As Myanmar intensifies its military draft, a surge of middle-class Burmese youths are flocking to Thailand for education. This trend reveals the impact of Myanmar's political landscape on young lives, with Thailand becoming a crucial steppingstone before they seek further opportunities in other countries. Here, these students share their journeys, aspirations, and the sacrifices they make to escape military service.

Songkhla's bid for World Heritage status could boost the city's stagnant economy, but multicultural communities fear their ways of life may be left out by the monolithic preservation plan.

Samyan is home to some of Thailand’s premier educational institutions, including Chulalongkorn University Demonstration School (Satit Chula) and Triam Udom Suksa School. It also contains a number of more accessible temple-based schools which serve the needs of local students from families struggling to make ends meet. But gentrification and rising rent prices have displaced families, forcing the children to take long commutes to school. Enter Samyan NewGen, a program that not only provides a safe place for students to wait for pick up but also offers a supportive learning environment.

By 2024, Thailand’s school lunch budget rose to 22-36 baht per meal, but complaints about quality and portions persisted. Teachers and caterers argue this still falls short of the 40 baht needed for a basic meal, leaving local governments to cover shortfalls as schools remain under Ministry control.

In Sisaket, a northeastern Thai province bordering Cambodia, disabled residents often struggle to access essential aids like prosthetics and orthotics due to geographic isolation and financial hardship. Many endure long, expensive trips to service centres, prompting calls for local repair facilities, travel subsidies, and personalised equipment to improve their lives.

The expansion of the BTS and MRT has significantly improved urban mobility, but it’s costly and lacks proper connections. Clearly, these systems alone cannot fully resolve Bangkok’s traffic woes.

As civil society renews calls for greater autonomy through 'metropolitan provinces,' the government’s leading party has proposed the return of CEO governors, while support grows for local governance reform. Both paths are now stalled by the same enduring obstacle: political inertia.

The election of Bangkok’s Governor sparked nationwide calls for elections of provincial governors, but academics argue that there is a more effective path to advancing democracy.

Northern Thai women have long been portrayed as subservient, delicate, beautiful - an ideal housewife in a patriarchal society. But they are no less active in politics and society than men. The region has a history of women being at the forefront of the struggle for human rights, and following the 2023 general election, five of Chiang Mai's 10 MPs are women. However, some obstacles still remain.

Globally known for its beaches and nightlife district, Pattaya City is one of Thailand's most popular tourist destinations. Although it is designated a special autonomous region, allowed to elect its own mayor and regulate its tourism industry, it faces numerous limitations due to a lacklustre decentralization policy. Its stakeholders are now concerned that the city and its tourism sector would be outpaced by other global cities unless changes are made in its governance.

Bangkok is facing a homelessness problem, but is the issue being solved at the right points? Although the state is running shelters and organising places for people to stay by sharing their rent, the questions remains whether peopel's needs are being met and whether providing temporary relief is enough.

While Chiang Mai has been facing an air pollution crisis, ranking among the world's most polluted cities between March and April each year, the local authorities and civil society are learning from past challenges and finding a way of addressing the issue.