Showing 1 - 10 of 12
A missing item in the rural soundtrack
Roger Crutchley, Published on 18/01/2026
» As usual at this time of the year I have been enjoying life in the Northeastern province of Chaiyaphum for several weeks. However on this visit there was something slightly different which I couldn't immediately put my finger on. It took a few days before realising I was not being woken up by the usual early morning chorus of roosters or chickens of any sort.
Trickery in the land of tavern trivia
Published on 23/11/2025
» The world of pub quizzes was shaken in Britain recently when a team at The Barking Dog pub in Manchester was kicked out for cheating. Although disputes may occasionally occur in such quizzes it doesn't usually come down to such strong disciplinary action. However the team involved was believed to be clearly in breach of trivia etiquette.
Don't skimp on pub safety
Oped, Editorial, Published on 06/08/2022
» Heads are rolling after a deadly fire broke out at a pub in Chon Buri province in the early hours of Friday morning, killing 14 people and injuring at least 36 others.
On death and dying
Life, Patcharawalai Sanyanusin, Published on 13/12/2021
» Feelings of sadness accompany any death, even if that person is a stranger. Last month, I came across a story about the passing of a woman on social media that saddened me but made me feel glad as well.
Very Orwellian
News, Postbag, Published on 02/02/2021
» Before I start, I should note that I do not wear a tin foil hat and that it has been a while since my last reading of 1984.
It's not a good time to be a statue
News, Roger Crutchley, Published on 14/06/2020
» This past week has seen statues of controversial historical figures under attack around the globe. It is surprising it has taken so long. Hopefully the statues can be used for educational purposes by being placed into museums, accompanied by accurate historical accounts of what these people really did. The statues are an important reminder of an inglorious part of history. There is a possibility, however, that any statue or monument could become a target. One problem with statues is that they are quite vulnerable unless they are atop towering columns, like Nelson in Trafalgar Square.
2019 more a celebration of 1969
News, Roger Crutchley, Published on 29/12/2019
» It is customary at this time of the year to take a look at some of the major happenings of the past 12 months. This past year has been rather unusual in that it marked a host of significant 50th anniversaries. In fact the year was almost as much about 1969 as 2019. So to kick things off, let's just recall a few of those events 50 years ago.
A ray of hope for Bangkok's foot soldiers
News, Roger Crutchley, Published on 17/11/2019
» It was recently reported that the authorities plan to make life safer for Bangkok's pedestrians by introducing traffic light buttons at 14 zebra crossings. Fair enough. But the worrying thing is that it was presented as some kind of major breakthrough, a ''eureka moment'' for pedestrian safety. Cities around the world have been using this system since the 1960s. Still, it's a start.
Update the computer law
News, Editorial, Published on 18/04/2018
» If events over the past two weeks do not convince the government to write an actual law covering computer fraud, maybe nothing will. The first unfortunate event was to threaten a Chiang Mai magazine editor with a computer crime charge over something that had nothing to do with computers (or crime, come to that). The second was the reluctant admission by the country's second mobile phone company of security misbehaviour, putting tens of thousands of customers at risk. That is not a crime.
Manacled again
News, Alan Dawson, Published on 08/04/2018
» It has been quite an early summer harvest for the regime combines baling up inconvenient voices.