Showing 1 - 10 of 17
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.
Healing with puppets
Life, Thana Boonlert, Published on 01/04/2025
» A ventriloquist is helping children and adults in Thailand process trauma after devastating events.
A sustainable retreat
Life, Thana Boonlert, Published on 21/09/2023
» In the southwest of Phnom Penh lies the region's largest surviving rainforest. After landing, I met other travel companions to spend three nights together at a riverside camp. We were split into two vans and headed for Sihanoukville. Downtown shophouses and heavy traffic gave way to lush scenery. No sooner had the hustle faded into the distance than rice paddies, palm trees and mountains came into sight. Here, Cambodia's nature remains undisturbed. In more or less two hours, we arrived at the camp depot.
Tranquil beauty
Life, Thana Boonlert, Published on 14/09/2023
» A powerful earthquake that struck the northwest of Kathmandu in 2015 sent a ripple of destruction through the country. Not far from its epicentre, Bhaktapur bore the brunt of the natural disaster that damaged houses and religious structures. After years of reconstruction, despite lingering signs of ruin, this ancient town continues to preserve harmony between the old and the new.
Snowy peaks and vibrant culture
Life, Thana Boonlert, Published on 07/09/2023
» Debris remains the lingering evidence of a massive earthquake in Nepal in 2015. With the epicentre in the northwest of Kathmandu, followed by hundreds of aftershocks, the natural disaster killed around 9,000 people, injured over 100,000 and impacted around 8 million. As Nepal began to recover, the coronavirus pandemic brought the world to a complete standstill and tourism cracked and collapsed like people's homes.
A sustainable model
Life, Thana Boonlert, Published on 26/07/2023
» Over a decade ago, Aracha Boon-Long embarked on her first journey to Doi Luang Chiang Dao. No signal. Silence. Sometimes, the forest made strange sounds at night. Only when she made it to the summit, a herd of gorals appeared and lay down basking in the first daylight. It is the moment when life begins. She thought to herself how small she is in the face of nature. What could she do to protect her home?
Banyan Tree Krabi
Life, Thana Boonlert, Published on 06/07/2023
» Normally after the rush of high season, few would dare go out and brave the rain. But it can be a good time to make a journey to the southwest. Despite thick cloud and patchy drizzle, I found peace at a remote seaside resort. Only a 40-minute drive from the airport, Banyan Tree Krabi offers soul-searching experience unlike any other.
An oasis of sakura
Life, Thana Boonlert, Published on 02/03/2023
» The van took such a steep, winding road that I felt nauseous and closed my eyes from the lush view of the Phu Hin Rong Kla National Park out the window. After an indefinite period of time, I breathed a sigh of relief upon arrival at a village. I did not expect that my first trip to Phitsanulok would take me to such new heights.
Homage to nature
Life, Thana Boonlert, Published on 03/02/2023
» A mechanical watch is not just a timepiece, but a reminder of the unfinished mission of Seub Nakhasathien, who laid down his life for conservation in 1990. At the helm of Huai Kha Khaeng Wildlife Sanctuary in Uthai Thani, he suffered numerous setbacks from deforestation and poaching to poverty. And after eight months of stewardship, he cleared his decks, made a will and shot himself in his quarters out of frustration in a bid to raise public awareness of environmental protection.
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.