Connecting the classic to the contemporary
It is similar to Angkor Wat, which was built according to the Hindu belief systems connecting heaven and Earth to create temporary cosmology. To create the choreography, Jitti works with the architecture of the body, which corresponds with how the khon dance is constructed. "Narrators play a significant role in the khon performance. "This inspired me to create a dance performance based on khon's roots. ", "Body Architecture And Miscellany Of Khon" and "Bridging The Traditional To Contemporary Art".
Source:Bangkok Post
March 08, 2021 23:15 UTC
Post Plc ex-director van der Linden dies aged 95
Post Plc ex-director van der Linden dies aged 95van der Linden: Passes at homeJohannes Bernardus van der Linden, a former director and member of the Executive Committee of the Bangkok Post Plc, passed away at his home in Bangkok on Ram Intra Road Sunday. He was managing director of Multi Credit Corporation (MCC) of Thailand from 1979 until 1989. From 1987 to 1998, he served on the General Committee of the Royal Bangkok Sports Club. He rejoined the Board of The Post Publishing Plc, currently known as the Bangkok Post Plc in 1990 after retiring from the MCC. His funeral rites will be held at 6.30pm until Saturday at Wat Nuan Chan in Bangkok.
Source:Bangkok Post
March 08, 2021 23:07 UTC
Freedom in a perilous state
Freedom in a perilous stateAbout a year after Thailand under the Prayut Chan-o-cha government could boast about a small improvement in its freedom ranking, as rated annually by Freedom House, the country has suffered a setback with it damningly described as no longer having any freedom at all -- a position it held during the coup years. The new ranking by Freedom House is ironic given Thailand's name that means "land of the free". Altogether 210 countries and territories are rated in two categories, political rights (40) and civil liberties (60). The only three countries considered to afford their citizens complete freedom in the report were Finland, Norway and Sweden. It was rated poorly in the areas of freedom of assembly, civil society space, due process, an independent judiciary, academic freedom and the rights of marginalised people, but scores better in freedom of religion, freedom of movement and personal social freedoms.
Source:Bangkok Post
March 08, 2021 23:03 UTC
Pushed to the brink of civil war?
We have to work together to avoid any severe conflict that deepens social division, which would lead to a civil war as some countries or some groups wish to see,'' Mr Suthep said. Mr Suthep said that some groups have been trying to plunge the country into civil war, though he believed it would unlikely happen because of Thais' cultural predisposition. "From my experience, it will be difficult for the country to reach a civil war, even though several groups are trying to provoke it. It is worrying, but it is impossible because most Thais by nature are not extremists or prone to violence,'' Mr Suthep said. Plus, he also remains steadfast in his loyalty to the nation," Mr Suthep said.
Source:Bangkok Post
March 08, 2021 22:30 UTC
City officials benefit from seat at top table
The big relief cake is to be shared among city officials and workers. The first question that came to my mind is: how are those officials and city workers affected by Covid restraints deserving of state assistance? Like other state officials, it's business as usual for those at the City Hall during first or second outbreak. So, it's hard to accept payments in this case where state officials appear to be receiving what many consider to be an unjustifiable "bonus". So, this week, a number of city officials will get extra payments without doing anything extra.
Source:Bangkok Post
March 07, 2021 23:26 UTC
Focus on competence
Focus on competenceThailand will lose the chance to lead disruptive changes in the digital and education sector if Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha continues to allow political jockeying for cabinet quotas dominate his decision on the forthcoming cabinet reshuffle. Prime Minister Prayut has insisted he has the final say on the reshuffle and there would be no "outsiders" in the cabinet line-up. Although Gen Prayut said the reshuffle is his call, it's no secret Gen Prawit also has a big say in the matter, as the "big brother" of Gen Prayut when they served in the military. These politicians know that Gen Prayut may ignore their requests at first, but he will listen to Gen Prawit's advice. Unfortunately, Gen Prayut has not showed decisive leadership by choosing the most most suitable candidates to fill in the new cabinet vacancies.
Source:Bangkok Post
March 07, 2021 23:23 UTC
Hope beyond cure
But now wearing a different hat as a CEO and co-founder of Baiya Phytopharm, many times she feels the stress is almost too much to bear. Sometimes I woke up in the middle of the night and could not sleep on," said the 36-year-old lecturer at Chulalongkorn University's Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences. Earlier, Baiya Phytopharm also developed the Baiya Rapid Covid-19 test kit using low-nicotine tobacco leaves. Covid-19 vaccines from Baiya Phytopharm are now expected to be used in clinical studies this year. At this point, it doesn't matter if the Covid-19 vaccines will succeed or fail.
Source:Bangkok Post
March 07, 2021 23:03 UTC
18 detained protesters deny charges
18 detained protesters deny chargesPro-democracy protesters converge outside the Criminal Court on Ratchadaphisek Road on Saturday. (Photo by Wichan Charoenkiatpakul)All 18 detained protesters have denied charges pressed against them in connection with fresh rallies against the government on Saturday. Thai Lawyers for Human Rights on Sunday posted a Facebook message saying the activists, including Piyarat "Toto" Chonthep, denied the charges after being informed by police. The Border Patrol Police Region 1 office in Pathum Thani, where 18 protesters are detained. Thai Lawyers for Human Rights said all 18 refused to sign statements acknowledging the allegations against them.
