Showing 1 - 10 of 32
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.
Pageant for progress
Life, Thana Boonlert, Published on 14/07/2025
» There is more to a gay pageant than crowning the good-looking, charismatic winner. Beneath the glamorous veneer lies an expectation that the candidate have goodwill and sacrifice himself for the community. And this is what the champion of Mr. Gay Universe Thailand 2025 should embody.
Creative destruction
Life, Thana Boonlert, Published on 16/06/2025
» Salinee Hanvareevongsilp's family moved home for a job opportunity when she was five and the land was subsequently developed into Siam Square in 1965. Still, it remained her favourite haunt. She frequented three movie theatres in the area -- Siam, Scala and Lido. In Matthayom 3, she protested against Japanese goods on Rama I Road.
Thai women still left holding the baby
Life, Thana Boonlert, Published on 18/03/2025
» If you buy abortion pills a day after 12 weeks of pregnancy, you have committed a crime.
Beyond coming out
Life, Thana Boonlert, Published on 10/03/2025
» Be queer, be protagonist! That is the tagline of Ladys and Moonscape, an emerging queer publishing house founded by Nachanok Yuwapoom (Ladys) and Apinuch Petcharapiracht (Moonscape). Such a manifesto was born out of frustration that LGBTI characters are stuck in coming out scenes, pleading for acceptance.
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.
A creative plan to restore the glory of Khon Kaen's business district
Life, Thana Boonlert, Published on 01/06/2023
» 'Chuka, chuka, chuka." Gone are the days when people made their own garments, but sewing machines still hum from a narrow corner of an old shophouse. Stacks of different clothes and mannequins take up space on the ground floor. Staff cut fabric, engrave names and sew white uniforms in an assembly line. Aunt Wan graces them with buttonholes, producing hundreds of hospital gowns for doctors in Isan.
A bitter farewell
Life, Thana Boonlert, Published on 15/05/2023
» The Robot Building on Sathon Road is a childhood superhero that comes to life. Standing on staggered floors, the chunky android is studded with nuts and bolts. Its head boasts metallic-lidded eyes and two communication antennae and its frontal body is outfitted with black glass and blue stripes like armour. It is ready to fight a monster in the urban jungle.
Curtains for Chinese opera?
Life, Thana Boonlert, Published on 27/02/2023
» "Hurry up," shouted a crew member who climbed up onto a makeshift stage. Casting sidelong glances, performers, half-clad, looked in the mirror and concentrated on applying layers of make-up. Nearby, a motley bunch of musicians and technicians double-checked their instruments. A stream of chatter from a growing audience -- without any partition between the theatre and real life -- put unintended pressure on the band.
Letting go is key to moving forward
Life, Thana Boonlert, Published on 27/02/2023
» Some humans desire to transcend their biological limits. Such pursuit of immortality is expressed through art or architecture, or living through their descendants. I have been in touch with a number of artists who struggle to preserve their craft amid changing times. A succession crisis occurs when one cannot find anyone to continue his or her artistic legacy and only some can let go, though not easily.