• TRAVEL

  Tranquil beauty

  Life, Thana Boonlert, Published on 14/09/2023

  » A powerful earthquake that struck the northwest of Kathmandu in 2015 sent a ripple of destruction through the country. Not far from its epicentre, Bhaktapur bore the brunt of the natural disaster that damaged houses and religious structures. After years of reconstruction, despite lingering signs of ruin, this ancient town continues to preserve harmony between the old and the new.

• TRAVEL

  Snowy peaks and vibrant culture

  Life, Thana Boonlert, Published on 07/09/2023

  » Debris remains the lingering evidence of a massive earthquake in Nepal in 2015. With the epicentre in the northwest of Kathmandu, followed by hundreds of aftershocks, the natural disaster killed around 9,000 people, injured over 100,000 and impacted around 8 million. As Nepal began to recover, the coronavirus pandemic brought the world to a complete standstill and tourism cracked and collapsed like people's homes.

• LIFE

  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.

• TRAVEL

  A forgotten heritage

  Life, Thana Boonlert, Published on 03/08/2023

  » To the layman, Paniat is unheard of. It is an ancient town that lies in the eastern province of Chanthaburi. It sits at the foot of Khao Sa Bap, a square settlement that was once guarded by walls but levelled out, buried and forgotten to make way for an orchard village. However, the site retains remnants of Khmer culture that highlight the dynamic interaction between Siam and its neighbours.

• OPINION

  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.

• THAILAND

  MFP proposes amnesty for those with contrarian political views

  News, Thana Boonlert, Published on 16/10/2022

  » The opposition Move Forward Party (MFP) on Saturday proposed an amnesty for political cases, to return justice to those who hold different political views as the party unveiled a platform on politics to kick-start the election campaign.

• TRAVEL

  A cosmopolitan kingdom

  Life, Thana Boonlert, Published on 18/08/2022

  » A ferry sailed through the confluence of two rivers that form the heart of Bang Kacha, the ancient capital of Ayutthaya (1351-1767). Its gigantic fort was once the first sight of friends and foes. Remains of foreign settlements overlook the bank of the river, a reminder of how cosmopolitan the city was.

• OPINION

  Weaponising Thainess with numbers

  Oped, Thana Boonlert, Published on 03/06/2022

  » The feud over an online campaign calling for Thai numerals to be scrapped in official documents isn't just about pragmatism -- it is a clash between the two ideologies which underpin Thai society.

• OPINION

  Heritage is not soft power

  Life, Thana Boonlert, Published on 02/05/2022

  » Harvard University Professor Joseph Nye coined the term "soft power", or the ability to obtain preferred outcomes by attraction, rather than coercion or payment, in his book Bound To Lead in 1990. However, he has since seen his brainchild, scribbled out on his kitchen table, grow in scope of application and distance.

• LIFE

  Dr Dolittle Prayut does little but talk

  Life, Thana Boonlert, Published on 27/12/2021

  » Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha made ludicrous headlines again when he broached the subject of animals during his official visit to southern border provinces. It is not surprising that the macho general again doted on creatures. A few years ago, he shared a photo of him in casual clothes and a cuddly dog on his lap. However, his interaction with animals in provincial trips often lands him in hot water.

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