Featured stories about Thailand
Stories about Thailand
26 November 2019
An interview with ‘Siamese Intellectual’ Sulak Sivaraksa on the future of Thailand's democracy and monarchy
"The monarchy must introduce some transparency into its workings if it wants to remain. It must be open to criticism."
21 October 2019
First Thai female Theravada monk named one of BBC’s 100 most influential women
Dhammananda’s efforts to re-establish the Theravada bhikkhuni (female monastic) lineage in Thailand have been met with resistance from both the laity and monks who are against ordaining women.
10 October 2019
Thai Twitter users face threats over comments on royal motorcade

The hashtag #royalmotorcade trended in Thailand after netizens reported traffic problems caused by a royal motorcade.
4 October 2019
Lilly Satidtanasarn, the 12-year-old taking on plastic pollution in Thailand
"Adults think I’m doing homework or a school project. They didn’t take me seriously but I kept emailing them and now they take me seriously."
2 October 2019
No land, no fish: Mekong community in northeast Thailand struggles against a double-threat
"I don’t understand but I’m very stressed. How can they demolish it? I don’t have anywhere to live. We aren’t rich investors. We’re poor people."
25 September 2019
A snapshot of climate strikes across Southeast Asia
The protest actions in Southeast Asia highlighted various issues such as the impact of large-scale mining, haze pollution, and continuing dependence on fossil fuels.
7 August 2019
China’s hunger for minerals stirs resistance in rural Thailand
Chinese efforts to obtain a cheap source of a crop-boosting mineral are raising fears of an environmental crisis among farming communities in Thailand.
28 July 2019
Thai folk singer and activist Tom Dundee released after five years in prison for insulting monarchy
"Democracy must be created from the people, mustn’t it? Democracy cannot come from only one person."
7 July 2019
The lives of South Asians in Khon Kaen, northeast Thailand
“I want to change the narrative about Indians through food!”
5 July 2019
French expat forced to apologize for making a music video which mocks the Thai junta
"…criticizing a government and a regime does not equate to hating a country. I love Thailand, I just don't love dictators and military coups."
27 June 2019
What will it take to combat digital authoritarianism in Southeast Asia?

"Applied to the Philippines and the rest of Southeast Asia, digital authoritarianism refers to how the internet has been weaponized in aid of existing authoritarian regimes."
6 March 2019
How sports groups rallied for the release of a Bahraini footballer detained in Thailand
"We think that this campaign showed what sport can be, and our job as former players or athletes is to ensure that all sport becomes the vanguard for human rights."
1 March 2019
Chiang Mai, Thailand celebrates its first LGBT Pride in a decade
"We stand for the right to be safe from violence. We stand for the right to raise our quality of life and reflect on the history of our community."
1 February 2019
Pressure mounts for Thailand to free Melbourne-based Bahraini refugee Hakeem al-Araibi
"Australia just gave our highest award to 2 divers for risking their lives to rescue 12 Thai boys from underground caves. We know where Hakeem is. He just needs a...
14 January 2019
Protests condemn another election delay in Thailand
Thai students turned to Twitter and activists organized protests after the military-backed government announced another delay in the holding of elections.
4 January 2019
How preserving folktales and legends help raise environment awareness in the Mekong

"By means of stories, the communities search for ways to accommodate and/or resist changes that are taking place in the Mekong river basin."
26 November 2018
Despite threats of arrest, rap song criticizing military rule goes viral in Thailand
As a response to the 40-million-view music video, the Thai government launched its own rap song celebrating innovation and progress (it flopped).
23 August 2018
The artist ‘Headache Stencil’ uses graffiti to criticize military rule in Thailand
"If people see my work and start noticing that things aren’t fair, I’ve achieved my aim."
18 May 2018
Was Bangkok Post editor Umesh Pandey fired for mismanagement or political pressure?

"I rather lose my position than to bow my head."
15 May 2018
Family-run movie theater in northeast Thailand survives decades of changes
"We have always been adapting to people’s changing tastes. That’s why we redesigned the theater three times. Our business is family-run and our employees are mostly relatives."