The Thai beauty myth

Why do so many Thai women fall for the whitening cream scam?

As a man, it never ceases to amaze me how easily women are fooled into believing the obvious scam that certain creams on the market will make their skin whiter. It's so obviously a scam yet there are so many women who fail to be deterred and go out and buy the products. Men are increasingly doing the same.

Fast times at Hitler High

What on earth are the schoolkids being prepared for?

For those who think that the students may have missed the lessons on Hitler and the NAZIS, or perhaps fell asleep during the lectures, I say the opposite: I say that these students were probably very much awake and were mesmerized by all things NAZI. By the looks of things, they seem to have learned quite a bit.

Here's looking at you kid

How do those wonderful Thai folk really see us?

Have you ever wondered what the Thais in your life think about you? I mean really think about you? Your girlfriend? Your Thai boss,? Your maid? The guy who washes your car? The motorcycle guy at the end of your soi? It may not be what you think!

We're so sorry

A sad and shocking day for all Filipinos

Millions of Filipinos, including me, were shocked at the poor handling of the hostage situation by our own security enforcers. It was an embarrassment to our capability to save lives. This we cannot deny.

Skirting around the problem

Why focus on issues that have nothing to do with problems in education?

Why are these banal topics regularly raised when so many critical and more pressing problems are evident in the Thai education system? What about the huge shortfall of qualified teachers? The embarrassingly low salary offered to them?

What a state to be in

Postbox letter from Richard Burgess

If I am a foreigner I must have teaching credentials from my country of origin to teach English in Thailand. If I am a Thai, I only have to have paid my fees to the Teachers School and I can teach English.

Thai news

It's funnier than comedy

Latest news before this article goes online: the government will agree to compromise and raise the age for buying alcohol to 20, instead of the planned 25. Cheers!

The magical land

Where no student fails an exam

Yes, dear readers, students in Thailand simply cannot fail exams. This probably comes as a very big surprise for the people unfamiliar with the Thai situation, but believe me, it is true. Well, it is still true at the time of writing, but maybe not for long anymore.

Why don't we ever learn?

ESL teachers, bar girls and the sex industry

I hoped that I would never feel the need to write about bar girls or the sex industry, but these two stories stood out for the simple reason that both of them involved ESL teachers living and teaching in Bangkok.