Publications

Protecting Burma’s Heritage from Above

Monday, May 7th, 2012

The Irrawaddy
April 14, 2012
A satellite network watching over Burma’s most revered archaeological sites is being used to help the country develop a sustainable tourism industry and alleviate poverty—but all that could be jeopardized by poor planning management.
About 90 percent of Burma’s population live at or below the poverty line while GDP per capita is the [...]

Posted in Economy, Environment, Myanmar, The Irrawaddy, Travel | Comments Off

Bangkok’s most bizarre eating experiences

Friday, December 2nd, 2011

Bangkok is well known for its oddities, so it should come as no surprise that it has its fair share of peculiar restaurants.
Here are nine of the most bizarre eating spots you’re ever likely to come across in Bangkok.
Hajime Robot Restaurant
At this futuristic Japanese restaurant, the beady-eyed robots not only bring your [...]

Posted in CNNGo, Food, Thailand | Comments Off

The Monkey King of Beijing Opera

Sunday, November 6th, 2011

Reader’s Digest November 2011 The Monkey King of Beijing Opera PDF

Posted in Asia, Culture, Reader's Digest | Comments Off

Plenty of true grit in the city of sandbags

Sunday, November 6th, 2011

Guardian, October 27: Bangkok is a city of sandbags where instant noodles are like gold dust and bottled water like vintage wine. Amid the panic-induced bare shelves there is bewilderment in the air: what exactly is going to happen to Thailand’s capital?
All along downtown Asoke Road, locals have been fortifying their shopfronts, some opting to [...]

Posted in Guardian, Natural disasters, Thailand | Comments Off

On Yer Bike Bangkok

Friday, September 16th, 2011

Tiger Tales September-October 2011 On Yer Bike Bangkok PDF

Posted in Lifestyle, Thailand, Tiger Tales | Comments Off

TIMOR-LESTE: Working to Tackle Unemployment

Wednesday, August 24th, 2011

DILI – Tackling unemployment has been one of the main stumbling blocks in the statebuilding process in Timor-Leste, a half-island nation of about 1.1 million people.
Nowhere is the first Millennium Development Goal (MDG) target of achieving decent employment for men, women and young people more crucial than for a young, post-conflict nation like Timor-Leste, [...]

Posted in Employment, IPS, Timor-Leste | Comments Off

The price of volunteering in Thailand

Wednesday, August 24th, 2011

What are the differences between paid and unpaid programs? Volunteers and organizers weigh in
Mahatma Gandhi once said, “The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others.” It’s perhaps with that thought in mind that thousands of travelers arrive in Thailand every year to volunteer.
But it can be difficult [...]

Posted in CNNGo, Lifestyle, Thailand | Comments Off

Timor-Leste and a Lethargic New Generation

Thursday, July 14th, 2011

The Irrawaddy
By MATT CROOK
JULY 14, 2011
DILI—It was a humid night and I wandered home in the dark, cursing the government of Timor-Leste for yet another power cut in Dili, the country’s tiny capital. I was lumbering up the road to my house, illuminating my path with my mobile to avoid the crater-like potholes, when I [...]

Posted in The Irrawaddy, Timor-Leste, Youth | Comments Off

10 easy ways to look like a tourist in Bangkok

Friday, July 8th, 2011

So you wanna go to Bangkok, but you’re worried about not fitting in with the other tourists?
Those fears are understandable. The choices are overwhelming: what not to wear, how to dress without looking like a chump, where to party until the sun comes up.
Luckily we’re here to help, so if you don’t want to stick [...]

Posted in CNNGo, Thailand, Travel | Comments Off

TIMOR LESTE: Future Lies in the Young Nation’s Hands

Friday, July 8th, 2011

DILI – Timor-Leste is a young nation in every sense. Nine years after achieving formal independence in 2002, ending 24 years of savage occupation by the Indonesian army, half of its population of 1.1 million is under the age of 18. Many of its children lost friends and relatives during the Indonesian era and its [...]

Posted in IPS, Timor-Leste, Youth | Comments Off

About me

I work for Plan in Bangkok. I was a freelance journalist based in Southeast Asia (mostly Timor-Leste). I recently did my MA at SOAS. You can read my stories here on this website. Find out more about me here or contact me