Showing 1 - 9 of 9
Bangkok's clean streets, empty souls
Oped, Sirinya Wattanasukchai, Published on 10/11/2025
» Banthat Thong used to be a neighbourhood, not a concept. You could live here and find everything: restaurants, bookstores, hardware shops, clinics, banks -- even a place to have your shirts made. It was one of those streets where life unfolded upstairs and business happened downstairs. Today, it is something else entirely.
How to rebuild a community following the fire
Oped, Nicole Lambrou, Published on 09/07/2025
» When a wildfire burns through a community, the initial concern is identifying what is lost: businesses, homes, landscape. Reports tally the damage in raw numbers -- hectares burned, buildings destroyed, dollars lost. Similarly, wildfire recovery success is overwhelmingly measured by how closely the post-disaster housing count compares to pre-disaster numbers. But rebuilding, for people displaced by fires, is not measured in claims settled or roofs repaired.
Sam Yan shows need to save history
Oped, Netiwit Chotiphatphaisal & Settanant Thanakitkoses, Published on 23/05/2024
» What distinguishes Thailand from many other countries is our rich diversity in culture and history. Yet slowly but surely, the distinctive heritage of our local communities is disappearing. Often property developers destroy historic buildings in pursuit of profit. But why do their rights always seem to come first? Why do we have to beg to protect our cultural assets?
Put culture first in old town revamps
Oped, Sirinya Wattanasukchai, Published on 28/03/2024
» Will Thailand's old towns include their old communities as they are renovated? In many of these important districts, institutional owners of land are apt to evict legacy tenants to make way for redevelopment, threatening vintage architecture and eroding vibrant local cultures and ways of life.
Tourism fee has promise
Oped, Editorial, Published on 21/04/2023
» Despite taking considerable flak for floating the policy, Tourism and Sport Minister Phiphat Ratchakitprakarn has made it clear the Thailand Tourism Fee will be levied from September.
Keep Thailand's rail history on track
Oped, Parinya Chukaew, Published on 24/02/2023
» In most of the world, people and governments take pride in their historic railway stations. They invest time, money and effort in conserving these old buildings because they see them as valuable public assets that help give a city or town its sense of place, beauty and identity. If officials want to tear down an old station, people march in the streets.
Rail station in limbo
Oped, Editorial, Published on 03/11/2022
» As Krung Thep Abhiwat Central Terminal, formerly Bang Sue Central Station, gears towards full operation this week, questions have emerged about the future of the 105-year-old Hua Lamphong train station.
Heritage must be guarded
Oped, Editorial, Published on 05/11/2021
» The demolition of the historic Scala theatre to pave the way for another high-rise in the Siam Square area has kicked off a public frenzy.
The Mahakan Fort mistake
Oped, Editorial, Published on 31/10/2020
» After booting the old Mahakan Fort community out of their homes in 2018, and turning the area into a park intended for tourists, the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) recently, for the first time, tacitly admitted to its mistake.