Your Say: November 2018
This is an open forum for you, the reader, to express your opinions. Write to: info@chiangmaicitylife.com. Subject : Your Say. Letter can be on any topic but priority will be given to letters under 200 words. Letters may be edited for clarity or conciseness. Name and contact details must be supplied.
Citylife Garden Fair Supported Charity: Baan Dek Foundation / DAO Social Enterprise
Founded in 2002, The Baan Dek Foundation (BDF) is a fully registered Thai foundation based in Chiang Mai, Thailand. According to our joint research publication with UNICEF entitled ‘Building Better Futures in Thailand’ (March 2018), there are around 60,000 children of construction workers in Thailand, moving from one site to another with their families and living in temporary shelters with little access to education, public services or proper healthcare.
Burma’s Enslaved Fishermen Workers
The Burmese journalist Khin Myat Myat Wai travelled to the Irrawaddy delta region in southern Burma, where she met people whose job is to catch fish and shrimps, labouring under slave-like conditions on rickety, hardly seaworthy rafts out in the ocean – and that no one until now has exposed these practices. No one is giving assistance to these workers, and the practice of enslavement continues. This is her story.
Diplomacy Briefing: U.S. Ambassador Bids Farewell to Chiang Mai
The ambassador presented the highlights of his discussion with the governor, sharing with reporters some of the key topics, including the governor’s efforts to improve both road safety and public transport and plans for a new campus for the U.S. Consulate in Chiang Mai.
Changing Its Stripes: Thailand’s Culture of Victim Blaming in the #MeToo Era
The notion of victim blaming in Thailand is such a deep-rooted and multi-faceted problem that getting to the crux of the issue seems daunting. Government officials continue to place the blame for sexual crimes against women on the victims themselves.
Chiang Mai’s Vibrant Indian Community
It’s no coincidence that the Thai wai and the Indian namaste gestures are similar. Thailand and India have enjoyed a long and deep relationship for over a thousand years. Indian influence can be found in Thai cultural and religious practices, from the arts to scriptures and language.
Will they…won’t they? Speculating on the proposed 2019 election
The task of following Thai politics, particularly from an outsider’s perspective, can be quite daunting. Historically, Thai politics have been highly unstable, having had 17 different charters and constitutions since becoming a democracy in 1932.
Citylife’s Gratest Hit: ‘Damage Undone: inside a Women’s Prison’
Over the past fifteen years (180 plus issues), a number of writers have contributed to Citylife (formerly Chiang Mai Newsletter). Throughout 2006, to celebrate the publication’s 15 year anniversary, we will bring you a pick of the past every month.