A historical soap reveals a lot about modern Thai politics
It’s about far more than dressing up
IN SWELTERING heat at Ayutthaya Historical Park north of Bangkok, Thailand’s capital, a bevy of beautifully clad ladies strut ostentatiously in their silky traditional costumes, known as chut thai. They are among thousands who visit daily to have their pictures taken amid the scenic ruins of the old city of Ayutthaya, destroyed by Burmese invaders in 1767.
This article appeared in the Asia section of the print edition under the headline “A trip down fantasy lane”
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