revolution – Tom Vater

Who owns the 21st Century?

February 22, 2011February 23, 2011tomLeave a Comment

Every day, we appear to be moving a little closer to a state of affairs where governments could become obsolete. Large parts of the world have always been ruled by people who don’t really qualify as governments, but in recent years, perfectly respectable rulers have also shown signs (not for the first time) that they […]

Apocalypse Now – Bangkok Burns!

May 19, 2010May 21, 2010tom1 Comment

The night is not far away and likely to bring out an army of looters and black guards who have promised to set the city on fire. The battle is over but the war is only just starting. Bangkok, my city, is burning. This morning started with the military moving into the Red Zone with […]

Real Rebel Music – Tom Vater talks to Thailand’s Bob Dylan, in FolkRoots Magazine

July 10, 2003May 31, 2022tom3 Comments

Nga Surachai Chanthimathon, writer, singer, guitarist and one of Thailand’s most vocal social critics, fused the sounds of Thai and Khmer folk music traditions with Bob Dylan style protest songs and picked up a gun to defend his convictions. His band, Caravan, was instrumental in the creation of one of Thailand’s most enduring musical genres […]