Showing 1 - 10 of 122
Heritage on trial
Life, Thana Boonlert, Published on 14/01/2026
» For some, the Chao Mae Thapthim Shrine is a beacon of resistance against a larger force.
When students rise
Life, Thana Boonlert, Published on 28/10/2025
» Back in the mid-19th century, female education increased literacy and access to jobs and they began to fight for participation in public life. The public sphere promised them a new horizon. From the 1890s onwards, print media began to allow women to express their voice and authors vaunted personal talent and equality, including gender relations. Following the Siamese Revolution in 1932, women were enfranchised for the first time.
Reclaiming motherhood
Life, Thana Boonlert, Published on 19/08/2025
» A woman slowly grows into a mother over time. It is a full-time job that never ends until the lights go out. After nine months of pregnancy, she nurtures her child for years until adulthood. Her reward? It is said that the child is the apple of her eye. It is expected for a woman to sacrifice her body, career and everything for this role.
The fight for clean air
Life, Thana Boonlert, Published on 18/08/2025
» After a public hearing wrapped up recently, the Clean Air Bill is heading to a second reading in parliament next month. If passed into law, it will guarantee people's access to clean air.
Communication breakdown
Life, Thana Boonlert, Published on 29/07/2025
» Athipat Boonleang, a deaf gay rider, was on the way to deliver a parcel. Confused by the customer's location, she sent a text message to no avail. She contacted an online sign language interpretation service only to find that it is suspended.
Move Forward won't vote for Pheu Thai PM candidate
Thana Boonlert, Published on 21/08/2023
» The Move Forward Party (MFP) said it would vote against the prime ministerial candidate of the Pheu Thai Party because Pheu Thai was forming a government with military-linked parties.
Memes of dissent
Life, Thana Boonlert, Published on 14/08/2023
» It is not as whimsical as it seems. After the onset of the largest pro-democracy movement since the military coup in 2014, university and high school students cuddled hamster dolls and ran around in circles. "Delicious tax!", hundreds of them sang, from a cartoon jingle at Democracy Monument in late July 2020. Crowdsourced from a social media platform, Hamtaro, a shorthand for caged mice demanding freedom, spawned many internet memes, including a greedy caricature of junta leader Gen Prayut Chan-o-cha.
The power of boycotts
Thana Boonlert, Published on 24/07/2023
» Soon after Move Forward Party (MFP) leader Pita Limjaroenrat failed to gather enough support for the premiership, some voters launched retaliatory campaigns with the hashtag #senatorbusiness to boycott business networks of handpicked junta senators who rejected him or abstained. Senators then took legal action against those who they believe harass them and their families. Voters are not only cutting off social relations but also punishing senators for committing crimes against democracy.
A vanishing heritage
Life, Thana Boonlert, Published on 10/07/2023
» If it were not for a handful of visitors, the Chao Mae Thap Thim Shrine would completely vanish. Flanked by metal sheet fences, a narrow alley leads to the remnants of age-old communities. An entrance is adorned with red lanterns. A facade is painted with mythological figures. A roof is embellished with tile dolls. The smell of burning incense wafts through the open gate. Inside, deities are worshipped on an altar with a gilded frame.
The right to clean air
Life, Thana Boonlert, Published on 05/06/2023
» In 2009, Smog In The City envisioned a not-too-distant future for Chiang Mai. Set in 2019, Fah returns home to find her family and villagers suffering from air pollution. Following a critical level of toxic haze, the government orders a state of emergency and immediate evacuation. After her mother dies of smog-induced acute coronary syndrome, she rushes to take her family to an airport like other evacuees. While her father and brother deteriorate, a couple approaches her car for drinking water.