Showing 1 - 6 of 6
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.
Evolving language
Life, Thana Boonlert, Published on 21/04/2025
» During a medical check-up, Pin consulted a doctor about receiving gender-affirming care. In an ideal setting, a sign language interpreter would communicate with her by painstakingly finger-spelling the concept "hormone". But when such assistance was not available, she and the doctor resorted to writing on paper.
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.
Italians in Siam
Life, Thana Boonlert, Published on 03/01/2023
» When Mariannina Zuccaro arrived in Bangkok for her marriage with Mario Tamagno, an Italian architect who worked in Siam from 1900-1925, she encountered a stark contrast between her fiance's self-effacing character and monumental creations. According to Italians At The Court Of Siam, she referred to a photograph of the inauguration of a railway, on the back of which Tamagno listed everybody around King Chulalongkorn (Rama V), except himself.
The rebranding of 'big brother' Gen Prawit
Oped, Thana Boonlert, Published on 02/09/2022
» A day after Gen Prayut Chan-o-cha was suspended from his prime ministerial duties, Paiboon Nititawan, deputy leader of the ruling Palang Pracharath Party, was handing out a biography on Gen Prawit Wongsuwon, now acting PM, to reporters.
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.