The Faster Lane
from Tyler Brûlé
Ten reasons why a Bangkok base is hard to resist
Are you someone who spends a lot of time doing the north-south Asia circuit (mostly for work, occasionally for pleasure), has never lived in the region but always finds themselves playing the “but if…
Latest
From a summit in Bahrain to a soirée in Shanghai, join Monocle’s next story
As we’re already halfway through Q1, it’s perhaps a good moment to take stock, pull out the diary and do a bit of forward planning and general housekeeping. While the Monocle crew can spontaneously…
How majlis, moxie and global talent are shaping the modern UAE
If you tune in to Monocle Radio, follow our weekday newsletters or were on the rooftop of Iliāna at Jumeirah Marsa Al Arab on Wednesday, you will know that Monocle was very much in…
Planes, trains and brogues: a week on the move
The Faster Lane was in top gear this week as it moved westward from last Saturday, zipped eastward again on Thursday, went high-altitude on Friday and made a dash to the Gulf at about…
Mark Carney drops by the table to put manners back on the menu
It’s Wednesday afternoon at Monocle’s HQ in Zürich and our café is in full swing with the usual mix of matcha mums, family office custodians, neighbours and subscribers. It’s sunny and just a little…
Snow outside, champagne inside and my belated trip to Tokyo
1. I spoke too soon. It was all going beautifully last Saturday afternoon as Swiss flight LX160 to Tokyo Narita prepared to push back from the gate. If you caught last week’s column, I…
A custom Tokyo tour for Mom
It’s Saturday midday in Zürich and it’s snowy, blustery and comfortably cosy. My mother and I just boarded the Swiss LX 160 to Tokyo Narita, mom is across the aisle and I’m looking forward…
Europe wants security but only during office hours
Happy New Year, dear reader. Is your tail bushy? Are your favourite new garments from Santa laid out for work tomorrow? Are you prepped and ready to roll? All set to lead from the…
What the shop floor reveals about your business – and where to take it next
There’s nothing like spending a bit of time on the shop floor to get a firmer grip on the finer details of running a business. I could argue that I’m ‘out on the floor’…
Improvising a Christmas playlist is tricky enough without AI butting in
The Christmas drive up to the mountains has its traditions, rules and tunes. The original plan called for everything to be shipped up in advance on the train, while our journey would involve the…
While Christmas begins to hum from on high, 2026 is already quietly glowing
For the past 25 years or so, Christmas has usually been an Alpine affair. There have been dashes down to Palm Beach north of Sydney, one Christmas in Toronto and a few years back…
