This report, “International Labour Migration in a Changing Climate”, provides insights from Malaysia and Thailand on how, and in what contexts, international labour migration can be a viable adaptation strategy to climate change. The report provides experiences and perspectives of migrant workers, employers and government representatives on the topic. This …
Once a symbol of the emperor, Thai elephants have been reduced to penury and beggary. Loss of habitat and livelihood has driven these elephants to the streets of Bangkok. The capital's crowded streets and the vehicular and noise pollution are taking a toll on the elephants, especially the younger ones. …
UNATTRACTIVE mounds of banana peels are a common sight in rural Thailand. A project undertaken recently, aims at converting this waste into energy. Using biogas technology, the Solar Energy and Training Centre (sert) of Naresuan University in Thailand, is using this waste to procure biogas for basic rural energy requirements, …
King Bhumibol Adulyadej of Thailand has claimed to have found a solution to soil erosion. Vetiver grass ( Vetiver zizinoidis) boasts of the longest roots in the plant kingdom. A vetiver root can grow to a depth of 568 m in three years. Vetiver poses no threat to native plants …
We present results of an empirical investigation and comparison of housing supply in three rapidly growing countries: Malaysia, Thailand, and Korea. These countries offer three contrasting examples of different approaches to development control. Korea has relatively strict control of housing supply. Thailand has little effective regulation of development. Malaysia offers …
The much-hyped project to export natural gas from Burma's Yadana field to Thailand is under fire from Thai environmentalists. They are concerned about the negative impact of the project on wildlife in Thailand's already depleted forests. According to an environmental impact assessment undertaken on behalf of the project's Thai operators, …
Threatened with a crushing blow to its us $2 billion shrimp industry, Thailand is making belated efforts to save sea turtles which are fast disappearing from its waters. The Phuket Marine Biology Centre recently released 200 baby sea turtles into the Andaman Sea, though experts believe they would not survive …
In Thailand -where most of the paddy and corn produced is exported- drying is an essential agricultural activity. There is 18-25 per cent moisture in the crops at the time of harvesting, which has to be reduced to 14 per cent to prevent spoilage. During rainy or cloudy days, slow …
The Thai-Burmese border is not only home to ethnic rebels, wandering refugees and gem smugglers but also to deadly drug-resistant malarial parasites. According to experts, the region is the epicentre of drug-resistant malaria. Doctors in a Thai refugee camp in Mae La, are racing against time to develop better drugs …
TRASH-STREWN beaches, tribes reduced to selling cheap trinkets and tourists on the prowl for prostitutes, have forced many in the travel industry to promote a healthier 'eco-tourism' in both Thailand and Vietnam before it is too late. A small organisation called Alternative Tourism of Thailand now conducts tours for foreigners …
Elephants in Thailand were recently treated to a jumbo feast at the Elephant Conservation Centre in Lampang, 535 km north of Bangkok. It was an elephantine version of the Thai tradition of Thai khan toke, a meal at which diners share food from a common bowl. They gorged on more …
Tourists bound for Thailand, beware. The sun-baked, tropical beaches there may transport you to the other world - literally. Alarming levels of cyanide have been found by environmental consultants in the waters near some of Thailand's most popular beaches. They also discovered smaller quantities of another toxin - mercury - …
The coral reefs off the coast of Thailand may yet be saved because of joint action by conservationists and villagers. A case in point is the village of Sikao in Trang province of southern Thailand where 50 families joined by villagers in 11 other Thai provinces are making a beginning …
THE people of Thailand are still reeling under the impact of the most devastating wet-season flooding in a decade, and they hold the government responsible for their suffering. It was the poor water management policy of the goverment that deepened the crisis, claim the experts in the country. "It was …
Rice producing areas across Asia have been hit by huge floods in early October. Thailand, one of the world's top growers and rice exporters has been hard hit with as much as 10 per cent of the rice area facing a threat. According to a senior Thai agriculture ministry official, …
A euphemistically named agreement for the "sustainable development of the Mekong river basin" has generated a storm of controversy. The rum- blings were heard almost as soon as the accord was signed between the so-called Lower Mekong countries - Thailand, Laos, Cambodia and Vietnam - in the Ist week of …
The Thai government has come up with an ingenious plan to reduce traffic congestion. The idea is to create 2 dozen special car parks on the outskirts of the city, where commuters can leave their cars before taking a bus into the heart of the town. Sceptics are convinced that …
GENDER'S role in social organisation, economic production -- and their attendant problems -- are attracting the notice they so completely deserve. This book is particularly interesting because it is a comparative study of slum cultures in the 2 Asian countries of Sri Lanka and Thailand. As Thorbek points out, by …
EVERYTHING in Thailand is daringly up front -- except for a serious water crisis. A transit passenger in the luxurious Bangkok airport who heads for the toilet for a quick shave risks inviting more than a few reproachful glances if he keeps the immaculately-polished taps carelessly turned on. The Thai …
IT IS painted bright red with big black spots and looks like a cross between a lady bug and a toy car. It is the ultra-mini Haishen or the "car for the masses" that is about to hit the gigantic domestic automobile car market in China. This tiny vehicle has …
ALARMED by unchecked deforestation, the Thailand government launching an ambitious, three-year reforestation project in May, with backing from the Thai royal family.
