Showing 1 - 10 of 11
Reform imperative
Postbag, Published on 23/11/2025
» Re: "Police transfers face scrutiny", (BP, Nov 20).
Nuclear recklessness
Oped, Postbag, Published on 29/10/2025
» Re: "Russian leader praises new cruise missile", (World, Oct 28).
Rethink cities for a changing climate
News, Michael Shafer, Published on 25/10/2025
» Rain is the most ordinary of things. It should nourish crops, fill reservoirs and cool the air. Yet, for millions of people living in the world's big cities, rain has become something to fear.
Porosity can reduce city flood effects
Oped, Nuntachart Ratanaburi, Published on 02/07/2025
» The rainy season, which officially began in May, combined with the La Niña effect, brings unusually heavy rains that leave several areas inundated. Worse, the climate change impact intensifies weather turbulences with intense, localised rainfall -- known as "rain bombs" or cloudbursts -- that may cause severe floods in areas with a poor drainage system.
Authentic intelligence rises with AI
Oped, Thitinan Pongsudhirak, Published on 16/05/2025
» As the cognitive power and proliferation of artificial intelligence take the world by storm, the case for authenticity and originality paradoxically becomes more compelling and carries higher premiums. It is now a widely accepted reality that AI is on its way to master human thought processes and proceed beyond them. This means that it will be more difficult for humans to differentiate between what comes from AI and what does not. As such, the time has come after nearly 40 years of being published -- including more than 25 of them with this newspaper -- that this column goes subjective.
Adapting cities to climate change
News, Sumet Ongkittikul & Nuntachart Ratanaburi, Published on 04/12/2024
» Relentless floods. Searing Heat. Vanishing coastlines. Thailand's cities are under siege from climate risks. Without urgent intervention, the worst is yet to come.
Lessons from the Mountain B fire
Oped, Worsak Kanok-Nukulchai, Published on 24/08/2022
» Fire breaks out when heat, fuel, and oxygen meet. Without intervention, a fire will only come to an end under two conditions: when the fuel has run out, or when the oxygen supply is exhausted. In an enclosed space, when a fire can deplete most oxygen, the flames will die down while the fuel continues to burn in a smouldering state under pyrolysis. Pyrolysis does not require oxygen, so it can take place without fire at or above 500C and turn organic compounds into charcoal, tar, or non-condensable gases. These gases have extremely high thermal values ready to burst into fireballs as soon as fresh oxygen re-emerges from any new opening. This is called "backdraft", and is what happened in the Mountain B Pub fire.
New ministry risks sinking
News, Editorial, Published on 28/06/2022
» The brainchild of Deputy Prime Minister Prawit Wongsuwon to create a ministry of water has been well received, and if he had his way, it would be launched this year and touted as a highly desirable destination for ambitious politicians. The big question is whether the new ministry can live up to that billing without becoming just another cash sponge for big-ticket projects that do little to solve the real problems.
Naval skirmishes among the soapsuds
News, Roger Crutchley, Published on 30/08/2020
» The current debate concerning the purchase of submarines has sparked memories of some important naval battles I experienced as a kid. Well okay, it was in the murky waters of my bath and featured plastic toy submarines, but they were still memorable confrontations.