Source:Bangkok Post
March 07, 2021 06:45 UTC
It's always 'bath' time in Thailand
Of course there is always the computer spell-check, which is not averse to changing "baht" back to "bath". He explained he had mistakenly given me a 500 baht note instead of a 50. Because the baht was always being misspelled some journalists suggested "bath" would be a grand name for this Asean money, with smaller denominations called "plugholes". Not surprisingly tourists on holiday in Thailand were taking back stacks of 10 baht coins to use in the vending machines. For many years a 10 pound note was named a "Pavarotti" after the popular Italian tenor (tenner).
Source:Bangkok Post
March 06, 2021 23:48 UTC
Vital to preserve city's 'Green Lung'
Vital to preserve city's 'Green Lung'Bang Kachao in Samut Prakan -- dubbed Bangkok's "Green Lung" for its lush natural landscape that contrasts with the capital's high-rises and bustling ports which ring its banks -- will be redeveloped into a special zone for sustainable tourism. The proposed designation will be put to the cabinet later in the year, says Gp Capt Athikun Kongmee, Dasta's director. Attempts to alter the area's town plan and building restrictions -- which were set when back in 1992 when Bang Kachao was named a conservation area by then-PM Anand Panyarachun -- have been mounted before. First, the area where private development is permitted was increased to 10%, then the administration decided to allow private homes to be built in the highly-protected conservation zone. Any form of sustainable, community-based tourism must benefit the community, so care must be taken to ensure that principle is adhered to.
Source:Bangkok Post
March 06, 2021 23:37 UTC
New plan for hotel quarantine
If approved, visitors next month would only be required to spend three days in their hotel rooms. Visitors could leave their rooms after three days but they must not leave their hotel for 11 more days. The so-called Area Hotel Quarantine (AHQ) proposal targets at least five provinces considered to be the country's top tourist destinations: Chiang Mai, Phuket, Krabi, Surat Thani and Chon Buri, a meeting was told yesterday. The government will also consider a plan to allow visitors who have received Covid-19 vaccinations to enter Thailand without having to undergo the mandatory 14-day quarantine period, the source said. Phisut Saekhu, president of the association of hotels in the eastern provinces, meanwhile, urged government officials to extend its State Quarantine programme, which is joined by 12 hotels operators in Pattaya city in Chon Buri province.
Source:Bangkok Post
March 06, 2021 23:26 UTC
Four rallies go ahead despite new ban
Three other politically themed rallies went ahead peacefully earlier in the day, but tensions were high at the protest staged by the group known as REDEM (Restart Democracy). “Release our friends,” the REDEM supporters shouted in unison as they gathered in front of the court building on Ratchadaphisek Road, which was surrounded by barbed wire. They asked supporters to join a larger march planned by the Ratsadon pro-democracy group on Sunday. The previous order applied the ban based on disease-control zones, which have changed as infection rates are declining in most places. Progressive Red: Lotus Rangsit-Government ComplexAlso in northern Bangkok, a pro-democracy group under the Ratsadon umbrella calling itself Progressive Red met at the Lotus Rangsit store at 1pm.
Source:Bangkok Post
March 06, 2021 12:22 UTC
TGH's chief takes firm to new terrain
The freshly installed boss wants to fully digitise operations and merge into a financial services groupTGH chief executive Thakorn Piyapan. Under the digital transformation plan, TGH's subsidiary wants to transform digital services structurally. In later stages, these services would be connected with the group's insurance business and gradually expanded to other financial services of the group. TGH could provide integrated financial services under TCC Group's umbrella in the long run, based on the former's digital transformation plan. More and clearer communication is necessary to collectively move towards digital transformation."
Source:Bangkok Post
March 05, 2021 23:26 UTC
WHA plans entry in digital health
WHA Corporation Plc, Thailand's largest developer of built-to-suit logistics facilities, plans to catch the global trend in healthcare this year by diversifying into digital technology for health businesses, including telemedicine. WHA operates four businesses, covering logistics, industrial estate development, utility and power businesses, as well as a digital platform business. These include WHA Eastern Seaboard Industrial Estate 4, WHA Industrial Estate Rayong and WHA Saraburi Industrial Land 2, all of which are in the expansion phase. Its 11th domestic industrial estate, the 1,280-rai WHA Rayong 36 located in the Eastern Economic Corridor, is now ready for sales. They are the WHA Smart Technology Industrial Zone and the WHA Northern Industrial Zone in Thanh Hoa.
Source:Bangkok Post
March 05, 2021 23:26 UTC
Deadly roads add to toll
Deadly roads add to tollThere is no doubt that reckless driving is a major cause of road accidents, many of them fatal. Yet, two news reports this week have highlighted how poor traffic infrastructure provided by state agencies is contributing to this long-standing problem. The first story came from Buri Ram where a set of traffic lights at a busy intersection all turned green simultaneously on Monday, after having just been fixed by municipality officers. Yet, the death toll remains high as the state has ignored making the more expensive, but necessary, alterations to the roads themselves. The deaths on Thai roads are not all down to poor driving, and many responsible motorists lose their lives as a result of poor design and disrepair.
Source:Bangkok Post
March 05, 2021 23:15 UTC