thailand



STORY OF THE DAY • Mar 11, 2016 • 5 min read

Censorship The critic who refuses to be silenced

By Pavin Chachavalpongpun • Mar 11, 2016
Thai academic Pavin Chachavalpongpun explains how Thailand's junta is using lèse-majesté laws to oppress him and his family

STORY OF THE DAY • Feb 11, 2016 • 12 min read

Thailand Nationalism and the rise of Buddhist extremism

By David Hutt • Feb 11, 2016
As a campaign to make Buddhism the state religion of Thailand ramps up, concerns about radicalism have come to the fore, along with concern over how this renewed religiosity could be used in an already divided country

STORY OF THE DAY • Jan 22, 2016 • 9 min read

Military bootcamp Thailand’s humiliating hazing rituals

By David Hutt • Jan 22, 2016
At universities and colleges across Thailand a dangerous tradition of hazing through initiation rites is leaving students exposed to injuries and damaging democratic values

STORY OF THE DAY • Jan 16, 2016 • 10 min read

Aliens The believers: Southeast Asia’s UFO enthusiasts

By David Hutt • Jan 16, 2016
UFOs were first reported in the region in 1810. Nowadays, aliens are calling on the telephone, cloning using only their fingers and preparing to lend a hand in the aftermath of World War Three. Welcome to the hospitable world of Southeast Asia’s UFO enthusiasts

Sep 16, 2015 • 3 min read
Pest control

The snake hunter

Pythons and cobras are on the loose in Bangkok, but one 62-year-old man is on call to help apprehend these unwelcome reptilian rascals
By Brent Lewin • Sep 16, 2015

Aug 27, 2015 • 9 min read
Mae Sot

A break for the border

Positioned on the border of Thailand and Myanmar, Mae Sot has long attracted migrant workers who are largely responsible for that region’s economic success. Now, with improving infrastructure and social reforms, the town could be set to boost the Kingdom’s business profile even further
By Denise Hruby • Aug 27, 2015

Jun 27, 2015 • 7 min read
Traditional detox

The urge to purge

At one Thai temple, Wat Thamkrabok, herbal remedies, steam baths and vomiting are all part of the daily routine for recovering addicts
By Nathan A. Thompson • Jun 27, 2015

Jan 05, 2015 • 9 min read
Thailand coup

Land of wiles

Is the stability imposed by Thailand's latest coup an illusion, and what would that mean for Asean economic integration?
By Chris Taylor • Jan 05, 2015

Dec 23, 2014 • 6 min read
Road accidents

The darkness of night

Across Thailand, the weekend heralds binge drinking and hedonistic parties. For the emergency rescue teams of Chiang Mai, however, the end of the week presents a more sobering reality
By James MacDonald • Dec 23, 2014

Oct 03, 2014 • 7 min read
herbal high

Coming up easy

Known as ‘herbal heroin’, a Southeast Asian leaf called kratom is being consumed by an increasing number of Westerners, while in its native land it is going through a renaissance as both a recreational drug and an aid to opiate withdrawal
By David Hutt • Oct 03, 2014

Oct 01, 2014 • 7 min read
enlightenment

Revolution in the head

A 4:30am start, just one meal a day and complete celibacy. Welcome to a day in the life of a meditator at Down Kiem, one of Thailand’s most remote and aescetic monasteries
By Nathan A. Thompson • Oct 01, 2014

Sep 08, 2014 • 3 min read

Bring up the bodies

Decades of expertise and exquisite attention to detail are the hallmarks of the Chiang Mai Doll Making Centre and Museum, which is also home to the region’s largest and most diverse doll collection
By James McDonald • Sep 08, 2014