Editors Note
Some weeks this column almost seems to write itself. When all the stars are lined up just right and the entrails are all in order, these 400-or-so words seem to just flow from my tiny, pea-sized brain right to my frantically typing fingers. That doesn’t mean what comes out is necessarily good — it just means it’s quick.

Letter of the week : NEW YEAR’S FUN
Songkran starts on April 13 every year. It’s the traditional Thai New Year. Early in the morning, people make merit at the temple. Thai people pour water in tribute to their elders in the hope that the water will wash away bad luck.