Showing 1 - 10 of 45
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.
When students rise
Life, Thana Boonlert, Published on 28/10/2025
» Back in the mid-19th century, female education increased literacy and access to jobs and they began to fight for participation in public life. The public sphere promised them a new horizon. From the 1890s onwards, print media began to allow women to express their voice and authors vaunted personal talent and equality, including gender relations. Following the Siamese Revolution in 1932, women were enfranchised for the first time.
The fight for clean air
Life, Thana Boonlert, Published on 18/08/2025
» After a public hearing wrapped up recently, the Clean Air Bill is heading to a second reading in parliament next month. If passed into law, it will guarantee people's access to clean air.
Chasing a better life
Life, Thana Boonlert, Published on 11/08/2025
» Over two decades ago, Mai and his family took a train from Surin to Bangkok. Like other young people, they searched for better opportunities in the big city. Initially, they helped with chores in an exchange for shelter at a shrine. Soon, he found other jobs and a place to sleep. Since then, he has delivered charcoal to shops and collected trash. He toils long, back-breaking hours for 150 baht per day.
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.
Written in blood
Life, Thana Boonlert, Published on 21/07/2025
» In 2015, Joe Freeman and Aung Naing Soe noticed the prominent status of poetry in Myanmar politics. At the time, both journalists heard that Maung Saungkha, a 23-year-old poet, posted a poem about having a tattoo of an unnamed president on his penis on Facebook. Saungkha, however, was charged for defaming former president Thein Sein under telecommunication law, serving a six-month jail term.
A new era for love
Life, Thana Boonlert, Published on 16/06/2025
» Thousands of marchers painted the heart of Bangkok in rainbow colours earlier this month. Despite their smile, Rungtiwa Tangkanopas and Panlawee Jongtangsatjatham, a lesbian couple, have given blood, sweat and tears in their fight for the right to family.
Teaching gender diversity
Life, Thana Boonlert, Published on 10/03/2025
» "I am bisexual like a papaya flower," said Jirajade Wisetdonwail.
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.
Accepting all forms of family
Life, Thana Boonlert, Published on 26/06/2023
» Her family is made up of two mothers and a daughter. Matcha Phorn-In believes that homophobia fuelled a villager to set a fire near her home in San Kamphaeng in 2016. It occurred several times and although she reported these incidents to the police, they did not take any action because damage did not result in loss of life or property. Hence, they decided to move out and live downtown for safety.