In pursuit of academic freedom

A temple is more than a place of worship. Located on a bank of the Chao Phraya River, Wat Thong Noppakhun is offering food for democratic thought. Surrounded by leafy trees, its library is now home to a large number of non-official history books, some of which are controversial in what remains a conservative society.

Inspired by the Siamese Revolution, a group of university students recently launched the 1932 People Space Library project in the neighbourhood of Klong San to promote open discussion of the country’s recent history. As the old saying goes, history repeats itself. The library is located in the same temple where their predecessors once gathered.

“My friend made an interesting point that we don’t really have libraries…