Description: This lecture explores how Thai and Northern Thai music and cultural traditions can inspire contemporary music composition. Through selected works by the composer—including Dances of a Hill Tribe, Fall (Variations on Colors), and Loi-Krathong (The Light Festival)—the session demonstrates how traditional melodic gestures, rhythmic patterns, improvisational practices, tuning systems, and cultural symbolism can be transformed into modern […]

Description: This talk, delivered by two presenters in conversation, includes two subject areas which meet. First, Benjamin Tausig will offer a history of Thai nightlife in Bangkok and other cities beginning during the long American war in Vietnam. This period was the genesis of what we think of as "nightlife" in the country -- a […]

Join our photography interest group, dedicated to bringing together individuals who share a passion for photography. Whether you are a seasoned photographer or a beginner just starting out, our meetings will provide an engaging and supportive environment where you can learn, share tips and tricks, and review each other’s work The group will explore a […]

Time: 10:30 - noon Description: In this illustrated talk, we’ll be finding out about Lampang (Chiang Mai’s sister city in the North) in the early 20th century, its commercial life and its foreign communities. What special factors made Lampang such an important commercial center in the period? What did foreign visitors and residents report from […]

Time: 7:00 am Saturday morning – 4:00 pm Sunday evening Description: In August, 2025 a rail excursion to Lampang brought us to some of the highlights of the region’s railway heritage, including the Chompoo Bridge and Khun Tan station. This year, we’ll be returning to Lampang for a weekend in which we’ll learn more about […]

Description This presentation is a personal and scholarly examination of Aung San Suu Kyi's political philosophy, challenging dominant Western interpretations of her leadership through the lens of Burmese Buddhist traditions and lived experience under authoritarian rule. It explores the deep historical roots of Burma's authoritarian legacy, examining how royal absolutism, British colonial bureaucracy, Japanese fascism, […]