Showing 1 - 10 of 14
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.
Thai women still left holding the baby
Life, Thana Boonlert, Published on 18/03/2025
» If you buy abortion pills a day after 12 weeks of pregnancy, you have committed a crime.
Giving evidence
Life, Thana Boonlert, Published on 20/03/2023
» Under authoritarian rule, truths are silenced, censored and mutilated. Yet, many people find ways to tell their stories. It is an irony, though, that a repressive regime is a precondition of creative resistance.
Regulate in moderation
Life, Thana Boonlert, Published on 14/03/2022
» 'Section 32 has been very painful to me," said Wichian Inkraidee, an owner of Kacha Kacha, a Japanese restaurant. He was blacklisted and faced a hefty fine for breaking the draconian alcohol law. In the last hour of 2014, an inspector on patrol found an image of a glass of beer on the menu, which was claimed to promote drinking.
Paying a heavy price
Life, Thana Boonlert, Published on 25/10/2021
» Smokers are now paying higher prices for their nicotine cravings after retailers and convenience stores made adjustments last week after the introduction of a controversial new excise tax structure earlier this month to curb smoking.
A cult of nothingness
Life, Thana Boonlert, Published on 06/09/2021
» Last week, coup-installed senators convened in the corridors of power. When one senator tabled a motion for the virtuous council, I felt like we had travelled back in time to the Second World War. In 1939, the government of Field Marshal Plaek Phibunsongkhram issued cultural mandates to strengthen Siam in the context of the global war.
State of confusion
Life, Thana Boonlert, Published on 09/06/2021
» The Mor Prom platform met its doom on the day of its launch. A large number of people flocked to register for the Covid-19 vaccination, causing the system to break down temporarily due to overwhelming demand. Bookings for people over 60 and patients with seven chronic diseases experienced a bumpy ride ahead of the mass vaccination starting earlier this week. While the application's name is translated as doctors are ready, people joked that doctors are actually not.
Defeating an earlier pandemic
Life, Thana Boonlert, Published on 07/06/2021
» In London, Sompol* can know his HIV status almost immediately. He registers on a website and fills out a questionnaire. Even illegal immigrants can avail themselves of this free service because it doesn't require ID and visa status checks. In two days, a white parcel of self-test kits arrives on his doorstep.
Fans Tuk Up tuk-tuk cause
Life, Thana Boonlert, Published on 05/05/2021
» The coronavirus outbreak has sounded the death knell for tuk-tuk drivers. No sooner after they had started recovering from the absence of foreign tourists, the third wave of the pandemic kicked in last month. Fortunately, local fandoms are throwing lifelines to them. When passengers are nowhere to be seen, drivers are going around with idol posters on their vehicles.
Controversy amid camaraderie
Life, Thana Boonlert, Published on 03/03/2021
» In less than a year after its launch, Clubhouse is challenging the social media paradigm. From those old days when people tuned in to popular television and radio shows, now they can be invited by existing Clubhouse users to join virtual rooms where they can hear people speaking and raise hands to enter the discussion.