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Hard questions in Spike Lee joint ‘Da 5 Bloods,’ as reviewed by a Southeast Asian
By Smithi Skunnawat The best of the Spike Lee-directed Da 5 Bloods lies in its questions, the dazzling presentation and importance of which make up for its seen-before tropes and dainty catharsis of an ending. Unexpectedly timely as it lands on Netflix, the film in its opening montage steps through the American civil rights movement ...
Opinion
Explainer: How ‘salim’ went from Thai dessert to fashionable insult
“You are salim!” the man hissed, with something between a sneer and smile. The target of this slander? An old schoolmate who, six years ago, was among those painting Thai...
‘Bitch!’ scream the trolls, ‘catfight!’ shout the media, and we all lose (Opinion)
Above: Future Forward member Pannika Wanich wears what’s been deemed the most sinister pantsuit, ever, June 5 in a parliamentary session in Bangkok. Photo: Pannika_FWP/...
OPINION: Is it time to find a more environmental/health-friendly alternative to joss paper burning?
As I was scouring the streets around noon on Monday, looking for any street vendor that came to work on the “praying day” of Thailand’s Chinese New Year celebrations, I...
Welcome to the Dark Side: How the whitening industry and media fuel colorism in Thailand
OPINION — “But you aren’t white. How are you able to speak English so well?” That’s an actual question a new classmate asked me on my first day at a Thai school after...
OPINION: Wildly irrelevant questions at feminist event show just how far we have to go
OPINION — Her T-shirt read #DontTellMeHowToDress, so did the billboard at the event to advocate against victim blaming. So naturally, the Thai television crew in attendance...
Off the Rails: 9 ways the BTS should have improved by now
When the BTS opened in 1999, the elevated train network, modeled after Vancouver’s SkyTrain, was supposed to free Bangkokians from endless hours sitting in traffic — a...
Third Culture Kid: What it’s like to be Thai, but not really
I often catch side glances and eye rolls from Thai locals as I switch between Thai and English during conversations with my friends, who are, like me, “third culture kids.”...
#DontTellMeHowToDress: Thai women clap back at govt advice to cover up at Songkran
The hashtags #DontTellMeHowToDress and #TellMenToRespect have gained popularity on Twitter over the past few days in Thailand. The social movement is a rare clapback from Thai...
Dating Despair: Why finding love in Bangkok is hard for foreign men
Dating Despair is a four-part series about why dating in Bangkok, well … sucks. This story is a collection of anecdotes from foreign men who live in the capital. Blah, blah,...