Join the team from the Asia desk at the South China Morning Post as they take a deep-dive into two contrasting, but pertinent aspects of contemporary Thailand.

Bhavan has been covering Thailand's uniquely unpredictable, uniquely opaque politics and explains the developments of recent days. When Princess Ubolratana Rajakanya threw her hat in the ring, becoming a candidate for prime minister, it shaped a transformational moment in Thai politics. It was, however, fleeting: her brother King Maha Vajiralongkorn vetoed her candidacy hours later. What does that mean for the junta, for the monarchy, for the Shinawatra clan? What of Thais hoping for a return to democracy? We try to make sense of it all.

Pattaya has been described as a giant open-air brothel: it is a notorious hub for Thailand's sex industry. This unwanted reputation was apparently confirmed last year when a group of Russian “sex trainers” were arrested and deported for running “sex seminars” in the resort city. Listeners may not be aware that the city is also home to a highly visible Russian community. Contrary to the stereotype, they mostly live ordinary, productive lives.