Showing 1 - 10 of 15
An iconic Christmas
Life, Thana Boonlert, Published on 04/12/2025
» It was around 8.30pm on Thursday when I braved the cold to catch a spectacular display at Selfridges London. Hovering above the Queen of Time, Tinker Bell sprinkled an over-100m trail of pixie dust that traversed across the purple-and-blue facade, with a magical tune from Cinderella. It culminated with the 11m-tall Disney Castle, the largest installation to feature on the store for over half a century, in the corner.
Bringing books back to life
Life, Thana Boonlert, Published on 06/09/2025
» Ketsarin Pramuanpat admits 150 patients every month to her clinic. Her day is more or less the same. She checks their health and treats injuries, whether minor or serious. But these patients are not humans -- they are books.
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.
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.
Check out these documentaries of disaster
Life, Thana Boonlert, Published on 28/03/2023
» Following the disappearance of a caesium-137 tube, the discovery of radiated red dust in a metal foundry in Prachin Buri has sparked fear of contamination of radioactive substances in the environment. I've picked some documentaries and films that portray the man-made impact of radiation on communities.
An oasis of sakura
Life, Thana Boonlert, Published on 02/03/2023
» The van took such a steep, winding road that I felt nauseous and closed my eyes from the lush view of the Phu Hin Rong Kla National Park out the window. After an indefinite period of time, I breathed a sigh of relief upon arrival at a village. I did not expect that my first trip to Phitsanulok would take me to such new heights.
Homage to nature
Life, Thana Boonlert, Published on 03/02/2023
» A mechanical watch is not just a timepiece, but a reminder of the unfinished mission of Seub Nakhasathien, who laid down his life for conservation in 1990. At the helm of Huai Kha Khaeng Wildlife Sanctuary in Uthai Thani, he suffered numerous setbacks from deforestation and poaching to poverty. And after eight months of stewardship, he cleared his decks, made a will and shot himself in his quarters out of frustration in a bid to raise public awareness of environmental protection.
Equality still a dream
Life, Thana Boonlert, Published on 09/01/2023
» In the lead-up to its second reading, the civil partnership draft bill marks a decade since its inception, dating back to a gay couple who were denied legal recognition in 2012 because the law limits marriage to a man and a woman. Given the conservatism of earlier decades, civil partnership was "the first brick" at a time when marriage equality was almost inconceivable. However, history is often ignored. Despite its long journey in conjunction with the new bill, the uphill push for marriage rights will remain an unfinished business under the current government.
Buzzing with creativity
Life, Thana Boonlert, Published on 13/12/2022
» The eighth edition of Chiang Mai Design Week, a nine-day cultural festival that wrapped up last week, was a manifesto of the melting pot that is this northern province. At an out-of-use warehouse in Chang Moi, a group of local artists who took part in a homecoming project exhibited objects from their neighbourhoods in the style of Renaissance curiosity. Here, Achariyar Rojanapirom and Ratthee Phaisanchotsiri curated personal items from their cupboard, including a bowl of stir-fried salted chilli from a nam ngiao shop in the old town, to show how they remain contemporary.
Bangkok urged to go green
Life, Thana Boonlert, Published on 17/12/2021
» Surrounded by high-rises, large trees offer shade to urban residents, protecting them from all kinds of pollution. Nevertheless, the expansion of green space in Bangkok remains a tough nut to crack now that vacant land is harder to come by. But an environmental expert believes building pocket parks around corners and turns can help increase green cover and make the city more sustainable.