Showing 1 - 10 of 247
Lessons of history
Life, Thana Boonlert, Published on 13/10/2021
» After decades of military authoritarianism, student demonstrators in Bangkok began to call for the restoration of constitutional rule and a return to democracy. In the face of the challenge, the entrenched generals refused to negotiate and arrested the protest leaders, claiming they were influenced by communism. It paved the way for the popular uprising of Oct 14, 1973.
2023 ROUNDUP A vintage year for Thai cinema?
Life, Kong Rithdee, Published on 25/12/2023
» There were cheers of jubilation and gasps of disbelief as Thai cinema found itself awash with excitement in 2023. This has been the most successful year for mainstream Thai movies in a decade, a box-office triumph far exceeding all expectations. To many, the 2023 coup de theatre calls for celebration. "We are back!" cried optimistic pundits. But also: "Really? Is it just a one-time cinema party and can we keep the ball rolling?"
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.
Eyes wide open
Life, Kong Rithdee, Published on 08/05/2020
» The literature about modern Thai politics is not abundant, and by this I mean a narrative that grounds its characters in the double-whammy of coup d'etat and street protest that characterised the mid-2000s to mid-2010s. The period, plus a few years earlier when Thaksin Shinawatra rose to power, contains some of the most convulsive and era-defining moments that continue to shape the visible and invisible dimensions of Thai society in the present time, and it's astonishing that not more writers find it a rich wellspring of artistic expression (on the contrary, visual artists and theatre artists seem more responsive to the political currents of the same period).
The AI game
Guru, Eric E Surbano, Published on 28/06/2019
» Arthit Suriyawongkul has got a pretty impressive list of achievements that seems to destine him to be an AI expert. An alumni of Thammasat Univeristy, he got his Bachelor of Science in IT then went on to study Cognitive Science and Natural Technology at the University of Edinburgh. He returned to Thailand after the 2006 coup and was one of the people who lent his voice to help protest the Computer-Related Crime Act of 2007. He also got a Masters degree for Anthropology from his alma mater. Now, he is the AI Research Engineering Manager at Wisesight and is one of the people that helped develop a new social media analytic tool called "Social Seeing". With his degree and vast experience in IT, as well as being well-versed in all things AI, we didn't just talk to him about the new software he helped develop. We also talked about privacy in the social media stage and if it's at all possible that we'll be slaves to our AI overlords in the next few years or so.
The shape-shifting form of protests
Life, Kaona Pongpipat, Published on 06/10/2015
» The streets remained empty and all was quiet when thousands of people gathered last Wednesday night to protest against the government's Single Gateway proposal. Protesters weren't, however, down at major landmarks like Asoke or Ratchaprasong intersections, but simply in front of their computer screens. By merely punching the refresh button, these protesters let their resentment known to the authorities by crashing at least six government sites, including the Ministry of Information and Communications Technology.
Redefining norms
Guru, Published on 25/02/2022
» Fashion is a form of self-expression, it tells the wearer's story. It can indicate who they are, their tastes, their ideologies and so many more social cues. For those who wish to stand out and challenge fashion and societal norms, Guru has complied a few choices.
Hashtags of hate
Life, Suwitcha Chaiyong, Published on 17/01/2022
» A week ago, the hashtags #BanSitala and #BanLuknang returned to social media again after K-pop girl group H1-Key dropped their debut music video Athletic Girl and performed in an online press conference. These hashtags appeared for the first time last December when South Korean entertainment agency Grandline Group (GLG) announced the debut of H1-Key, which included Thai singer Sitala Wongkrachang as the rapper. Sitala is the daughter of the famous late actor and political activist Saranyu Wongkrachang. When Thai anti-government supporters and K-pop fans discovered that Sitala had entered the industry, they were furious as her family had a role in the People's Democratic Reform Committee (PDRC) rallies, which led to the 2014 coup. They accused her of being a supporter of a dictatorship.
Lessons learned from the October uprising
Life, Thana Boonlert, Published on 14/10/2021
» When the Oct 14, 1973, uprising culminated in the collapse of the military dictatorship, Sutham Sangprathum, the former deputy interior minister who joined the protests at the age of 19, felt that it was the great victory for people, but gradually learned that it had not challenged the status quo.
Stranger things
Guru, Eric E Surbano, Published on 09/10/2020
» Everyone loves a good conspiracy. There's a reason why Netflix has a bunch of them ready for you to binge like Unsolved Mysteries, which will rock you to your core at just how completely plausible they are and how they could easily happen to any of us.