We like to have fun at Coconuts, but we’re also serious about drawing attention to the social issues around us. These stories may not swarm everyone’s Facebook feeds, but they’re the ones we are most proud of.
Hidden in Plain Sight: Bangkok’s ‘invisible children’ exploited for profit
After seeing this image of young, drug-addicted children squatting just out of sight of cosmopolitan, commercial Bangkok, we wanted to understand the causes, vectors and experiences of these young lives lost just outside society’s peripheral vision. This two-part enterprise feature continued with a look at the dangerous lives of older children living on the streets.
They escaped horrors at home, now Bangkok’s ‘invisible refugees’ struggle to survive
Some people arrive in Bangkok not out of choice but for survival. After fleeing unimaginable horrors at home, displaced families seeking legal recognition from the United Nations live in fear of incarceration or worse as Thailand does recognize refugee status and considers all to be illegal migrants subject to deportation. We looked at the issue and shared the harrowing tales of some of those affected.
Universal doubts cloud ‘perfect’ Koh Tao murder investigation
Two Myanmar migrants are now on trial for the horrific murders of two vacationing Britons on the island of Koh Tao in September. Many questions have remained unanswered and doubts unsatisfied about the investigation that led to short-lived confessions they later claimed were made under torture. We added our voice to the many inside and outside of the kingdom in an editorial.
Life albums: Note Dudesweet hangs his regrets on a wall for all to see
Pongsuang “Note” Kunprasop, aka Note Dudesweet, is a cultural force who for many leads the way to The Cool. Famous for parties and fashion, he surprised everyone with a deeply personal exhibition about what happened to a little boy’s heart.
Rape Culture: From the Ramakien to the Railway, we’re all to blame
It seemed an especially anguishing and enraging year for this most savage crime. Extreme cases of men raping and murdering young women and children seemed to frustrate society’s demands for justice. Meanwhile, much remains to be said about the role and culpability of mainstream cultural forces that influence and reflect attitudes about women and violence.
Let’s talk about the issue near and dear to everyone’s hearts: The fantastic phantasms all around us every day. If you’re unfamiliar with who’s who in the spirit world, this guide will jumpstart your ghost savviness.
From Chonburi to the red carpet, Academy Award winner chased her dream
One of Thailand’s proudest moments in the international arena this year came from Disney artist Fawn Veerasunthorn, who channeled her memories of princesses from Thai folklore into an Academy Award for her work on the film “Frozen.”
Do our eyes deceive us, or is there a physical transformation going on as we slide down the Body Mass Index? Speaking of big matters on weighty subjects, we set out to take a look at the causes.
Night Prowl: Go clubbing in a brothel at ‘Black Pagoda’
Bangkok’s anything-goes nightlife reputation has suffered under martial law and social upheaval, but fortunately we still find interesting venues that, indeed, belong next to #OnlyInThailand.
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