Showing 1 - 10 of 14
The human lens
Life, Thana Boonlert, Published on 24/09/2025
» An encounter with a girl beaten by a teacher moved Gauri Gill to write a story for a political weekly. However, her idea was set aside for lacking an angle that would engage urban readers and Gill decided to take a month-long sabbatical from work.
Unseen potential
Life, Thana Boonlert, Published on 28/08/2025
» 'Bird!" A cheer erupted from a workshop when Gift, a young girl with Down syndrome, spoke for the first time. In a class presentation, while some students actively presented their artwork, others kept silent. After seven months of being in this classroom, Gift pointed to her painting and described it as a feathered creature.
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.
Singapore's light festival returns to Marina Bay
Life, Thana Boonlert, Published on 28/05/2025
» As Singapore celebrates its 60th anniversary, i Light Singapore (iLSG) 2025 returns to illuminate the cityscape from tomorrow until June 21.
Pin-up stars
Life, Thana Boonlert, Published on 18/04/2023
» In the erotic novel Hom Dok Praduan (1968), Rong Wongsawan hints that a teenager fondled his flesh in front of her. “On the door is a cover photo of a socialite in Bangkok. Clad in her swimsuit, she allows waves to break on her thighs. But someone with restless hands drew overgrown grass so that he can rub it gently until it is torn. (In Mathayom 4, he often fantasised about her. The first syllable of her name begins with the mor letter. He feels thankful whenever she comes into his mind [...]).”
Giving evidence
Life, Thana Boonlert, Published on 20/03/2023
» Under authoritarian rule, truths are silenced, censored and mutilated. Yet, many people find ways to tell their stories. It is an irony, though, that a repressive regime is a precondition of creative resistance.
A creative accounting
Life, Thana Boonlert, Published on 13/02/2023
» Sophie, a young pianist, dreams of performing at a concert hall. When she gets an invitation letter, she feels overjoyed and begins to prepare for a debut, though with a sense of foreboding. On concert day, the sound of music comes from nowhere. She finds that it is created by the ghosts of past performers, yet continues to play her instrument. Her performance brings the ghosts peace, and they gradually disappear. As time goes by, Sophie becomes a successful pianist, but she never forgets the event.
Lessons of history
Life, Thana Boonlert, Published on 13/10/2021
» After decades of military authoritarianism, student demonstrators in Bangkok began to call for the restoration of constitutional rule and a return to democracy. In the face of the challenge, the entrenched generals refused to negotiate and arrested the protest leaders, claiming they were influenced by communism. It paved the way for the popular uprising of Oct 14, 1973.
Point of no return
Life, Thana Boonlert, Published on 01/03/2021
» The world has about six years and 10 months left before its carbon budget -- the amount of carbon dioxide that can be released into the atmosphere at the current rate -- will be completely depleted. Unless human beings join hands to limit global warming under the 1.5C safe threshold, they will face worsening famines, disasters, and displacement. The climate clock by two artists, Gan Golan and Andrew Boyd, in Manhattan's Union Square, is a stark reminder of how destructive and fragile we are.
Dhaka urges repatriation push
News, Thana Boonlert, Published on 15/08/2020
» Three years have gone by since massacres in Myanmar prompted hundreds of thousands of the Rohingya Muslim minority to flee the country. Bangladesh has since urged Thailand to help push for a repatriation plan after it was stalled by the coronavirus.