Showing 1 - 10 of 16
Call Dial-A-Poem Thailand to be cool, calm and collected
Life, Thana Boonlert, Published on 09/04/2026
» 'This is an invitation to stay calm," said the voice on the other side of the line, followed by the sound of waves. "Breathe in and out. I am helping you find inner peace."
The show goes on
Life, Thana Boonlert, Published on 29/08/2025
» The show must go on! And that is why the light has never gone out for five decades. Despite undergoing renovations, whether minor or major, Tiffany's Show Pattaya has raised the curtain every day, except on three occasions -- Sars in 2003, a protest in 2008 and Covid-19 in 2020 -- when tourism was brought to a standstill.
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.
Nationalism is not the answer to land woes
Oped, Thana Boonlert, Published on 04/11/2022
» Resistance to the controversial foreign land ownership bill is giving rise to the term khai chat -- used to denounce traitors who sell the motherland -- being used in political discourse. Whether a person is a government critic or supporter, he or she believes their ancestors fought very hard to protect our land and it should not be given away to foreigners.
A cosmopolitan kingdom
Life, Thana Boonlert, Published on 18/08/2022
» A ferry sailed through the confluence of two rivers that form the heart of Bang Kacha, the ancient capital of Ayutthaya (1351-1767). Its gigantic fort was once the first sight of friends and foes. Remains of foreign settlements overlook the bank of the river, a reminder of how cosmopolitan the city was.
Complicated history and a comeback
Life, Thana Boonlert, Published on 02/06/2022
» On the partition of a quiet seaside wood house is more than an old photo from circa 1881. It is hard evidence that King Chulalongkorn (Rama V) and his entourage, including his half-brother Prince Damrong Rajanuphap, visited the island in the easternmost province of Trat before it was subject to French rule. Despite the withdrawal of troops, colonial legacies remained for years.
In pursuit of academic freedom
Life, Thana Boonlert, Published on 07/02/2022
» A temple is more than a place of worship. Located on a bank of the Chao Phraya River, Wat Thong Noppakhun is offering food for democratic thought. Surrounded by leafy trees, its library is now home to a large number of non-official history books, some of which are controversial in what remains a conservative society.
Missed opportunity to challenge insularity of Thainess
Life, Thana Boonlert, Published on 05/07/2021
» The world-famous conjoined twins -- better known as Siamese twins -- had caught the eyes of the world long after they turned their back on public life.
The never-ending story
Life, Thana Boonlert, Published on 16/06/2021
» Lawyers are pushing for a new clean air bill to fight ultra-fine dust that has shrouded the country for many years. The annual haze during the burning season that makes Chiang Mai the most polluted city on the planet for parts of March serves as a grim reminder of the problem.
Where the wild beasts roam
Life, Thana Boonlert, Published on 29/03/2021
» The bumpy path snaked down from the winding road to the sun-baked Ruam Thai village in Prachuap Khiri Khan's Kui Buri district. Here is where Thanasit Phiboonwatthanakorn's mother bought a small cabin and ran a rubber plantation because she wanted to live in the woods. When she passed away, Thanasit inherited the 28-rai farmland and knew that he would have wild guests.