Showing 1 - 10 of 15
Will we learn from the pandemic?
Life, Melalin Mahavongtrakul, Published on 04/05/2020
» I don't think any of us could have anticipated that we would be where we are now. A year ago, or even months ago, nobody would have thought it possible for a modern society like ours to be hit by a pandemic on a level that seemed to exist only in the long-gone past and in movies. Panic buying. Toilet paper hoarding. Convenience stores no longer open 24/7. People ordering hair clippers online to cut their own hair. Face masks becoming a necessary entry pass for most public venues. They're now normal. A new normal, so to speak. Life has surely changed a lot.
Humanity vs nature
Life, Melalin Mahavongtrakul, Published on 16/12/2019
» 'Let's go to Khao Yai," a friend recently suggested via text. Along with her invitation, she attached a picture of a woman sitting amid beautiful flowers, clouded with faded hipster filter. It was an online review saying a blossoming garden in a Khao Yai resort was now open to all visitors for free. The sight of the gorgeous winter flowers drew me in. I said yes.
The eyes can lie
Life, Melalin Mahavongtrakul, Published on 05/08/2019
» Thai people are considerably kind. We like making merit to help unfortunate souls. And especially in an era when everyone can easily connect through social media, the ways of merit-making have changed and expanded even further. From previously making physical donations at temples and charities, people now reach out to help individuals -- many times a stranger -- they see online. Pictures of sick dogs, cats, humans, or even a call for blood donations appear on our Facebook feeds often on a weekly basis. The plea for help -- coupled with touching stories and photos -- always tugs at our heartstrings. And it doesn't take long for many of us to lend a helping hand, mostly through making a swift donation to help with the cause.
Open letter on inclusivity
Life, Melalin Mahavongtrakul, Published on 11/03/2019
» How would you like your ice cream? Do you like it with cherry on top? Or whipped cream?
Teach your children well
Life, Melalin Mahavongtrakul, Published on 15/10/2018
» What would you do if you find out your children were hurting others? Or kicking the helpless? Or pulling hair? And the victim was crying while your children were laughing?
Focus, everybody
Life, Melalin Mahavongtrakul, Published on 30/07/2018
» Every day is a new day. And every new day brings new drama, scandal and gossip to this controversy-addicted nation.
Waiting for justice
Oped, Melalin Mahavongtrakul, Published on 12/02/2018
» Making headlines this month is yet another scandal about the rich and powerful with their hands caught in a cookie jar. No, this is not the 26th watch — or would that be the 100th? — in Deputy PM Prawit Wongsuwon’s I-borrow-them-from-my-dead-friends saga. Nor is it the 300 million-baht loan to ex-police chief Somyot Poompunmuang. This time, a man has been caught with his fingerprints on a rifle, sitting in a forest next to protected wildlife carcasses.
Sexual harassment of men
Life, Melalin Mahavongtrakul, Published on 14/08/2017
» It's not often we associate a singing concert with sexual harassment, but that certainly happened with Workpoint's popular show <i>The Mask Singer Season 2</i> last Thursday.
Let love carry us
Life, Melalin Mahavongtrakul, Published on 24/10/2016
» It's almost impossible to fathom that Thai people have been living without King Rama IX for 11 days. Spending days and nights praying is now the norm for many. A difficult time, indeed. But life goes on, even when we wish it could revert and bring back the one we've lost.
Conforming to outrageous type
Life, Melalin Mahavongtrakul, Published on 18/01/2016
» Queer men are fun. I think that's the general consensus many can agree on, no matter how stereotypical that claim may sound. Look at the rainbow glam, the pride marches and the fancy parades. They are often the stars of the party. They dance with passion. They bring a big, entertaining laugh to TV shows. That's how queer men are often portrayed, very stereotypically so by the Thai media.