Showing 1 - 10 of 93
A Thai odysseyin good voice
Life, William Niall Morris, Published on 26/12/2025
» Taking a pair of scissors to your own work is a difficult task, but when you're the director, cinematographer, and writer of a movie, it's downright impossible. Every shot, every word, every emotion is infused with the unconditional love of a parent. To cut anything must feel like an act of betrayal.
Tackling Thai-Cambodian border row
Oped, William Roth, Published on 12/11/2025
» The tragic landmine injuries on Monday to two Thai soldiers have cast doubt on whether the ceasefire agreement with Cambodia will hold. But, even if it does, one also has to wonder whether either country really wishes to have lasting peace along this border. After all, for over 70 years, both countries, for domestic political purposes, have periodically used the continuing uncertainty about the actual boundary line to whip up nationalist sentiment.
An intimate secret plays out in Jomtien
Life, William Niall Morris, Published on 11/10/2025
» At the end of a quiet Jomtien lane sits an unassuming villa that, once a month, becomes Thailand's most intimate concert hall. With a seating capacity of just 50, Ben's Theatre is the inspired creation of Ben Hansen, a Dutch photojournalist turned cultural host who now runs his music venue as a charitable venture.
Audacious, vivacious talent
Life, William Niall Morris, Published on 30/08/2025
» Back in 2021, a group of intrepid Bangkok music students decided to create their own opera company, undeterred by the fact that this is the most difficult art form to produce.
A night of prodigies
Life, William Niall Morris, Published on 23/08/2025
» In 1978, composer John Williams won the Best Original Music Oscar for his work on the movie Star Wars. We've all heard the main theme countless times over the years, but listening to it performed by a live symphony orchestra is a whole new intergalactic experience. Such was the intense power of the Siam Sinfonietta as it swept over the Main Hall of the Thailand Cultural Centre that my nine-year-old nephew, Hummer, was pinned to his seat with wide-eyed wonder.
A master class in acting
Life, William Niall Morris, Published on 26/06/2025
» I'm not at all convinced by Terrence McNally's stage play Master Class, based on the legendary opera singer Maria Callas. On the other hand, Tarin Prinyaknit's production, featuring a tour de force performance from the award-winning actress Jaa Phantachat as the faded opera star, is a triumph of the Bangkok stage.
King Rama VI play shines as a grand opera
Life, William Niall Morris, Published on 13/05/2025
» It has been 25 years since National Artist Somtow Sucharitkul was commissioned to compose an opera based on the much-loved play Madanabadha by King Vajiravudh, Rama VI. The play is dedicated to the king's wife Queen Indrasakdi Sachi who, in a remarkable tie-in, also happens to be maestro Somtow's great-aunt.
A religious experience
Life, William Niall Morris, Published on 10/04/2025
» In 1516, Leonardo da Vinci travelled by horseback from Italy to France with the Mona Lisa carefully rolled up in his saddlebag.
Young stars shine at musical gala
Life, William Niall Morris, Published on 08/04/2025
» Since its foundation in 2010, the Bangkok Charity Orchestra (BCO) has raised over 25 million baht for good causes in Thailand. Recently, at the Aksra Theatre (King Power Rangnam), conductor and BCO founder Chulayuth Lochotinan guided his 80-piece orchestra with authority and style through an impressive musical gala.
Philanthropy in an era of declining development aid
Oped, William Moore, Published on 02/04/2025
» Philanthropy will never replace public aid, but it can be a powerhouse if we use it right. With global development funding under strain, European aid budgets being redirected towards defence and rearmament, and the United States rethinking foreign assistance altogether, the aid community has been left scrambling.