Showing 1 - 10 of 16
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.
Chasing a better life
Life, Thana Boonlert, Published on 11/08/2025
» Over two decades ago, Mai and his family took a train from Surin to Bangkok. Like other young people, they searched for better opportunities in the big city. Initially, they helped with chores in an exchange for shelter at a shrine. Soon, he found other jobs and a place to sleep. Since then, he has delivered charcoal to shops and collected trash. He toils long, back-breaking hours for 150 baht per day.
Dough therapy
Life, Thana Boonlert, Published on 21/04/2025
» Oranong Chanasit, an activist, took a bakery course to learn how to knead dough in the hope of teaching hilltribe children, but encountered a life-changing experience.
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.
Chiva-Som Hua Hin
Life, Thana Boonlert, Published on 11/08/2022
» After hours, I switched off the computer and left my cubicle. When I looked out the office's window, I saw high-rise buildings and winding motorways. Cars were stuck in a traffic jam day in, day out. It dawned on me that something was missing in life. I did not know what it was, but I would like to sort out my mind. A few days later, I took a break and left the city for a tranquil retreat.
Muay Thai boxers enter the global arena
Life, Thana Boonlert, Published on 20/07/2022
» After over two years of the coronavirus pandemic, Thai boxers are getting ready to flex their muscles and stun the world. Many adrenaline-pumping programmes are running for local and international fans, seeking to promote the sport on the global stage.
Preserving an ancient art
Life, Thana Boonlert, Published on 26/04/2022
» Despite a two-year hiatus, Nutchanat La-ongsri commanded a stage with unwavering power. Donning a large headpiece, she pulled on a white costume with a red strap tied on her upper body. Her back rose up like a bird's tail. She pressed her hands in front, showing silver bracelets and nail tips. After a wai kru ceremony, she staged a play in nora kaek, the dying breed of performance art from the Deep South.
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.
Breaking down the virtual wall
Life, Thana Boonlert, Published on 07/09/2021
» From bed to bed, a worn-out medical worker is busy looking after coronavirus patients in a crowded hospital. He observes their condition and scribbles details in medical records. An oversight could mean their condition gets worse. However, this is all taking place on a screen.
Covid stretching crematoriums beyond capacity
Life, Thana Boonlert, Published on 16/07/2021
» The spike in the death toll from Covid-19 has burdened temples with cremation amid concern over the risk of contamination.