Showing 1 - 10 of 28
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.
The infinite anomaly
Life, Thana Boonlert, Published on 26/12/2025
» Genki Kawamura returned this year with his second feature film Exit 8. His debut, A Hundred Flowers (2022), follows Yuriko, an ageing piano teacher, who unravels in the grip of dementia and her son, Izumi, who comes to term with losing her again. While Yuriko's mind is fading, her son's memories are vivid. In particular, her disappearance still haunts him.
Anime embraces Boys' Love, highlights queerphobia
Life, Thana Boonlert, Published on 04/10/2025
» A rural village in Kubitachi, Japan, is humming with the sound of summer. Cicadas sing in deafening chorus. Sweat drips in the sweltering heat. Against this backdrop, two young lads savour melting ice cream on carefree days.
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.
Giving a face to the forgotten
Life, Thana Boonlert, Published on 29/05/2023
» Inside, everything seems to be in order. Time goes according to schedule. You eat, work, play and sleep. Nothing strays from the course. There is no disorder, or if there is, it is kept under control. Here, you go by the book, not at anybody's whim. But you are not alone. There are thousands around you who stick together through thick and thin. What more could you ask for? While basic needs are met, you are not allowed to go outside until completion of your term.
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.
Opposition MFP doubles down on prohibition
News, Thana Boonlert, Published on 11/11/2022
» The Move Forward Party (MFP) petitioned the Ombudsman on Thursday to seek an injunction from the Administrative Court to suspend a ministerial announcement removing cannabis from the list of narcotic drugs, pending a more thorough law on cannabis control.
For a better future
Life, Thana Boonlert, Published on 01/11/2022
» After the Taliban takeover in Afghanistan, Hamida and Marsela are happy to be back in school in Thailand. Despite being far from home, they are not only taking interesting lessons but growing up in a safe environment with new friends and teachers.
Recalling Bangkok's dark side
Life, Thana Boonlert, Published on 16/06/2022
» Many places are veiled in darkness. Arguably, they were once -- or still -- a reminder of things that should be left unsaid. You may entertain the thought of them, but should not make them known. Who wants to hear of social evil and death? But these places can offer a deeper understanding of what our city is made of.
When marriage equality is an issue of freedom
Oped, Thana Boonlert, Published on 01/04/2022
» The cabinet early this week finally shot down a draft of the marriage equality bill that was proposed by the Move Forward Party (MFP). The doomed destiny of this progressive pro-gender equality draft bill is not surprising under the current ultra-conservative government.