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OPINION

A pain in the bin

Life, Pichaya Svasti, Published on 04/06/2014

» Over the past two weekends, I have spent most of my free time tidying up my house. The first week I cleared unused things from my bedroom and moved all my books and DVDs from the first floor, back to the ground floor.

OPINION

Age is more than a number

Life, Pichaya Svasti, Published on 02/05/2014

» Many say that age is just a number. Yet, such numbers can hurt you if your physical and psychological health has become poor and does not allow you to live as happily as before. My deteriorating memory, my excuses about being “a senior” and my referring to the young generation as “people these days” are among the signs of ageing. These “ageing indicators” and my increasingly grey hair make me admit I am already old and must by now prepare myself to ensure my well-being after retirement.

OPINION

Use guilt for good

Life, Pichaya Svasti, Published on 21/03/2014

» At least once in a lifetime, we must experience feelings of guilt for not doing well enough, not making the right decisions or not helping someone in need. For more than 40 years, I have experienced many guilty feelings and managed to get through them wisely and wrongly. Fortunately, these experiences have had no impact on the safety of other people, unlike the recent one witnessed by my neighbours.

OPINION

When love and Buddhism go hand-in-hand

Life, Pichaya Svasti, Published on 14/02/2014

» It is rare for the important days of two faiths to fall on the same date. Yet, it happens today when Thais celebrate St Valentine’s Day and Makha Bucha Day. For many young people, especially those in love, Valentine’s Day surely brings more fun to them, while devout Buddhists who believe in true happiness from faith certainly opt for observing Makha Bucha.

OPINION

Facing up to the reality of office syndrome

Life, Pichaya Svasti, Published on 10/01/2014

» Every second I have to sit in front of my computer I have to endure back pain and an ache in my right shoulder. Sometimes it gets so bad it feels as if these parts of my body are being pierced with a sharp knife. The pain has been with me for more than five years now. First, I simply assumed there was something wrong with my back. Later, I learned that the discomfort I regularly suffer is very common and is often classified under the catch-all term "office syndrome".

OPINION

True meaning of Loy Krathong floats away

Life, Pichaya Svasti, Published on 20/11/2013

» Loy Krathong, one of my favourite festivals during childhood, just passed. On the full-moon day of the 12th lunar month, many Thais float their krathong down a river or even a pond to pay respects to the Lord Buddha and seek forgiveness from the goddess of water for any misdeeds against her. The word loy means "to float" while krathong is a lotus blossom-shaped vessel containing candles, incense sticks and flowers. What I love most about the festival is that it is the time for the reunion of family and friends. What I hate about it is that the purpose of the tradition has been distorted in some ways and some people go overboard and can put others in danger during the festival.

OPINION

Should schools have condom-vending machines?

Life, Pichaya Svasti, Published on 17/10/2013

» Over the past month, one of the most discussed online topics in Thailand is the Public Health Ministry's plan to seek cooperation from the Education Ministry to install condom-vending machines in schools in order to curb teenage pregnancy. The public is almost equally split between supporting and rejecting the idea, but both sides agree that sex education is a better solution. Whether or not the plan will be realised, it is worth discussion and comparison to previous measures to promote safe sex.

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OPINION

Should single people subsidise a baby boom?

Life, Pichaya Svasti, Published on 11/09/2013

» Many were flabbergasted last Thursday to hear reports of a suggestion made by economist Terdsak Chomtohsuwan that the government should provide subsidies to parents having their first child while introducing a tax on single people. The academic reasoned that Thailand risks future labour shortages and a population-age imbalance and will have to spend huge sums of money to support the increasing number of elderly citizens. At the same time, the number of people in employment and teenagers soon to enter the workforce is on the decrease.

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OPINION

The land of fewer smiles

Life, Pichaya Svasti, Published on 06/08/2013

» Thailand is nicknamed the Land of Smiles and Thai people are known for being friendly, polite and kind. However, this seems to be a thing of the past. In recent years, I have had many uncomfortable moments with Thais who are not so well-mannered and kind.

OPINION

Time to impose controls on hazardous e-waste

Life, Pichaya Svasti, Published on 28/06/2013

» A few days ago, I read that the Thai Social Enterprise Office had to extend its deadline for accepting donations of old mobile phones from the general public due to the poor response to its appeal. The donated phones were to be given initially to a sample group of 100 needy disabled people under the One Stop Service for the Disabled Project organised in association with the 1479 Call Centre.