Showing 1 - 8 of 8
Eyes wide open
Life, Kong Rithdee, Published on 08/05/2020
» The literature about modern Thai politics is not abundant, and by this I mean a narrative that grounds its characters in the double-whammy of coup d'etat and street protest that characterised the mid-2000s to mid-2010s. The period, plus a few years earlier when Thaksin Shinawatra rose to power, contains some of the most convulsive and era-defining moments that continue to shape the visible and invisible dimensions of Thai society in the present time, and it's astonishing that not more writers find it a rich wellspring of artistic expression (on the contrary, visual artists and theatre artists seem more responsive to the political currents of the same period).
In tune with the times
B Magazine, Apipar Norapoompipat, Published on 08/07/2018
» For over 30 years, Pongsit Kampee has been telling stories about people, their struggles, grievances, and of love lost. To say that he is Thailand's Bob Dylan may be a bit of an overstatement, but he's one of the few we have who may merit that comparison.
The art of poking fun
Guru, Pornchai Sereemongkonpol, Published on 01/06/2018
» Tanawat "Pop" Prakammanu, 26, works as a graphic designer at an advertising agency in Bangkok and runs his Facebook page Prakammanu (fb.com/Prakammanu), where he showcases his drawings in his spare time. He went viral after publishing an action-filled Avengers-inspired comic with a cast full of figures in Thai politics from PM Prayut Chan-o-cha to student activist Netiwit Chotiphatphaisal. Pop poked fun at them with sharp humour (even though he insists he's a casual observer) and witty dialogues. His latest effort has been shared more than 100,000 times. His page isn't the first to poke fun at Thai politics but we think it's definitely worth checking out especially if you want to see Uncle Tu having a fist-fight with Thaksin Shinawatra. We talked to Pop about his serious art of poking fun but at, his request, no serious political comment.
A political roast
Guru, Jarupat Buranastidporn, Published on 14/10/2016
» The last few months left of the year usually welcome numerous dinner parties and gatherings with friends and colleagues. That is, if you're not stuck at the office finishing off all that work that's accumulated and sadly won't magically disappear. Head to another party and maybe it'll all blow over?
Pages of GLT history
Life, Melalin Mahavongtrakul, Published on 21/03/2016
» One by one, vintage magazines that were kept inside ziplock bags were slowly pulled out from within a steel cupboard. The yellowed pages of the publication and the outdated fashion apparel of the half-naked cover boy spoke for the period it was published.
An amazing guidebook
Life, Bernard Trink, Published on 30/03/2015
» Go to any bookshop here and you will find a shelf full of guides to Thailand, many penned by farangs, several with lovely scenic photos. They cover much the same ground. The Thai people are nice in every respect, yet they have quaint practices you are expected to heed. But what can you expect? It's a foreign land, a third-world country, that needs catching up. Give it another century or so.
Documenting the eye of the storm
Life, Achara Ashayagachat, Published on 21/01/2015
» When 46-year-old Nikolaus Freiherr von Nostitz, better known as Nick, sent emails to his contacts on Dec 20 seeking financial help, some thought it was a scam. Soliciting donations is uncharacteristic of the outspoken but humble Nostitz. For years, people could see that the German was a modest guy who roamed around Bangkok on his decade-old Kawasaki GTO motorcycle to cover the turbulent transformation of Thai politics, from both sides (or more) of the conflict.
Smiling in plain view
Life, Achara Ashayagachat, Published on 08/10/2014
» It's very rare for him not to smile. He smiles when he speaks. In fact, he even smiled when he was hauled into a police truck on the night the military announced Thailand's 19th coup. He also smiled — as some photographs showed — when he was subsequently brought back twice to a military camp.