Showing 11 - 20 of 214
In search of big ideas
Life, Kong Rithdee, Published on 18/01/2018
» BangkokEdge Festival, billed as an "idea festival", returns to its old quarters of Bangkok this weekend. Spearheaded by MR Narisa Chakrabongse, the two-day event is a vibrant smorgasbord of literature, music, art, history and politics, anchored in the charming venues of Museum Siam, Chakrabongse Villas and Rajini School. There will be talks -- plenty of panels and discussions, on subjects ranging from "What Makes The Chao Phraya A World Monument?" to "The Power Of Slam Poetry", from "Populism, Religion and Neo-Nationalism In The 21st Century" to "Years Of Living Dangerously: A Woman's Take On War". The list of participants is starry, including writers, journalists, poets, historians and artists, Thai and international. Come evening, the lawn of Museum Siam will play host to film screenings (Pop Aye on Saturday and Citizen Dog on Sunday), as well as concerts by Hugo, Yena, Rasmee Isan Soul and more.
Soundtrack to a troubled generation
Life, Apipar Norapoompipat, Published on 16/01/2018
» Having already attended two Imagine Dragons concerts in Bangkok (one being Marriott Marquis' private event), expectations were sky-high for their Evolve World Tour gig which took place last Thursday at Impact Challenger Hall. The band's Smoke and Mirrors Tour back in 2015 was possibly one of the best performances of the year, so many questions arose. Would they be as energetic as the previous rounds? Would their set list be as long? Is frontman Dan Reynolds going to wear elephant patterned harem pants again? And although the set only lasted an hour-and-a-half and Reynolds only wore simple black trousers, the Grammy-winning Los Angeles-based alt-arena-rock band still soared through the night, giving an adrenaline-inducing yet heartfelt performance.
Artificial intelligence
Life, Bernard Trink, Published on 12/01/2018
» There are Vatican scholars. Then there are novelists who research the Vatican library to give the plots of their imaginative religious stories the aura of authenticity. It turns out that the lay writers usually pen more interesting books. Less authentic, yet more believable.
The south still rises
Brunch, Nattha Thepbamrung, Published on 14/01/2018
» They were once just a small group of Phuket schoolkids, much like any other. But their shared love for hip-hop music led the crew known as South Side -- aka South Side Phuket -- to become one of the shining stars of Thailand's rap scene.
Only half-woke
Brunch, Chanun Poomsawai, Published on 21/01/2018
» 'The truth will set you free/But first, it'll piss you off," prefaces Pharrell Williams on Lemon, the opening number of N.E.R.D.'s comeback LP, No One Ever Really Dies. Pharrell, a super producer, fashion designer and all-around dilettante, along with Chad Hugo and Shae Haley, are having a major woke moment and they've brought a whole lot of "wokeness" to their first full-length album in seven years since 2010's Nothing.
It's no child's play
Muse, Published on 13/01/2018
» This Children's Day, Lego aficionados can witness the beauty of Bangkok via the world's most popular building blocks. Created with over 500,000 Lego bricks, 11 iconic destinations in Bangkok have been recreated in both mosaic and 3D, and from an 8.5m, snap-ready panorama. Both traditional and colonial treasures are on display, be it the Ananta Samakhom Throne Hall, Wat Phra Kaew or Yaowarat Road. The model-building team -- all men who have a hobby of Lego building -- first decided where to position each place, before they worked together to connect the sky mosaic in the background. Then, each person worked to scale down their building, a process which averaged up to two months, with one month to design the final display and another month to build the actual destination. We talked to two of the 11 builders who have long been on the Lego circuit about how creating model destinations is no child's play.
Coriander: Best Supporting Actor
Brunch, Suthon Sukphisit, Published on 14/01/2018
» We usually see coriander on khao man gai (Hainanese-style chicken with rice), pad woonsen (stir-fried glass noodles with vegetables), fried rice, omelette with ground pork, or clear soup with ground pork-stuffed bitter melons.
Ways of dance
Life, Yvonne Bohwongprasert, Published on 22/01/2018
» Israeli dancer/choreographer Roni Chadash's passion for her craft has played an instrumental role in her ability to address her inner demons.
Revelations in Convent
Life, Vanniya Sriangura, Published on 19/01/2018
» Soi Convent has a strange pull. Crawling with office workers by day, it welcomes drinkers and diners by night. At one end is a cloistered convent protected by high walls, at the other a hospital and a church, and in between a motley selection of an Irish pub, street stalls, cafés, bars, dessert shops, dining venues, a som tam joint and an all-girls school. Flanked by the gaudy lights of Patpong and the business-minded Sathorn, the 800m soi in the busy financial district has a discreet but unfailing, perennial charm.
Subtly subversive
Life, Ariane Kupferman-Sutthavong, Published on 10/01/2018
» 'I'm not an artist -- I'm only 50% of an artist," said Michael Elmgreen of the Nordic duo Elmgreen & Dragset on his recent visit to Bangkok.