Showing 1 - 10 of 23
2023 ROUNDUP A vintage year for Thai cinema?
Life, Kong Rithdee, Published on 25/12/2023
» There were cheers of jubilation and gasps of disbelief as Thai cinema found itself awash with excitement in 2023. This has been the most successful year for mainstream Thai movies in a decade, a box-office triumph far exceeding all expectations. To many, the 2023 coup de theatre calls for celebration. "We are back!" cried optimistic pundits. But also: "Really? Is it just a one-time cinema party and can we keep the ball rolling?"
Writing wrong
Life, Arusa Pisuthipan, Published on 28/09/2020
» What's hot and what's not in the LGBTI communities in Asia and around the globe during the past month
Safeguarding a saga
Life, Chris Baker, Published on 04/02/2020
» Under the Khmer Rouge regime in the late 1970s, Cambodian arts were almost crushed out of existence. The Royal Ballet was famously revived in the 1980s, but Cambodia also had popular traditions of music, dance, drama and puppetry. In 1998, a group started to revive these. They located surviving artists to teach a new generation of children in villages, schools and temples.
Empowering the voiceless
Life, Melalin Mahavongtrakul, Published on 03/01/2020
» After the stage is set, the play soon begins, depicting the struggle and injustice faced by the oppressed protagonist. At the end of the performance, the same play begins again. However, audiences are no longer isolated. They are encouraged to say "stop" at any point in the show, get onstage and act in place of the actors, turning their role into that of the "spect-actors" to present their own solution to break out of the oppression.
No beauty shines brighter
Life, Melalin Mahavongtrakul, Published on 03/07/2019
» When Paweensuda "Fahsai" Drouin was announced Miss Universe Thailand 2019, the hall erupted in a thunderous cheer. Fans were jumping up and down, screaming and hugging one another. Some even had tears down their faces as they finally got to witness this beauty queen's eventual moment of success after having been rooting for her for a long time.
Rainbow Warrior brings clean energy campaign to Thailand
Life, Patcharawalai Sanyanusin, Published on 10/05/2018
» The Rainbow Warrior, Greenpeace's most iconic ship, is sailing to the Gulf of Thailand and will anchor near Songkhla's most popular beach, Samila Beach, for five days, from May 16-20. Many activities will be arranged to accentuate the mission of the ship's first visit to the Kingdom.
Political fights, human rights
Life, Achara Ashayagachat, Published on 26/09/2016
» It's not the cruellest scene from Oct 6, 1976, but cruelty was never in short supply that morning. What Somchai Homla-or experienced is just one of many unfortunate examples that remind descendants and survivors of how ugly mobilised nationalist mobs can turn modern Thai history into a bloodbath.
Love, unshackled
Life, Achara Ashayagachat, Published on 05/09/2016
» They're not a Romeo and Juliet couple. But despite the tragic turn of fate, their romance is somewhat the envy of several girls.
The shape-shifting form of protests
Life, Kaona Pongpipat, Published on 06/10/2015
» The streets remained empty and all was quiet when thousands of people gathered last Wednesday night to protest against the government's Single Gateway proposal. Protesters weren't, however, down at major landmarks like Asoke or Ratchaprasong intersections, but simply in front of their computer screens. By merely punching the refresh button, these protesters let their resentment known to the authorities by crashing at least six government sites, including the Ministry of Information and Communications Technology.
The Shrine's history: more than four faces
Life, Kong Rithdee, Published on 19/08/2015
» Unperturbed, the four-faced Brahma statue still stares out at the Ratchaprasong intersection, the scene of Bangkok's worst bomb attack in recent memory. One of the most popular tourist spots in the capital has become a site of terror and tragedy and as the dust begins to settle, it's worth taking a look at the long and sometimes tortuous history of the shrine. This history is influenced as much by the city's modernisation and superstition as it is by its politics and moments of insanity.