Showing 1 - 10 of 20
Straddling two worlds
Life, Thana Boonlert, Published on 11/12/2025
» When I visited Istanbul for the first time, I learned a joke from Gocke, my local guide, who goes to work by undersea train every day. "But you can't see anything," she laughed. For her, it takes only four minutes to cross from Asia to Europe, under the Bosphorus Strait that divides the ancient city.
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.
Rising rents threaten the vibrant street food scene of the once-booming Banthat Thong Road
Life, Thana Boonlert, Published on 09/06/2025
» As night fell, neon signs gradually lit up Instagrammable restaurants and cafes. Despite pouring rain, tourists were taking photos of a dessert shop's logo of a boy holding a bun at an iconic intersection. Some eateries were teeming with customers, with a long queue of them spilling onto the sidewalk. Some, less popular, saw staff sitting idle. Others put up advertisement for lease.
The power of boycotts
Thana Boonlert, Published on 24/07/2023
» Soon after Move Forward Party (MFP) leader Pita Limjaroenrat failed to gather enough support for the premiership, some voters launched retaliatory campaigns with the hashtag #senatorbusiness to boycott business networks of handpicked junta senators who rejected him or abstained. Senators then took legal action against those who they believe harass them and their families. Voters are not only cutting off social relations but also punishing senators for committing crimes against democracy.
Curtains for Chinese opera?
Life, Thana Boonlert, Published on 27/02/2023
» "Hurry up," shouted a crew member who climbed up onto a makeshift stage. Casting sidelong glances, performers, half-clad, looked in the mirror and concentrated on applying layers of make-up. Nearby, a motley bunch of musicians and technicians double-checked their instruments. A stream of chatter from a growing audience -- without any partition between the theatre and real life -- put unintended pressure on the band.
Democracy gets graphic novel treatment in 2475
Life, Thana Boonlert, Published on 06/07/2022
» After two years of researching and brainstorming ideas, creators are crowdfunding a historical fiction project to convey the spirit of change in the 1932 Siamese Revolution.
Food as rebellion
Life, Thana Boonlert, Published on 05/07/2022
» 'Eating food is our right. If our tongues aren't made of free will, it will be difficult to establish democracy. If we aren't allowed to eat our favourite food, how can we have desired politics?" said Asst Prof Chatichai Muksong, lecturer in history at Srinakharinwirot University, who has studied the topic of food for over two decades.
A hundred baht and a dream
Life, Thana Boonlert, Published on 14/06/2022
» Before a lucky draw this week, a middle-aged woman stared intently at a stall in front of Bangkok's shopping mall. She prayed and plucked three lottery tickets, 100 baht each, out of endless possibilities. "I hope you will win the prize," Sudta Tamnudee, a vendor, told her first customer.
Gig workers need unions to secure living
Oped, Thana Boonlert, Published on 06/05/2022
» On May Day last week, hundreds of demonstrators marched from Ratchaprasong intersection to the Bangkok Arts and Culture Centre (BACC) to push for improvements to labour rights. People from all walks of life took part in the rally, held by the Workers' Union. Among them were delivery riders with their precarious employment status.
Hom is where the heart is
Life, Thana Boonlert, Published on 10/01/2022
» In Nakhon Phanom, rice fields in yellow-gold are gone with the wind. Late in the year, farmers expect to reap the fruits of their labours only to be broken by substantial loss. Harsh winds damage some rice crops, resulting in everything from bills to unpaid tuition fees. Year in, year out, nothing changes.