Showing 1 - 10 of 12
The history of Siamese erotica
Life, Thana Boonlert, Published on 18/10/2025
» In high school, Artyasit Srisuwan saw his friends bring erotic books to class. Teachers confiscated the material and scolded them, but Artyasit did not take the genre seriously until over a decade ago when he got to know Luang Vilaspariwat, known as Kru Liam, a pioneer of erotic literature in the early 20th century, and wanted to write a thesis about it. Due to the lack of primary sources, his adviser convinced him to change the topic.
The euthanasia debate
Life, Thana Boonlert, Published on 25/02/2025
» A request for euthanasia from a terminally ill patient -- a controversial practice that remains illegal in Thailand -- inspired Dr Isaree Siriwankulthon, a palliative care physician-cum-author, to write a popular novel in 2023.
Memes of dissent
Life, Thana Boonlert, Published on 14/08/2023
» It is not as whimsical as it seems. After the onset of the largest pro-democracy movement since the military coup in 2014, university and high school students cuddled hamster dolls and ran around in circles. "Delicious tax!", hundreds of them sang, from a cartoon jingle at Democracy Monument in late July 2020. Crowdsourced from a social media platform, Hamtaro, a shorthand for caged mice demanding freedom, spawned many internet memes, including a greedy caricature of junta leader Gen Prayut Chan-o-cha.
Immerse yourself in queer bathhouse art
Life, Thana Boonlert, Published on 23/06/2023
» A bathhouse. A place for a romantic encounter. A community space. A gay sauna can also be a gallery that consolidates sexual and artistic experiences. Located in the heart of Phra Khanong, Krubb Bangkok is showcasing a photographer's collection of erotic artwork that explores the taboo subject of sexual expression and healing.
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 [...]).”
Buzzing with creativity
Life, Thana Boonlert, Published on 13/12/2022
» The eighth edition of Chiang Mai Design Week, a nine-day cultural festival that wrapped up last week, was a manifesto of the melting pot that is this northern province. At an out-of-use warehouse in Chang Moi, a group of local artists who took part in a homecoming project exhibited objects from their neighbourhoods in the style of Renaissance curiosity. Here, Achariyar Rojanapirom and Ratthee Phaisanchotsiri curated personal items from their cupboard, including a bowl of stir-fried salted chilli from a nam ngiao shop in the old town, to show how they remain contemporary.
Time is on our side
Life, Thana Boonlert, Published on 15/08/2022
» Win or lose, a protest is a process of trial and error. To put it simply, it is disruption, innovation, or something in between, just the way the now-defunct but shape-shifting Future Forward Party was in 2019 because it is born out of a spirit, not a person or a party. If the student-led demonstration goes down in history for demanding the boldest political reform, including the role of the monarchy, its resurrection last week proves that the pro-democracy movement is coming of age.
No quick fixes
Life, Thana Boonlert, Published on 14/02/2022
» Birth control became the subject of debate when the National Health Security Office (NHSO) started offering free contraceptive pills earlier this month, which will be followed by condoms in April at its service points -- including clinics, pharmacies and private hospitals -- to people aged 15 and above to prevent unintended pregnancies and sexually transmitted diseases.
Euthanasia a service not a sin for the elderly
Oped, Thana Boonlert, Published on 04/02/2022
» Have you ever imagined how you might die in old age? I remember once telling a close friend that I would use a "sleeping pod" -- if euthanasia and physician-assisted suicide were legal. But in Thailand, it is only terminally ill patients who have the right to forgo treatment in such a way that allows them to die "naturally". Under Section 12 of the Public Health Act, they can make a will denying the use of public health services that would prolong the end stage of their illness.
Rebel courage can be a force for needed change
Oped, Thana Boonlert, Published on 03/09/2021
» Clad in khaki uniform, a civil servant gave a three-finger salute even though he knew he could face a disciplinary probe. Nevertheless, he made a moral choice in defiance of the rules and norms that expect bureaucrats to remain politically impartial.