Latest news with #ThaiCulture
Bloomberg
6 days ago
- Bloomberg
White Lotus Buzz Can't Reverse Thailand's Tourism Decline
Thailand's tourism outlook in such doldrums that even the so-called The White Lotus effect — a temporary boost in Western visitors inspired by the latest Koh Samui—set season of HBO 's hit show — hasn't been enough to offset a slump in arrivals from neighboring countries. Foreign arrivals to Thailand dropped for the fourth straight month in May, slipping 14% to 2.6 million, government data show. That's the country's longest streak of declines since 2021, when the Covid pandemic closed international borders.
BBC News
29-05-2025
- Entertainment
- BBC News
BBC World Service to bring The Arts Hour on Tour to Bangkok
Recorded in English for broadcast to a global audience on BBC World Service Radio, The Arts Hour on Tour visits cities all over the world to explore their hottest cultural trends by talking to the artists who live and work there, promoting artistic exchange across the world. We are especially excited to visit Bangkok - with its rich mix of cultures, ancient and modern - to present an amazing showcase of Thai talents. The programme will feature live performance and star guest interviews with the city's leading creatives, who join BBC presenter Nikki Bedi on stage, in front of a live audience, to discuss themes of cultural life in Bangkok and Thailand right now. We will explore the fascinating layers of Thai culture that take us far beyond the country's international image as a beloved tourist destination, from the phenomenon of 'Boys' Love' dramas, and the devoted fans who occasionally blur the lines between 'on screen' relationships and reality, to the importance of the supernatural in Thai culture. Popular screen actor, Joss Way-Ar Sangngern, is among the latest stars to be cast in the growing Boys' Love series industry in Thailand. He joins us to discuss his starring role in the hit drama 'My Golden Blood', where he plays a vampire who will do anything to protect his love. Director Ratchapoom Boonbunchachoke reveals the thinking behind his film 'A Useful Ghost', which won the top prize in the Critics' Week section at the Cannes film festival in France this year. The title refers to the main character, who is the spirit of a woman who died from dust pollution and is reincarnated as a vacuum cleaner. There is live music performance from the sensational singer/rapper Milli, who is the first solo Thai artist to perform at the Coachella music festival in the USA, and from alternative rock band Tilly Birds, whose spectacular sound is reaching international audiences. A stand-up comedy set is provided by Pim Boonyawee, one of the youngest rising stars on the Thai comedy scene. Everyone is invited to attend for free and be part of our audience for the recording, which will later be broadcast on BBC World Service Radio to millions of listeners worldwide. Date: Thursday 12 June 2025 Venue: Aksra Theatre Address: King Power Rang Nam. 8 Rang Nam Alley, Thanon Phaya Thai, Ratchathewi, Bangkok 10400, Thailand Doors open 6pm, for a 6.50pm start Please register for free seat reservations through Eventbrite About The Arts Hour on Tour The Arts Hour is the BBC World Service's flagship arts and culture programme. To date, The Arts Hour on Tour has been live on stage in: Accra, Addis Ababa, Amsterdam, Athens, Atlanta, Berlin, Bogota, Brussels, Bucharest, Budapest, Buenos Aires, Copenhagen, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Helsinki, Istanbul, Jakarta, Jaipur, Jerusalem, Johannesburg, Kuala Lumpur, Lisbon, London, Los Angeles, Madrid, Manila, Mexico City, Miami, Milan, Montreal, Mumbai, Nairobi, Nashville, New Orleans, New York, Paris, Reykjavik, San Francisco, Sao Paulo, Sarajevo, Seattle, Seoul, St Louis, St Petersburg, Taipei, Tbilisi, Tirana, Tunis, Warsaw, and Venice. We also recorded 'virtual' shows in Rome, Stockholm, and Sydney during the Covid 19 lockdowns. You can listen to all of these programmes on the BBC Arts Hour on Tour website. About Nikki Bedi Nikki Bedi is an international television and radio broadcaster with a passion for making arts and culture accessible. Her knowledge, curiosity, world-view and comprehensive research, have led to her being described as a 'cultural courier, decolonising the world one programme at a time.' She currently curates, writes and hosts The Arts Hour on the BBC World Service, which several times a year becomes The Arts Hour On Tour, a show which travels to different cities in the world bringing that country's biggest and brightest artists, actors, authors, musicians, comedians, directors, architects, poets and other top creatives in their fields, together, for a spirited debate before a live audience. In covering the arts across the globe for over two decades, which she describes as not only a privilege, but also the greatest education anyone could have, Nikki has interviewed some of the world's biggest names and talents, celebrities and industry heavyweights including: Ariana Grande, Christopher Nolan, Barry Jenkins, Sian Heder, Steve McQueen, Alexander Payne, Ariana de Bose, Aunjanue Ellis, Geena Davis, J.A. Bayona, Michael Mann, Celine Song, Ruth E. Carter, Asif Kapadia, Todd Field, Ruben Östlund, Baz Luhrmann, Colson Whitehead, and Riz Ahmed. Nikki Bedi joined the BBC as a presenter in 2003 and has rarely been off their airwaves since, hosting all kinds of TV and radio shows. RD
