Showing 1 - 10 of 42
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.
Beyond limits
Life, Thana Boonlert, Published on 16/09/2025
» 'I'm delighted to inform you that you are the winner of our prestigious award!" read an email from the Chicago Athenaeum Museum.
A capitalist nightmare
Life, Thana Boonlert, Published on 25/07/2025
» Thump thump bump. Netflix's psychological thriller Wall To Wall envisions a dystopian contemporary South Korea. It is a cautionary tale of late-stage capitalist society fraught with economic volatility, mental breakdowns and class divide.
The price of progress
Life, Thana Boonlert, Published on 23/06/2025
» Ongoing construction at the former site of Scala is opposite a major predecessor. Opening in 1985 at the corner of Pathumwan Intersection, MBK Center is located on a plot of land leased to Mah Boon Krong Drying and Silo Co Ltd. It features a 20-storey office building and an eight-storey shopping mall.
A story told through art
Life, Thana Boonlert, Published on 28/05/2025
» As a bustling neighbourhood in Singapore's East Coast, Bedok Town Square has experienced a kaleidoscopic turn of events. No sooner had it hosted a polling station earlier this month than it conjured a transient art space, inviting everybody to find their place in an ever-shifting world at the Singapore International Festival of Arts (SIFA).
Protecting urban memory
Life, Thana Boonlert, Published on 29/04/2025
» Penprapa Ployseesuay did not know her husband's family had been the guardians of the Chao Mae Thapthim Shrine until they married in 1997. She quit her factory job in Nakhon Pathom and relocated to Bangkok to start a family. Despite the departure of her husband, she has been unwavering in her caretaking duties.
The fake bookshop
Life, Thana Boonlert, Published on 22/04/2025
» Almost every wall, corner and even the staircase of a century-old two-storey shophouse is covered in books. Nestled in the historic community of Tha Tien, a new bookshop just opened its door to visitors in need of escape from the daily grind. They can grab soul-searching books, wind down or start a deep conversation. It looks like a real bookshop, however, everything is fake.
A sustainable retreat
Life, Thana Boonlert, Published on 21/09/2023
» In the southwest of Phnom Penh lies the region's largest surviving rainforest. After landing, I met other travel companions to spend three nights together at a riverside camp. We were split into two vans and headed for Sihanoukville. Downtown shophouses and heavy traffic gave way to lush scenery. No sooner had the hustle faded into the distance than rice paddies, palm trees and mountains came into sight. Here, Cambodia's nature remains undisturbed. In more or less two hours, we arrived at the camp depot.
Tranquil beauty
Life, Thana Boonlert, Published on 14/09/2023
» A powerful earthquake that struck the northwest of Kathmandu in 2015 sent a ripple of destruction through the country. Not far from its epicentre, Bhaktapur bore the brunt of the natural disaster that damaged houses and religious structures. After years of reconstruction, despite lingering signs of ruin, this ancient town continues to preserve harmony between the old and the new.
Artists rally to save the Chao Mae Thap Thim Shrine
Life, Thana Boonlert, Published on 23/08/2023
» Hemmed in on all sides by construction, colourful paintings are nailed to the metal sheet fences of an age-old community. Inside, there is thoughtful mixed-media artwork, performances and memorabilia left behind in the wake of displacement. Artists are campaigning all-out for the protection of the Chao Mae Thap Thim Shrine ahead of a first court ruling that could result in demolition at the end of the month.