Showing 1 - 5 of 5
The message of the medium
Life, Melalin Mahavongtrakul, Published on 28/08/2019
» When the chipmunks Chip and Dale sailed into the bustling floating market in the recent viral Disney short Our Floating Dreams, both the world and local people were fascinated by the images of Thai culture. Busy canals and pineapple fried rice brought about onscreen exoticism watched by millions around the world.
Into the light
Life, Melalin Mahavongtrakul, Published on 19/04/2019
» Transgender drag queen Angele Anang lowered to the floor as she was pushed around and thrown away by a group of masked men. Her wig was removed. Nude, she crawled to her father, who was sitting nearby. He put a white flowing dress on her, crying as he did so. Angele, then bald and in white, went back to fight the masked men, over whom she proudly triumphed.
Snapping up the bad guys
Life, Melalin Mahavongtrakul, Published on 18/07/2017
» In deep jungle, a forest ranger in his black uniform slowly climbed up a tree. With trained, quick hands, he strapped a camouflage case to a high branch that could oversee an area underneath it at a wide angle. Inside the case was a camera trap that can monitor the movement of animals, and especially humans who may enter the forest illegally.
Beyond the bullets and bombs
Life, Melalin Mahavongtrakul, Published on 27/09/2016
» The morning breeze was cool on our faces as we cruised past a gleaming mosque. Traffic was light and the town was quiet and peaceful, except around the fresh market occupied by women in hijab. Local shops selling bak kut teh and dim sum were opening their doors. It was a typical, lazy Sunday morning in Yala -- known to the rest of Thailand as the land of insurgency and unrest.
Bangkok's Islamic quarters
Life, Melalin Mahavongtrakul, Published on 27/10/2015
» Five times a day, the sound of prayers can be heard around the 200-year-old community surrounding the Chakrabongse Mosque. The yellow building -- under constant repainting and renovation -- has been the centre of this Muslim community for over a century. From its peaceful ambience, not many expect that the neighbourhood is just a few blocks away from Bangkok's most tourist-infested and alcohol-filled area, Khao San Road.