Showing 51 - 60 of 168
Made in Thailand
Guru, Published on 05/07/2019
» To say that Thailand has been getting global recognition lately may be a bit of an understatement. After all, it's not a secret that it's a famous tourist destination with plenty of beautiful beaches and street food that's been topping lists for years now. Of course, these are only just a few things Thailand is well-known for but we don't really have the time to get into all of that (*cough* rigged election *cough*). However, people from the outside may have a narrow view of what Thailand and its culture really is, but fortunately, there are things that help put a spotlight on these things. The next instalment of the Fast and Furious franchise is filming right now in parts of Thailand, including Krabi where its governor stated that the film would be a "great advertisement for the nature, culture and history of the kingdom". Erm sure, that's what the Fast and Furious franchise is all about anyway. While the film will most likely be more about cars zoom-zooming and vroom-vrooming, there are a number of shows on TV that give a better focus on Thai culture. Here are a few.
Born again
Life, Suwitcha Chaiyong, Published on 26/06/2019
» Life in showbiz can be a roller-coaster ride. One day, you are one of the most in-demand singers. The next you could suddenly face a vague future. That's how two former members of the band Room 39 -- Olran Chujai and Chutimon Vitchitrisadee -- felt when their group of three disbanded earlier this year after Isara Kitnitchee, winner of the popular singing contest The Mask Singer Season One, decided to not renew a contract with their music label LoveIs.
Time to come clean
News, Postbag, Published on 15/06/2019
» Re: "Cops scrutinise MP's posts", (BP, June 11).
Leaning in to lead
Asia focus, Tanyatorn Tongwaranan, Published on 03/06/2019
» An extremely exuberant executive appears before me in a cream-coloured tweed jacket and neon-pink pants. She is petite but her upbeat and outspoken manner commands the spotlight instantly. A gleaming smile and frequent laughter mark a down-to-earth personality.
Campaign trail blues
Asia focus, Narendra Kaushik, Published on 13/05/2019
» Rajesh Agarwal recalls the 1980s with fond nostalgia. Whenever Indians went to the polls back then, business was brisk for the co-owner of Chhagan Lal & Sons, an international promotional merchandise company based in Jaipur.
Time for T
B Magazine, Suwitcha Chaiyong, Published on 28/04/2019
» Despite the language barrier, most Thai pop stars dream of being recognised on the international stage. Some have made inroads. Pop rock outfit Slot Machine released an album of English-language songs, which helped get them on the international music festival circuit. Thai-German pop idol Jannine "Ploychompoo" Weigel has built up a significant fan base online with the help of a number of songs in English; she currently has more than 3.3 million followers on YouTube. Thanwa "The Toys" Boonsoongnern caught the eye of Korean fans with his performance at the 2018 Mnet Asian Music Awards in South Korea. Last month, the 23-year-old was back in Seoul for a fan meeting.
J-pop gone rogue
B Magazine, Chanun Poomsawai, Published on 07/04/2019
» Anyone who's been to Japan (or spent a decent amount of time on the internet) would have probably come across T-shirts with puzzling or badly translated English. Perusing CHAI's pastel-hued website gives you a similar experience except that everything actually makes sense -- "We Are New Exciting Onna (female) Band From Japan! NEO KAWAII ! COMPLEX IS ART!," its meta description announces. A click and a quick scroll down also give you an overview on the group's "NEO KAWAII" ethos, which essentially goes against any notions of the classic kawaii ("You don't need to have big eyes or have skinny legs to be KAWAII! There should be many more types of KAWAII, and everyone is KAWAII in her own way … Our insecurities make us who we are. The insecurities become art. KAWAII is a never-ending journey!").
From humble beginnings to app pioneer
Business, Sasiwimon Boonruang, Published on 17/11/2018
» Jin-woo Lee, an employee of South Korean search giant Naver Corp, the parent company of Line, was the first person to bring Line messaging to Thailand seven years ago, before the 3G network was even launched in the country. He had come a long way.
Will these change the way we read?
Life, Published on 02/11/2018
» 'A book is proof that humans are capable of working magic," cosmologist Carl Sagan once said. "It's a flat object made from a tree with flexible parts on which are imprinted lots of funny dark squiggles. But one glance at it and you're inside the mind of another person, maybe somebody dead for thousands of years."