Showing 1 - 10 of 10
Getting soft power right
Life, Published on 08/01/2024
» After three months in office, the Srettha Thavisin government has raved on about populist policies in the guise of digital wallets and soft power projects that will create income to boost our declining economy. With optimism, we learned that Paetongtarn Shinawatra, Pheu Thai party leader and head of the National Soft Power Strategy Committee (NSPSC), has drafted a budget of 5.1 billion baht to boost festivals and creative industries. It is welcoming news to hear this government is priortising art, music, literature, design, fashion, film, food, games, sports and festivals as essential sources for the creative economy. Where this enormous chunk of budget will come from, like digital wallets, remains to be seen.
Off the wall
Guru, Worada Elstow, Published on 11/03/2022
» Art is a massive part of culture; it is intertwined with most things in life. Despite the ongoing pandemic, Bangkok's art scene is making a comeback in full force with many thought-provoking shows that tell us that art is not merely aesthetical. Guru presents gallerists who present art with a mission.
Covid versus the city
Guru, Pornchai Sereemongkonpol, Published on 12/06/2020
» Kanyanat "Pop" Pornchanthong is the editor at Trawell Thailand (fb.com/Trawellthailand), a social enterprise that aims to encourage people to play an active role in the development of their communities through online content, workshops, events and projects.
Uncle Boonmee at 10
Life, Kong Rithdee, Published on 22/05/2020
» Rumour had spread early that morning that the Thai film would win big that night. How big? We daren't dream. The runner-up prize maybe? The Cannes grapevine, in those embryonic days of Facebook and Twitter, was fairly dependable but not downright on the money. It gives you the shape but never the details. The Thai film "will definitely win something", said one of my supposedly well-connected friends, accompanied by a speculative wink.
Movies for All
Guru, Pornchai Sereemongkonpol, Published on 14/02/2020
» Chatchai Aphibanpoonpon, founder of Klong Dinsor, is the man behind Pannana, an app that helps blind people enjoy movies through audio description. The 35-year-old Thammasat alumnus talks about his mission to better the lives of people with disabilities through several projects.
Rebel with a Closet
Guru, Pornchai Sereemongkonpol, Published on 24/03/2017
» Have you ever wondered what Sumati Sivasiamphai, our former illustrious editor, has been up to? It may seem like she's been keeping a low profile but it turns out she has been juggling several exciting projects. The Emory University graduate has been writing her own fashion blog that has a Thai-Indian POV, called Rebel with a Closet (rebelwithacloset.com, fb.com/rebelwithacloset, IG: @rebelwithacloset), enjoying marital bliss, launching an online jewellery business called Marry Me Diamonds (marrymediamonds.com, fb.com/marrymediamonds, IG: @marrymediamonds) and preparing herself for motherhood. Woah, that's a lot. We decided to catch up with Sumati and had a chat about style, selling bling online and proposing tips.
Dog days have just begun
B Magazine, Chaiyot Yongcharoenchai, Published on 13/11/2016
» Since being attacked at a young age, Praew, 15, has always been afraid of dogs -- no matter how adorable they are. A child with special needs, she would always associate them with that early bad memory and scream whenever they came near.
Cinema scope
Life, Published on 12/07/2016
» Decades have passed since the residents of Bang Rak have been able to count a proper cinema in their vicinity. The tight-knit neighbourhood -- sited near the river and the financial downtown of Silom -- is known for its kaleidoscopic mix of architecture, mom-and-pop businesses and narrow streets, and the district was once home to several stand-alone cinemas all within walking distance of each other. Over the years, those cinemas went out of business as Bangkok expanded to the north and east, and disinvestment gradually drained the old-fashioned district of some vitality.
Delusion and denim dreams
Life, Apipar Norapoompipat, Published on 08/04/2016
» It was an almost overwhelming experience of sights and sounds on Sunday as the Bangkok CityCity Gallery played host to Korakrit Arunanondchai's crazy, conceptual world of burnt denim, nightmare-inducing mannequins, and a giant cyber-jungle monster. A collection by the New York-based multimedia artist comprising denim paintings, abstract body paint and a floor-to-ceiling installation of entangled foliage, drones, wires, electronics and mannequins engendered a mixture of awe, appreciation and confusion in equal measure.
The sage of Assumption
Life, Anchalee Kongrut, Published on 10/07/2015
» Were you a student from a strict school with a fearful headmaster, whose mere voice made you tremble? If yes, F. Hilaire promises to take you down memory lane.