BANGKOK – Thai households are falling ever deeper into debt, bringing warnings of a growth slump in mainland Southeast Asia’s largest economy. A typical weekday evening for first-jobber Thanakarn is spent in one of central Bangkok’s […]
Author: Randy Thanthong-Knight
Old VS New at Thailand’s Songkran Festival
BANGKOK – Thai New Year has become a three-day, water soaked street party, much to the chagrin of those who would prefer a return to the holiday’s quieter religious and familial traditions. Warm, wet and wild […]
Thais’ poor English could dim job prospects
PHUKET, Thailand – When Southeast Asia introduces a common economic market in December 2015, job seekers throughout the region will face more competition, with English-language skills in higher demand. At a luxurious resort in southern Thailand, Boblyn […]
Holi: Social Unity Hindered by Inequality
MATHURA/VRINDAVAN, India – Coloured powders exploded in the air as people threw them at one another. Boisterous crowds pelted each other with wet paint and coloured water. On Friday (March 6, 2015), India celebrated Holi, also known as […]
Thailand’s Superficial Gay-Friendly Image
BANGKOK – Despite its gay-friendly image, conservative and Buddhist-majority Thailand is not always a welcoming place for the local lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) community. In the lively Silom district of central Bangkok, customers pile […]
The Dark Side of Thai Fishing Industry
BANGKOK – The reputation of Thailand’s eight-billion-dollar fishing industry is at stake after a series of human trafficking and illegal fishing allegations. The government’s latest initiatives have not given much cause for optimism. The world’s third-largest […]
Thailand’s Attempts to Reach Indian Ocean
BANGKOK – A recent visit to Myanmar by General Prayuth Chan-ocha, Thailand’s prime minister and coup leader, has restarted the most ambitious project in Southeast Asia, Dawei Special Economic Zone (SEZ). The bilateral cooperation between […]
The Growth of Low-Cost Airlines in Thailand
BANGKOK – A decade ago, low-cost airlines were seen as a cheap alternative for air travel. But the industry has changed in recent years. With the arrival of Thai AirAsia and later Nok Air, the market […]
It Must Be a Full Moon
KOH PHANGAN, Thailand – Lewd lovers having sex on a beach full of trash, frisky couples kissing under coconut trees, intoxicated teens passing out face down in the sand, stoned party animals urinating into the sea, and […]
