Showing 1 - 10 of 14
The art of persuasion
Life, Thana Boonlert, Published on 10/02/2026
» Following the Siamese Revolution, the country held its first general election and only indirect vote on Nov 15, 1933. Voters chose village representatives, who then elected candidates in their province to enter parliament. In the run-up to the country's first poll, Samran I-machai, an MP candidate in Ayutthaya, handed out booklets to voters.
Bridging the gaps
Life, Story: Suwitcha Chaiyong, Published on 06/01/2026
» Organised by the National Research Council of Thailand, Thailand Inventors' Day 2026 runs until Friday at Event Hall 102–103, BITEC Bangna Exhibition and Convention Center. Instead of presenting scientific innovations, Life interviewed two researchers -- Prof Dusadee Ayuwat and Assoc Prof Prajak Kongkirati -- who are among 15 researchers from nine fields who received the 2026 National Outstanding Researcher Awards as part of Thailand Inventors' Day 2026. While Prof Dusadee received the award in Sociology, Assoc Prof Prajak received the award in Political Science and Public Administration.
The power of the pen
Life, Suwitcha Chaiyong, Published on 12/03/2025
» When visitors arrive at the Kinjai Contemporary art gallery to see "2475 Graphic Novel Exhibition", they can expect to be greeted by the main characters of the graphic novel 2475 The Siamese Ghostwriter by Tanis Werasakwong, alias Sa-ard.
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.
Time is on our side
Life, Thana Boonlert, Published on 15/08/2022
» Win or lose, a protest is a process of trial and error. To put it simply, it is disruption, innovation, or something in between, just the way the now-defunct but shape-shifting Future Forward Party was in 2019 because it is born out of a spirit, not a person or a party. If the student-led demonstration goes down in history for demanding the boldest political reform, including the role of the monarchy, its resurrection last week proves that the pro-democracy movement is coming of age.
In pursuit of academic freedom
Life, Thana Boonlert, Published on 07/02/2022
» A temple is more than a place of worship. Located on a bank of the Chao Phraya River, Wat Thong Noppakhun is offering food for democratic thought. Surrounded by leafy trees, its library is now home to a large number of non-official history books, some of which are controversial in what remains a conservative society.
Of Naga and political dissidents
Life, Kong Rithdee, Published on 13/09/2021
» The Naga is real but the murder is not. Or is it vice versa? What history chooses to remember and relegate to oblivion, what it enshrines as story and what it buries as hearsay, is how the narrative of a nation is forged in a mould of clay or a furnace of fire. Or in this particular case, in disembowelled bodies stuffed with concrete blocks. The murder is real but the Naga is not. This sounds more like it.
A different perspective
Life, Suwitcha Chaiyong, Published on 01/09/2021
» Wittawat Tongkeaw is an artist who stands for democratic ideals and social change. At his third solo exhibition, "The L/Royal Monument", Wittawat conveys how his political views have changed. His turning point came after he read books in different fields such as philosophy and social science, as well as some that are banned.
Fears of a brain drain
Life, Suwitcha Chaiyong, Published on 17/05/2021
» A couple of weeks ago, the Facebook forum "Let's Move Abroad" was established and it grew rapidly to 500,000 members within three days. The founder of the forum, Pooh, said in an interview with The Standard that he runs many restaurants in Thailand that have all suffered financially due to the pandemic. He wants to expand his business to other countries so he established the forum to get information from people who have experience working and living abroad. The forum, which provides both positive and negative information about being an immigrant, includes how to study languages, what kinds of jobs are available, how to prepare visas and apply for jobs. Even though Pooh supports the youth protest movement, the forum does not aim to tackle political issues but focus on information regarding how to settle down in developed countries.
Always spread your bets around
Life, Thana Boonlert, Published on 03/05/2021
» The World Health Organisation had hailed Thailand's handling of the novel coronavirus at its peak early last year, noting that cooperation and health measures are the keys to success. However, the third wave of the viral pandemic has thrown us into chaos. It has raised the number of infections to over 65,000 and deaths to more than 200, stretching the country's public health system to its limit. What can we learn from this?