Showing 41 - 50 of 101
The golden land that lit the path to ancient empires
Spectrum, Paritta Wangkiat, Published on 09/04/2017
» A first look around reveals a landscape that is dry and sparsely vegetated, with few houses around. There is little evidence that visibly betrays the fact that where we're standing is on the remains of an ancient trade and culture centre in the upper Gulf of Thailand.
Between a rock and a hard place
Spectrum, Paritta Wangkiat, Published on 02/04/2017
» It's after midday on the peak of an inhabited island, and somewhere exists a gate to the distant past.
Mind your language
Spectrum, Paritta Wangkiat, Published on 12/03/2017
» An ensemble of traditional musicians begins to play. The treble sound of the oboe gets louder. Drum rolls accompany a steady rhythm of cymbals. A male singer croons in an unfamiliar dialect, "Oh, Ga Nobe Ting Tong ..."
Ericulture reeling them in
Spectrum, Paritta Wangkiat, Published on 19/02/2017
» 'They are not fully tamed," says entomologist Tipvadee Attathom, picking up an eri silkworm from the floor. "So they can be naughty sometimes." She puts it back in a tray filled with piles of castor leaves.
All the world's a stage
Spectrum, Paritta Wangkiat, Published on 04/12/2016
» In rehearsal, I'm given the role of a leading character in the play – a 30-something, Europe-educated lecturer caught up in the corruption of Thailand's higher education system. The rehearsal, run by the Makhampom Theatre Group, is less a practice to prepare for a performance than an experimental workshop -- a unique exercise in empathy and community.
Through a screen darkly
Spectrum, Paritta Wangkiat, Published on 13/11/2016
» In recent years, if you are Thai, you may have encountered an argument about which social class you belong to or how you define others -- probably as a nationalist, liberal, conservative, pro-military, royalist, red or yellow.
The Rural Doctor
Spectrum, Paritta Wangkiat, Published on 23/10/2016
» A photograph in an elegant frame, a welcoming card with a shining golden rim, an exquisite outfit -- the presents for newborn babies can be very exciting. But if a baby is born in Ubolratana Hospital in Khon Kaen, the gifts will be something different. Parents may be given trees or plants from hospital director Apisit Thamrongwaranggoon.
The Conservationist
Spectrum, Paritta Wangkiat, Published on 23/10/2016
» 'I may have started my new life at a later age," says well-known conservationist Kul Punyawong, 55, "but it's not too late."
Fish out of water
Spectrum, Paritta Wangkiat, Published on 16/10/2016
» A rarely sighted creature -- the giant freshwater stingray -- was lying still on the bottom of the big blue tank.
Changing their stripes
Spectrum, Paritta Wangkiat, Published on 02/10/2016
» In the corner of a hall at the Bangkok Art and Culture Centre, performance artist and writer Jittima Pholsawek invites five audience members to join her for a meal during her evening show.