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Thai photographer pictures the naked truth

Thai photographer pictures the naked truth

Nikkei Asia06-08-2025
Arts
Sophirat Muangkum brings nudity into the country's mainstream
Photographer Sophirat Muangkum says she is still being challenged about her work but sees changes in the art world and by extension in Thai society. (Courtesy of 333 Gallery and Preecha Pattara)
TOM VATER
BANGKOK -- "When I started out, I never thought I would become a photographer," says 42-year-old Thai photographer Sophirat Muangkum. "I thought of what I was doing as therapy because my job in sales and marketing was stressful, and I tried to find art to heal myself. I couldn't paint, so I picked photography."
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Thai photographer pictures the naked truth
Thai photographer pictures the naked truth

Nikkei Asia

time06-08-2025

  • Nikkei Asia

Thai photographer pictures the naked truth

Arts Sophirat Muangkum brings nudity into the country's mainstream Photographer Sophirat Muangkum says she is still being challenged about her work but sees changes in the art world and by extension in Thai society. (Courtesy of 333 Gallery and Preecha Pattara) TOM VATER BANGKOK -- "When I started out, I never thought I would become a photographer," says 42-year-old Thai photographer Sophirat Muangkum. "I thought of what I was doing as therapy because my job in sales and marketing was stressful, and I tried to find art to heal myself. I couldn't paint, so I picked photography."

‘Hippo Birthday': Thailand's Moo Deng Turns 1 Year Old
‘Hippo Birthday': Thailand's Moo Deng Turns 1 Year Old

Yomiuri Shimbun

time17-07-2025

  • Yomiuri Shimbun

‘Hippo Birthday': Thailand's Moo Deng Turns 1 Year Old

CHONBURI, Thailand (AFP-Jiji) — Thailand's pygmy hippo Moo Deng marked her first birthday on July 10, leaving behind the animal infancy which boosted her to worldwide internet fame for her cute antics. Crowds have been invited to a four-day festival at Khao Kheow Open Zoo where Moo Deng — meaning 'bouncy pork' in Thai — frolicked to stardom and amassed five million social media fans. The first day of the extravaganza falls on a Thai public holiday, and the agenda includes a lecture on 'Moo Deng's cheekiness,' while a skincare beautician has paid $3,000 to sponsor her fruit-festooned cake. There were hopes her stardom would spotlight the plight of the endangered pygmy hippo, native to West Africa, with only around 2,500 left alive according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature. But social media and search engine metrics suggest Moo Deng's popularity peaked around late September last year before dramatically declining. 'Moo Deng went viral very quickly when she was born,' said Joshua Paul Dale, an academic who teaches courses on the phenomenon of 'cuteness' at Japan's Chuo University. 'Maybe part of our appreciation of cuteness is knowing that it's something that doesn't last very long,' he told AFP. Moo Deng's blubbery rose-blushed face launched a thousand memes and a plethora of merchandise including piggy banks, party shirts and popsicles — prompting her owners to trademark her likeness. The pint-sized pachyderm quadrupled ticket sales for the zoo where her small and sparse enclosure was once broadcasted by a 24/7 livestream. Moo Deng is part of a pantheon of captive animals who have enjoyed flash-in-the-pan popularity for their cuteness online, including Australia's Pesto the penguin and China's Hua Hua the panda. Pygmy hippos have a lifespan of between 30 and 50 years. While academic Dale predicts she may lose the limelight to longevity, he says Moo Deng could enjoy enduring appeal as fans recall 'how unbearably cute she was when she was very, very small and just born.' 'That can kind of continue on and affect our relationship with cute things, even when they grow up,' he said.

Thai festivals dazzle Japan with street food, 'T-pop' and fashion
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Nikkei Asia

time06-07-2025

  • Nikkei Asia

Thai festivals dazzle Japan with street food, 'T-pop' and fashion

A woman performs a traditional dance at the 25th Thai Festival Tokyo, held in the city's Yoyogi Park in May. (Photo by Mizuho Miyazaki) NATSUMI KAWASAKI TOKYO -- From street food and trendy clothes to "T-pop" and boys' love dramas, festivals showcasing a diverse range of Thai culture are drawing big crowds in Japan. Beyond events hosted by the Thai Embassy, locally sponsored festivals with official backing have spread across the country and are set to continue through the end of summer, attracting visitors of all ages.

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