• LIFE

  Ruling on rape

  Life, Melalin Mahavongtrakul, Published on 10/06/2019

  » Rape always brings with it devastation -- to the victims, their families and even the public that learns of such crimes. The condemnation is loud, a cry for harsh punishment up to the penalty of death -- a solution many believe can put an end to rape.

• THAILAND

  Nang Loeng neighbourhood is no longer a banana republic

  Life, Melalin Mahavongtrakul, Published on 02/03/2018

  » Figures in colourful aprons weaving through traffic selling bags of banana fritters have long been a familiar sight in Nang Loeng neighbourhood of Bangkok. But today, the roads felt almost empty without their presence.

• LIFE

  Narcos heads a stellar list of new Netflix shows and films

  Life, Melalin Mahavongtrakul, Published on 20/11/2018

  » It's 1980s. It's Mexico. And drug war is all the rage in Netflix's Narcos: Mexico, which continues the legacy of the Narcos saga with a new cast, story and country.

• LIFE

  Re-imagining a local superhero

  Life, Melalin Mahavongtrakul, Published on 22/08/2018

  » Writer-director Kongkiat Khomsiri describes himself as old school when it comes to his influence and style in filmmaking.

• LIFE

  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.

• LIFE

  Harry Potter's more adult cousin

  Life, Melalin Mahavongtrakul, Published on 18/11/2016

  » There are flying magical creatures and a wand-waving wizard community. But as Fantastic Beasts And Where To Find Them -- the Harry Potter spin-off -- unravels, we realise that the beast has been brought up to be so much more than just child's play and fantasy.

• LIFE

  They know who they are

  Life, Melalin Mahavongtrakul, Published on 26/11/2018

  » In the dim light inside Bangkok Screening Room, Ivan Coyote transfixed the crowd with stories of their childhood, of grandmas and uncles, and of the conversations our dinner group had at the Isan restaurant around the corner from the venue.

• LIFE

  A second-class union

  Life, Melalin Mahavongtrakul, Published on 26/11/2018

  » The prospect of marriage equality has always brought excitement and joy for LGBTI communities worldwide. In Thailand, the possibility of the civil partnership bill -- viewed as a step closer to coveted equality -- has been discussed frequently in our society lately, especially after a draft of the bill was released earlier this month on the Rights and Liberties Protection Department (RLPD) of the Ministry of Justice's website. But the initial excitement quickly faded when people read the fine print of what the bill really entails, and began questioning whether it really spells out equal rights.

• LIFE

  Laying down the law

  Life, Melalin Mahavongtrakul, Published on 19/03/2018

  » The image of an attorney of law is traditionally that of a formal, reserved figure in a suit and tie who mostly works from behind the scenes. But in recent months in Thailand, the spotlight has been cast on a number of lawyers who have become a kind of celebrity -- the face of their own cases, the stars in their clients' dramas -- when they make frequent appearances on TV and social media. Many are famous for posting their comments online, taking to Facebook Live to communicate with thousands of fans, and offering legal punditry on high-profile cases, including their own.

• LIFE

  A beacon for tolerance

  Life, Melalin Mahavongtrakul, Published on 12/06/2017

  » Smartly but casually dressed with a hint of colour, British Ambassador to Thailand Brian Davidson descended from the second floor of his residence within the British embassy on 14 Wireless Road and greeted us with a smile and quick hello. Soon, we found ourselves sipping iced lemonade inside a green room. A framed portrait of a beaming Queen Elizabeth II gazed down from the wall.

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