Life

Putting people at the heart of the story.

Life • STORY OF THE DAY • 3 days ago • 12 min read

Martial arts The fight outside the ring

By Julija Veljkovic • 3 days ago
The career of a Kun Khmer fighter is marred by physical and mental obstacles. What motivates these men to put their bodies on the line?

Life • STORY OF THE DAY • 4 days ago • 12 min read

Chinese investment Restoring Sihanoukville

By Andrew Haffner • 4 days ago
Foreign investors rode a hot streak in Sihanoukville until the gambling game collapsed last summer. Now, with the boomtown at risk of going bust and the city decaying around them, long-term residents, local businesses and construction workers are picking up the pieces

Life • STORY OF THE DAY • 6 days ago • 8 min read

Thailand's deep south Teachers up in arms

By Rory Byrne • 6 days ago
Top Read: In 2007, we provided a glimpse of how Thailand's long-running conflict between government forces and separatist insurgents in the deep south impacted local teachers. Trapped in the middle of this decades-old conflict, how did these civilians trying to do their civic duty cope?

Life • STORY OF THE DAY • Jan 17, 2020 • 6 min read

Women in Indonesia Dare Devi: Riding Satan’s barrel

By Agoes Rudianto • Jan 17, 2020
Each night, 20-year-old stunt-rider Devi Apriliyani rides "Satan's Barrel" as her husband and daughter look on. An already controversial act in socially conservative Indonesia, one fact complicates matters further – she is pregnant

Life • Jan 16, 2020 • 8 min read
Tuk-tuks in Southeast Asia

It came, it conquered

From India to Southeast Asia, Africa to South America, the humble tuk-tuk has shown that three wheels are plenty as its conquered vast swathes of the globe in recent decades
By Clive Graham-Ranger

Life • Jan 15, 2020 • 13 min read
Cambodia in 2040

Making the grade

For the seventh installment of our eight-week series with Future Forum looking at the Kingdom in 2040, we examine the future of learning in Cambodia. With the need for high-quality schooling only going to rise in the coming decades, will the Kingdom’s education system make the grade?
By Gerald Flynn

Life • Jan 13, 2020 • 10 min read
Art and politics

Reclaiming artistic expression

Vietnamese art curator Đỗ Tường Linh has practiced her craft from London to Cuba, the Middle East and back home to Vietnam again. She spoke to Southeast Asia Globe about her latest exhibition, her forays into expanding peoples’ understanding of politics through art, and creating a Global South-led art scene
By Samantha McCabe

Life • Jan 06, 2020 • 6 min read
Bangkok's gentrification

The many faces of Khlongtoey

Bangkok's fabled Khlongtoey slum has long been regarded as a 'no-go zone' in the city by many. But now, facing destruction as the latest victim of the government's city-wide sanitising project, British photographer Tim Russell shines a light on the much-maligned community's vibrant characters and warm spirit
By Tim Russell

Life • Jan 03, 2020 • 13 min read
Sexism in the Philippines

In the line of fire

President Rodrigo Duterte is known for his vitriolic attacks on women and the press, with prominent media outlet Rappler and its female-led editorial team a particular target of his ire. Southeast Asia Globe visited the Rappler office in Manila to hear first hand from three female team members what life is like working in Duterte's Philippines
By Aie Balagtas See

Life • Jan 02, 2020 • 9 min read
Pornography in Cambodia

Fast forward for sex

Top Read: Back in 2007, pornography's presence in Cambodian society was far more overt and unrestricted than it is today. While in 2020 pornography is largely consigned to the privacy of homes, 13 years ago explicit material was sold on streets of Phnom Penh and public screenings in cafes were a relatively normal sight
By Rory Byrne

Life • Dec 30, 2019 • 5 min read
Southeast Asian photography

The year in pictures

As 2019 draws to a close, we return to the most striking images and stories published this year from across the region by Southeast Asia Globe
By Alastair McCready and Julija Veljkovic

Life • Dec 26, 2019 • 8 min read
2004 tsunami

The big wave

Fifteen years after the devastating tsunami of Boxing Day 2004, Southeast Asia Globe looks back at the tragedy, examining its lasting impact and how the region is addressing the issue of disaster preparedness today.
By Samantha McCabe