Thailand stands at a crossroads of time, where age-old traditions collide and mingle with the waves of modernization. At the heart of this cultural drama is the deep-seated reverence for the monarchy and Buddhism, which together form the country's social and political backbone, even as the voice of youth for change grows louder.
Amnesty advocates visited by the police
Several volunteers collecting signatures to call for an amnesty law for pro-democracy activists have reported harassment by police officers, the organization Thai Lawyers for Human Rights (TLHR) said.
Boonsong Lekagul was born on December 15, 1907 into an ethnic Sino-Thai family in Songkhla, southern Thailand. He turned out to be a very intelligent and inquisitive boy in the local Public School and consequently went to study medicine at the prestigious Chulalongkorn University in Bangkok. After graduating cum laude as a doctor there in 1933, he started a group practice together with a number of other young specialists, from which the first outpatient clinic in Bangkok would emerge two years later.
The fears of Thai people
Research by Suan Dusit revealed the ten biggest fears of the Thai people, ranging from environmental issues to economic uncertainties. This in-depth overview, based on a survey of 1.273 people in 2018, offers a rare glimpse into the concerns within Thai society. Each problem raised is accompanied by a proposed solution, which you can judge for yourself.
'The sporting bar is not very high in Thailand, why is that?'
It has always surprised me that a country with around 72 million inhabitants does not really excel on the world stage when it comes to sporting achievements. Especially if you compare it with Belgium and the Netherlands, relatively small countries that play an important role on the sporting world stage. Does this have to do with the fact that there is less pressure for prestige in Thailand than in the Western world? Or are there other causes?
Violence in Thai schools
There is frequent violence in Thai schools, both physical, psychological and sexual. Little is done about this. My son attended Thai primary education for 8 years. Several times a year the teacher would tell him แบมือ bae muu (low, mid tone) “Hold up your hand!” and then he received a good slap on the palm. Often he didn't know why. This happened much more often with other students. I taught English for free at a monk school for a few years. One day I saw a large group of monks in the middle of the schoolyard. Two kneeling, bare-chested novices were beaten by three monks while half the school watched.
The Thai National Anthem
For those who want to integrate in Thailand, and there are undoubtedly many on this blog, it is necessary that they can sing the Thai national anthem at the top of their lungs.
Why are bananas crooked?
With a simple example you can sometimes show big differences between unequal cultures and views. Some quickly sense where those differences are, others have to learn through trial and error and there is of course also a category of people who have no need to take the differences into account at all.
Gambling, officially banned but unofficially rooted in Thai culture, is a paradoxical dance of risk and reward. In the small alleys of Bangkok, behind closed doors in Chiang Mai, or in the open fields of Isaan, this passion comes to life. It is not only a game of chance, but also a ritual that is deeply intertwined with Thai life.
Nice to be a Thai (?)
We Farang live in Thailand and usually have a good time there. It is therefore a good place for us. Some still complain about anything and everything. Others see things through rose-colored glasses. That is all widely reported on the Thailand blog.
Thailand in pictures (12): Soldiers and coups
A picture paints a thousand words. This certainly applies to Thailand, a special country with an interesting culture and many cheerful people, but also a dark dark side of coups, poverty, exploitation, animal suffering, violence and many road deaths. In each episode we choose a theme that gives an insight into Thai society. Today a photo series about coups and military.
Thailand in pictures (11): The small self-employed person
A picture paints a thousand words. This certainly applies to Thailand, a special country with an interesting culture and many cheerful people, but also a dark dark side of coups, poverty, exploitation, animal suffering, violence and many road deaths. In each episode we choose a theme that gives an insight into Thai society. In this series no slick pictures of swaying palms and white beaches, but of people. Today a photo series about the small self-employed person.
Thailand in pictures (10): Ladyboys
A picture paints a thousand words. This certainly applies to Thailand, a special country with an interesting culture and many cheerful people, but also a dark dark side of coups, poverty, exploitation, animal suffering, violence and many road deaths. In each episode we choose a theme that gives an insight into Thai society. Today a photo series about Ladyboys.
Thailand in pictures (9): Beggars
A picture paints a thousand words. This certainly applies to Thailand, a special country with an interesting culture and many cheerful people, but also a dark side of coups, environmental pollution, poverty, exploitation, animal suffering, violence and many road deaths. Today a photo series about beggars.
A picture paints a thousand words. This certainly applies to Thailand, a special country with an interesting culture and many cheerful people, but also a dark side of coups, poverty, prostitution, exploitation, animal suffering, violence and many road deaths. Today a photo series about air pollution and particulate matter.
Thailand in pictures (7): Prostitution
A picture paints a thousand words. This certainly applies to Thailand, a special country with an interesting culture and many cheerful people, but also a dark dark side of coups, poverty, exploitation, animal suffering, violence and many road deaths. Today a photo series about prostitution in Thailand.
Thailand in pictures (6): Slums
A picture paints a thousand words. This certainly applies to Thailand, a special country with an interesting culture and many cheerful people, but also a dark side of coups, poverty, exploitation, animal suffering, violence and many road deaths. Today a photo series about another dark side of Thailand: the slums.