Eight films will be shown at the Taiwan Film Festival In Bangkok 2018, which runs from Jan 17-23 at Quartier Cineart, EmQuartier. Besides a selection of new films, cinema lovers will certainly jam the screening of the 1991 film A Brighter Summer Day, a classic from the late Edward Yang and definitely one of the best Chinese-language films ever made. Contemporary Taiwanese cinema, many have argued, began with Yang in the 1980s. Among his nine titles as director, A Brighter Summer Day is the most cherished and realised, a masterpiece steeped in the ground-level reality of Taiwanese life in 1960. More than that, it's a bold, luminous proof that cinema is a cultural force that contributes to the (de)construction of a nation's identity.Running at four hours, A Brighter Summer Day seems intimidating. But it's not: it's an engaging four hours of family, friendship, gangs and rock'n'roll. Elvis' Are You Lonesome Tonight was a hit that year, and thus the film's title. The sprawling story … [Read more...] about Edward Yang classic headlines Taiwan Film Festival In Bangkok
Bangkok
District condemns 40 low-income Bangkok houses
Forty "Ban Mankhong" housing units for low-income earners in Bangkok's Sai Mai district have been declared off-limits because of poor construction standards. The district office, however, has played down the issue, saying city inspectors only detected some minor flaws that could be corrected without having to demolish the structures.According to Isra News, Sai Mai district office issued an order on Dec 15 last year to ban the use of 40 houses located close to Klong Lat Phrao after an inspection showed the structures were below standard.The Ban Mankhong Collective Housing Programme was launched in 2003 by the Thaksin government to try to provide low-cost housing for the poorest Bangkok residents.A notice prohibiting the use of the units was posted outside the properties on Dec 28, triggering concerns among tenants who were eager to move in.Those who violate the order face a six-month jail term and a fine of 100,000 baht, or both, plus a daily fine of 30,000 baht. The ban is in line with … [Read more...] about District condemns 40 low-income Bangkok houses
Who Loves Bangkok More Than Me?
Maura Moynihan presents a solo exhibition which shows her passion for the city of Bangkok, which is -- in her view -- a feast of beauty. Viewers are invited to explore this manic metropolis through her paintings of citywide locales. Pola The Jim Thompson Art Centre Soi Kasemsan 2 Every day, 9am-5pm Until Feb 28 Call 02-16-7368The Jim Thompson Art Center and Danar Hadi Museum, Surakarta, are pleased to present the "Pola -- Patterns Of Meaning" exhibition, curated by Mella Jaarsma, a leading Dutch artist and curator based in Yogyakarta, Indonesia. The exhibition is the intersection between the traditional batik from the Danar Hadi Museum Collection and newly commissioned works by contemporary Indonesian artists. It explores the significance of batik in Indonesia's history and cultural identity.Play The Future Factory Bangkok Phahon Yothin Road Until Jan 21 Call 098-253-9356Rook Floro and Poom Pechavanich present a duo exhibition exploring humans' diverse sexual preferences, desires and … [Read more...] about Who Loves Bangkok More Than Me?
Rain blankets Bangkok, some roads flooded
A strong thunderstorm slammed into Bangkok before dawn on Wednesday, with floods reported in some areas across the city. Traffic jams appeared likely as rush hour got under way and the rain continued into a second consecutive hour.The Bangkok Metropolitan Administration said rain was detected throughout the capital.Among the hardest hit were areas along the Chao Phraya River. The BMA's disaster prevention and mitigation office said Min Buri district and next-door Nong Chok were hit by dowpours with rainfall of 89mm.Sukhumvit Road in Bang Na district and some sections on Lat Phrao and Ramkhamhaeng areas were flooded, according to traffic radio stations.The Meteorological Department said rain was possible in other areas of the country through Thursday, although the nation is in the middle of the so-called cool season, which is mostly. Temperatures will drop by 4-6°C later in the week, the weather forcast agency added. … [Read more...] about Rain blankets Bangkok, some roads flooded
Building a more livable Bangkok
Global urban population growth is expected to skyrocket by 2050 with an anticipated 70% of the world's population living in cities, according to a recent article in Blueprint, a global magazine presented by CBRE. In the past 10 years, Bangkok has seen rapid development and redevelopment. The increasingly high cost of remaining prime land plots has necessitated high-density, high-rise buildings to make building financially viable for developers, given the high investment cost. Bangkok is already a crowded city with most of the public areas such as roads, walkways and parks overburdened, especially in rush hours.CBRE Research shows a planned new supply of 420,000sq m of office space to be completed by 2019 and another 1.2 million sq m between 2020 and 2023. Of this new supply expected between 2020 and 2023, a total of 260,000sq m is expected to be in non-Central Business District areas while 955,500sq m will be in the CBD.Residential supply is also expected to continue to grow. CBRE … [Read more...] about Building a more livable Bangkok