Cultural anthropology
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Are Thai Kids Spoilt? A change of pace in today’s Behind the Bamboo Curtain—we’re stepping away from Khun Yai’s house for a few days to explore another slice of Thai life. (I’ll put a link below).— Not every day begins with cement and ceremony. No concrete mixing, no gossiping grannies—just a different look at Thai…
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When presence matters more than purpose They arrived in convoy—pressed shirts, polished shoes, and practiced smiles—ready for the flashbulbs and flattery. No agenda, no announcements, just the optics of arrival. It’s a familiar dance: dignitaries doing the rounds, their presence calibrated for the cameras of the local newspaper rather than the community. The photo op…
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Today’s post in the Beyond the Bamboo Curtain series continues the true events of the fire at Khun Yai’s house. Following yesterday’s story about the monks who brought blankets, today’s piece continues the account of how the community rallied around Khun Yai after the fire. Soldiers, tradesmen, and neighbours all played their part in a…
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Today we continue the true story, in the Beyond the Bamboo Curtain series, of Khun Yai and how the community responded when her house was burned down. We’ll see how Thai culture and the lifestyle of Thai people plays its part in events such as this.Been round to Khun Yai’s a few times this week. Every day,…
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Beyond the Bamboo Curtain Over the next eleven days I’ll walk you through the daily drama and deep‑drawn camaraderie at Khun Yai’s charred cottage. Some scenes echoed what I already knew about Thai culture; others caught me completely off‑guard. A Fire‑Frenzy at Dawn Khun Yai’s house went up in flames this morning. I learned of the blaze…
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Beyond the Bamboo Curtain – In today’s short story, Tim is rapidly learning how Thailand differs dramatically from America. What are your experiences with Thai builders? Let us know in the comments below; other readers will benefit from your advice and views. I saw Tim and Somsee for lunch today. Work on his house is progressing well. They’ve…
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To maintain balance and avoid bias, we will later look at 2 controversial cases. One in Thailand, and the other in England The Thai court system is made up of the Constitutional Court, the Courts of Justice, the Administrative Court, and the Military Court. Most cases are initially heard in the local provincial courts of…
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This is a short piece examining both sides of Woke Culture. “Woke” is sometimes taken as meaning, “being awake to what is going on”. Readers will note the similarity between the words, woke and awake. But are we really awake to what is going on. Or, are we just accepting, without questioning or critical thinking,…
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Thai prisons aren’t anything like five‑star hotels. You won’t find private toilets or TVs in the cells. Compared with many Western jails—where you get central heating, decent medical care, gyms and game rooms—the difference is pretty stark. Officially, rehabilitation is the goal, but the long sentences handed out here make you wonder how much focus…
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“When a government office asks you to turn a Thai street name into English letters, you quickly discover that bureaucracy can be more baffling than a broken GPS.” I’d already completed the rest of the British consulate’s form in flawless English, but for my address I used Thai script—exactly as the consulate’s own guidelines demand.…