing 1 - 5 of 5
The road ahead
Life, Nor Aquino-Gonzales, Published on 19/06/2019
» On Friday (June 21), Adul Sam-on, one of the boys saved from Chiang Rai's Tham Luang Cave, will turn 15. Last year, two days after his birthday, he joined his coach and fellow soccer players in their exploration of the fifth-longest cave in Thailand. Little did Adul or anyone else know that the previous year could have been his last. So his birthday celebration this year is a testament to the miraculous rescue after an 18-day ordeal in the 10km-long cave.
Change is in the air
Life, Suwitcha Chaiyong, Published on 06/05/2019
» If the news these days is anything to go by, the PM2.5 crisis appears to have subsided. And yet, the air-quality monitoring app AirVisual says otherwise. While Bangkok's air-quality index has certainly improved, other provinces such as Nakhon Ratchasima and Chiang Mai are still suffering.
A better Korean option
Life, Suwitcha Chaiyong, Published on 06/05/2019
» South Korea is one of the most popular destinations for Thais -- both tourists and illegal workers. According to the Ministry of Labour, there are 165,854 Thais living in South Korea, 143,169 of them illegally. Such a large number of illegal workers has caused Korean immigration officers to strictly screen Thai visitors. On April 20, a Facebook user shared a post saying that only five Thai passengers from a low-cost flight could get through Seoul, while the rest were detained for deportation. On the post, many comments blamed illegal workers for causing trouble for those attempting to travel legitimately. An unlawful worker defended himself by saying others didn't have sympathy for his poverty.
The plight of the stateless
Life, Story: Paskorn Jumlongrach, Published on 14/08/2018
» Thanom's ancestors lived in what was Siamese territory, near Bang Saphan district in Prachuap Khiri Khan, over a century ago. Back then Burma, to the west, was a British colony and people who lived along the border crossed back and forth without much difficulty. When state boundaries were redrawn during the reign of King Rama V, his family was stuck on the other side. As a young man Thanom was a cattle herder, and he travelled around Karen villages to buy cattle and buffaloes and crossed over to sell them on the Thai side. When he started this job, a cow was just 20 baht and a buffalo was 50 baht.
The finish line
Life, Melalin Mahavongtrakul, Published on 17/07/2018
» When the gates opened, the jockeys drove hard and the horses thundered out on the grassy racetrack. The crowd of fortune-seekers went wild cheering for the horses they'd bet on. Some clutched a pair of binoculars. Others had eyes glued to the big screen. In the background, the announcer detailed the race's progress. After just over a minute, the horses covered 1,200m and crossed the finish line. While some continued to cheer, most of the crowd fell into a collective sigh.