Showing 1 - 9 of 9
No sex please, we're Thai
Spectrum, Chaiyot Yongcharoenchai, Published on 26/02/2017
» It started off as nothing more than a small fishing village on the Gulf of Thailand. Its long sweeping bay was dotted with a few boats and shacks where the villagers lived. Then a group of 500 American soldiers stationed at a military base in Nakhon Ratchasima were driven to Pattaya on June 29, 1959, for a week of rest and relaxation (R&R). They rented several houses at the southern end of the beach from a prominent local, Luang Sunthorn, thus opening a Pandora's box for this sleepy fishing village.
US envoy says LGBT rights fight won't stop after Orlando tragedy
News, Chaiyot Yongcharoenchai, Published on 19/06/2016
» June was supposed to be a month of celebration for the LGBT community in the United States -- not only is it LGBT Pride Month, but it also marks a year since the Supreme Court ruled to recognise same-sex marriage.
Child sex case dropped, but a life still left in ruins
Spectrum, Chaiyot Yongcharoenchai, Published on 11/10/2015
» On June 8 last year, the life that American engineer Christopher Lee Hobbs had been building for himself and his family came tumbling down. The 56-year-old was arrested in Pattaya on six counts of molesting two underage boys — a Thai and a Cambodian — and faced the prospect of 42 years in prison.
Students play game of follow the leader
Spectrum, Chaiyot Yongcharoenchai, Published on 19/07/2015
» At Ramkhamhaeng University, the path from student activism to national politics is a well- trodden one. But for some students now enrolled at the open university, there is no irony in supporting the military government and having the chance of one day participating in parliamentary politics themselves.
Summer dreams dashed in divisive beach clean-up
Spectrum, Chaiyot Yongcharoenchai, Published on 19/04/2015
» For many Westerners who visit Thailand, the ideal tropical holiday means lounging on a sunbed on the beach, having a massage while the cool ocean breeze sweeps through, and ordering food and drinks from vendors who ply their wares along the sandy coast.
The fight tearing the country in two
Spectrum, Chaiyot Yongcharoenchai, Published on 09/02/2014
» Since the crackdown on the red shirts at Bangkok's Ratchaprasong intersection almost four years go, the once-cheerful Lung Gong has become a jittery man, jumping at the sound of a car backfiring or a firecracker being let off.
Support bleeds away from the heartland
Spectrum, Chaiyot Yongcharoenchai, Published on 19/01/2014
» In the middle of nowhere _ near a pond surrounded by jungle and bamboo _ four men in a distant corner of Udon Thani gather every evening after working in the fields.
Harbour for Rohingya or stop on way to hell?
Spectrum, Chaiyot Yongcharoenchai, Published on 24/03/2013
» For thousands of Rohingya fleeing Myanmar's troubled Rakhine state, the sleepy fishing village of Ban Hin Lat is the first port of call on their difficult quest to find better lives.
Ladyboys lost in legal system
Spectrum, Chaiyot Yongcharoenchai, Published on 03/02/2013
» 'I am writing to let you know that I am doing great. Even though 10 years sounds like a long time ... I am enjoying every moment of my time here."