Showing 1 - 10 of 17
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.
Rebirth in exile
Life, Thana Boonlert, Published on 30/06/2025
» On a poster, Phnom Penh glows dimly from afar. Flickering on the other side of the Mekong River, rows of buildings dissolve, blending with water and sky in the blue hour of twilight. This photo and a whisper are an invitation to stargaze the city glimmering in the distance.
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 forgotten heritage
Life, Thana Boonlert, Published on 03/08/2023
» To the layman, Paniat is unheard of. It is an ancient town that lies in the eastern province of Chanthaburi. It sits at the foot of Khao Sa Bap, a square settlement that was once guarded by walls but levelled out, buried and forgotten to make way for an orchard village. However, the site retains remnants of Khmer culture that highlight the dynamic interaction between Siam and its neighbours.
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.
Tales of queer migration
Life, Thana Boonlert, Published on 19/06/2023
» There is a border that defines the contour of his identity. Only by crossing it can Jaokhun Promchana be the man he wants to be. After moving to the US, he studied a new language and toiled in the kitchen. Holding a dream close to his heart, he went the extra mile to join the US Navy and police. Currently, he is running a restaurant with his wife. From the outside, he looks no different from other men, but in his expired documents, a name and its title are a reminder of the former self that he already shed.
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.
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.
Remnant of the past
Life, Thana Boonlert, Published on 06/09/2022
» Satun was once submerged in the southern hemisphere until the movement of tectonic plates pushed the terrain up. Covering an area of 2,600km² in four districts, its geopark is home to the region's most ancient marine fossils such as nautiloids dating back to the palaeozoic era (between 500-250 million years ago).