Careful consideration must be given to any plan for giving provinces a greater say over their schools. It stands to make or break Thailand’s education. The Thaksin Shinawatra administration, whose track record on this very crucial matter is anything but impressive, is set to make a highly important decision, whether or not to transfer responsibility for schools to local administrative organisations.

SIDELINES: How to rule with extreme prejudice

No matter how critics regard Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra’s bottomless arrogance, there is one aspect of his style that is worthy of admiration: his candid statements generally reflect what he actually feels. His latest political harangue, made to please the rural folks in Nakhon Sawan several days ago, might be shocking to those who are not yet familiar with his shoot-from-the-hip-and-hit-the-foot style, in which he is inevitably the only casualty.

Poland sees the merits of globalisation

Nothing concentrates the minds of Poles like descriptions and recollections from their long national history, which is full of both glory and sorrow. The people of Poland possess a deeply felt sense of national identity and cultural heritage that traces back more than 1,000 years. Throughout the country’s long history, periods of independence and prosperity were punctuated by periods of foreign rule and epic disaster. That, combined with enduring traditional Christian values, forged a rare combination of stoical resilience and indomitable spirit that has sustained Poland in the face of adversity.

WATCHDOG: Seiko wants to create another ‘Lexus’ phenomenon

I recently visited the Seiko/Epson Group’s watch factories in Japan. A strong impression I came away with is that the Japanese are working really hard to improve the image of their long-established brands in the highly lucrative international market for luxury watches. The annual market for luxury timepieces or products aimed at watch aficionados is worth an estimated US$600 million (Bt24.5 billion) in the US alone. It is currently dominated by status-symbol names like Rolex, which accounts for a 39-per-cent share, Omega (28 per cent) and Bretling (25 per cent), according to a recent readers’ survey conducted by a leading US luxury-watch magazine.

Making inroads

Running the city of Bangkok effectively on a daily basis is a daunting task for the Thai capital’s top managers, who say they have a tougher job than their counterparts in Singapore or Kuala Lumpur.

Weaving the fabric of life

Dutch artist Lea Dingjan-Laarakker is preparing to showcase a variety of hand-woven, hand-painted silk kites from Thursday in the boutique shopping area called Promenade Decor in the Nai Lert Park Hotel. The show is the culmination of an 18-year-long labour of love to revive silk weaving in Ban Reng Khai village in Surin province.