Showing 1 - 10 of 68
A fond farewell to the poster people
Oped, Roger Crutchley, Published on 08/02/2026
» For a couple of months the streets in Bangkok and throughout Thailand have been decorated with posters of political candidates. But now the Big Day has arrived and soon the posters will disappear. In a strange sort of way, I will miss their presence as they were at least something to look at when stuck in the traffic. They generally appeared to be a cheerful lot, beaming at us with big cheesy grins as one would expect in the Land of Smiles.
An intriguing case of daylight robbery
Published on 26/10/2025
» You can't beat a good old fashioned diamond heist to make media headlines around the world. Even better when it involves an iconic institution like the Louvre museum in Paris home of the much loved Mona Lisa.
Kingdom of Denmark vs the Shadow Fleet
News, Gwynne Dyer, Published on 25/10/2025
» Back in the 16th and 17th centuries, two-thirds of the Danish kingdom's income came from taxes paid by every ship passing through the Øresund ('The Sound') Strait, the only exit from the Baltic Sea. Each ship had to declare its cargo -- and if the Danes thought they were undervaluing it, Denmark had the right to buy it at the declared price.
Behind the smiles
Oped, Postbag, Published on 23/09/2025
» Re: "Govt denies seizing BBC footage", (BP, Sept 19).
A magician from the trenches of war
Roger Crutchley, Published on 07/09/2025
» Last month PostScript mentioned the strange phenomenon of how the 1950s British ventriloquist Peter Brough and his schoolboy dummy Archie Andrews had a successful radio show called Educating Archie. Although Brough's ventriloquist skills was a visual art and seemed wasted on radio it didn't appear to bother listeners.
When despots fall out, everyone suffers
News, Veera Prateepchaikul, Published on 28/07/2025
» In what capacity did former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra act when he wrote that several countries have expressed concerns over the fighting between Thailand and Cambodia and offered to mediate the conflict?
The essence of Thailand in one phrase
Oped, Philip J Cunningham, Published on 05/06/2025
» The glossy brochures tell you it's "The Land of Smiles" or maybe it's just "amazing". Slightly more sophisticated takes suggest the essence of Thailand can be found in its unique expressions of showing consideration to others in the context of a hierarchy.
Painting Pakistan
Oped, Postbag, Published on 30/04/2025
» Re: "India and Pakistan troops exchange fire", (World, April 28).
It was the Year of the Happy Hippo
Roger Crutchley, Published on 29/12/2024
» Well, we've just about scraped through 2024 although there have been dodgy moments. Most of us will probably be happy to see the back of the Year of the Dragon.
What an exam scandal says about Modi's regime
News, Andy Mukherjee, Published on 20/06/2024
» A scandal involving allegedly leaked papers and irregular scoring in a government-run Indian medical entrance exam has exposed a deeper fault line. By controlling the choice of the nation's doctors, Prime Minister Narendra Modi's administration is pushing its hard-right Hindu agenda into the heart of the nation's health and education systems.