Dams hold back water, but not flooding
Proponents of building the Kaeng Sua Ten Dam are not welcome in Sa-iab. This is what the residents say on a banner at the entrance of the village. The dam is at the expense of a unique forest of teak trees. The alternative of two smaller dams now proposed by the government is also met with resistance.
Rabobank sees plenty of opportunities for the Dutch dairy industry in the growth markets of Indonesia, Vietnam and Thailand. Rabobank reports this in the Milk for the Tigers report.
Thang chao: Medicine and aphrodisiac
The thang chao or caterpillar fungus is one of the most sought after medicinal fungi. The fungus is a hype, since it is known that the State Secretary of Defense uses it. But beware: the fungus is expensive and rare and there are many counterfeits on the market.
Illegal holiday parks will no longer be demolished in Thap Lan National Park. But the current staff is not standing still. Ten holiday parks that were stripped bare in 2011 have been reforested. A small, hopeful sign in a tough battle.
A weaving technique that was more than 100 years old had almost disappeared. Five women from Ban Puek were apprenticed to grandmother Nguan (93). Now they can also give the cotton threads the unique treatment required for Ang Sila weaving.
Vinai Dithajoh (48) worked his way up from bus conductor to leading photojournalist. "Photography is more than a means of livelihood for me, it's a part of my life that I could never do without."
The Asean Economic Community, which should come into effect on December 31, 2015, is further away than ever. That dream collides with the harsh reality. The question is: how serious are the ten participating countries? An analysis.
The Nation: Scandal Monk is a master of marketing
How did the controversial monk Luang Pu manage to gain the respect and support of so many believers, the English-language newspaper The Nation wonders. Answer: He had a PR team that masterfully positioned him as a leader who would lead them on the path to nirvana.
Thai newspaper: Luang Pu's behavior is 'outrageous'; wipe out the pan for Buddhist authorities
How does the Thai media report on the Luang Pu affair, the 'jet-set' monk? Thailandblog put the question to Tino Kuis, who can read Thai. Despite his jet lag (he has just returned from holiday in the Netherlands) he dived into the Thai newspaper Matichon. Thanks Tina!
Clothing rental is a booming business
It's a new trend: renting out nightwear. Because who wants to be seen at a party or wedding in previously worn clothing? Clothing rental shops are responding to this trend. Celebrity clothes can also be rented. Costs 3.000 baht, but then you also have something.
Evidence of money laundering, fraud and sexual misconduct against 'jet-set' monk Luang Pu Nen Khwam is piling up. Whether the monk will ever return from France, where he currently resides, remains to be seen. His followers - credulous as they are - continue to defend him.
Ban Limthong takes advantage of Raknam; 'With this program I feel that my life is back'
For many years, Ban Limthong in Buri Ram was an arid region for most of the year. Thanks to the Raknam (Love Water) water management project, farmers now have enough water all year round. So farmer Pairat Sangrum no longer has to go to the big city to look for a job after harvesting the rice. He can stay home now.
Every month, twenty children from Myanmar cross the border in search of work. They end up in tea houses, restaurants, massage parlours, karaoke bars and brothels; both in the big city and in the countryside. Usually underpaid, many are also mistreated.
"Can you imagine what kind of life we have?"
Farmers feel let down by the government they helped put in place 2 years ago. The guaranteed price for rice will go down by 3.000 baht. But with the price of 15.000 baht, they could barely make ends meet.
Boiling anger over Thai rice policy (video)
Thailand has lost its position as the world's largest rice exporter due to a government failure that devised a destructive subsidy scheme.
A 7-Eleven store: your future too?
Of course you know the 7-Eleven stores in Thailand, there are no less than 6700 and the plan of the Thai franchise holder CP All Plc is to raise that number to 7000 stores this year.
Mahout Pairote is proud to take care of Khun Phra
In the past, Thai kings went to battle on a white elephant, but those days are long gone. They are also no longer kept at the Chitralada palace. But they still bring, according to faith, prosperity to the king and the country.