Thais have an old saying stating that if one concurrently encounters an Indian and a snake, one should get rid of the Indian first. The statement may be said in jest but it does reflect an old prejudice against immigrants from the Indian sub-continent who in the old days not only looked quite different [...]
I have spent a considerable amount of time over the past few weeks visiting rural Buddhist temples and towns. What stand out most is that many temples have huge modern-looking buildings in addition to the usual monks’ kuti or living quarters and the intricately designed ‘bosti’ or chapel structures. Except for the living [...]
Last week’s earthquake in Haiti is devastating. But it might not be as devastating as the long suffering endured by the people of that country, condemned to be the poorest in the Western Hemisphere for decades. Those who have read Collapse: How Societies Choose to Fail or Succeed by Jarred Diamond or An [...]
Burma recently announced that it would purchase 20 Mig-29 from Russia to add to the dozen its air force already had. Vietnam followed with an announcement that it was buying a few submarines from the same source, presumably to counter the Chinese threat. Normally, such announcements would trigger some sort of response from [...]
After the summit meeting on climate change ended in disappointment last week, Prime Minster Abhisit Vejjajiva announced Thailand would commit itself to reducing greenhouse gases in any case. He certainly has an opportunity to set an example but if the past is any guide, this opportunity will likely be wasted again.
I judge this on [...]
Over the past week, the world has again witnessed the deep love and respect that Thais have for His Majesty King Bhumibol Adulyadej.
During the morning of December 5, tens of thousands lined the route that he traveled from Siriraj hospital to the Grand Palace; many had camped out on the footpaths the night before [...]
During the past couple of weeks, nothing received more press coverage and analyses or made the government of Thailand more nervous than the visit to Cambodia of former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra. Two other events also occurred during that time but received scant attention compared to Thaksin’s movements although they represented something of no [...]
For the first time in Thai history, there is a widespread popular movement for change. Two groups, distinguished by the yellow and red shirts they wear, are the largest and most potent. Both claim to be fighting evils which they say are the root cause of social and political problems facing Thailand. The yellow shirts [...]
A “third hand” is not something that Thai people normally would like to have around for it refers to either a person who causes the break-up of a romantic union or someone who does something evil to instigate a social or political unrest. Sometimes such an act is referred to as the work of [...]
A recent research shows that over half of the babies born in advanced countries today will live to be 100 years old. Healthy behavior and improvements in diagnosis and treatment of illnesses are the main factors contributing to increased longevity. This is a continuation of past trends, resulting in a higher proportion of senior citizens [...]
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