LSA Opinion: The stories we loved writing this year (and why)

We published over 2500 stories on Lifestyle Asia Thailand just this year, but like parents, we all have our favourites. Here are the stories we most enjoyed writing this year, and why.

We cover a wide array of subjects on Lifestyle Asia, and with time, many of us have established a sense of ownership over certain verticals. Our editorial meetings — highly caffeinated, deeply charged, and most times scandalous — are always a fun place for us to brainstorm and discuss lifestyle trends, current news, and creative story angles.

We conduct interviews with budding entrepreneurs and bartenders, we write itineraries for international celebrities when they visit, and we even explained the Thai general election in Mean Girls terms, for crying out loud.

Below, get a closer peek into the thought process behind some of our favourite stories. For our final LSA Opinion of 2023, here are the stories we most loved writing this year — and why.

[Hero Image Credit: Everything Everywhere All At Once/A24; Featured Image Credit: The White Lotus/HBO]

LSA Opinion: Our favourite stories this year

A few ideas for The White Lotus Thailand, as creator Mike White is currently in town

I’ve always wanted to push our content to the next level through a creative pathway. This story was one of the first I wrote this year, upon hearing that The White Lotus show runner Mike White was scouting locations for the next season in Thailand. Sure, we could’ve merely reported this fact, just as many others did, but it was also a lot of fun to come up with a few theories (and even potential plot lines) to add another dimension to an otherwise news-y piece. We have been working quite hard to add a personal — and personally, pretty cheeky — voice to all our stories this year. Needless to say, everyone had a laugh about it on our social channels, which always makes me happy.
—LG, Creative Content Director

4 Jay dishes you should try in Bangkok’s Chinatown in 2023

Growing up in a Thai-Chinese family, I usually tagged along with my mum on Yaowarat streets whenever we had to prepare the traditional offerings for our ancestors. Writing about this Jay Food piece was arguably the first time I roamed the streets without my mum’s help. I did call her, though, to ask for the names of some places I’d forgotten and how to get there. I remember standing in the queues for the peanut toffee (Toobtab Laopae) for hours to the point that I already made friends with some grannies standing in front of me. You can check the reel I took here.
—PL, Features Editor

The 2024 LSA Christmas Movie Advent Calendar

It wasn’t a story per se, but this year, we did a Christmas Movie Advent Calendar. It was really enjoyable to compile those 25 films as well as trying to order them so that if anyone did follow along and actually watch them, they’ll have a good variety day-by-day. I’m definitely doing it again next year, but my worry now is which movies deserve to stay, which ones deserve to go, and which deserve to be added in? I’ll circle back in 2024.
—ES, Senior Writer

LSA Debutante (interview series)

After I got asked to do this column, I was kind of nervous because I didn’t know how it would turn out. Nor did I have any ideas of who to interview or if they’d even respond to me. However, after the first LSA Debutante, I realised it was all in my head. The interviews turned out well, and I got to meet really cool people that I wouldn’t usually reach out to. They’re also similar to my age, so it’s quite inspiring to hear their stories and share them with our readers.
—TC, Content Writer

Where to dine like you’re in Everything Everywhere All at Once in Bangkok

I love every element of the movie and so I enjoyed writing this piece so much. Food is a big thing in Chinese culture and we can see them being scattered throughout the storyline of EEAAO, whether appetising or not. What makes it even more interesting to write is the fact that, with the film’s diverse cultural setting, not only Chinese dishes are included but also Western baked goods and fast food. In this case, Bangkok, as usual, boasts the most perfectly delicious options for all.
—PC, Content Writer

So we Talked… (interview series)

I’m really happy with where my interview column is going this year. So we Talked started Q4 of last year and it has been something special for me ever since. If I were to really pick, it’s either between Song Terbsiri of Stella or Filippo Sanchi of Rosewood that were so fun to write, and taught me new perspectives on the drinks and hospitality industry. Hopefully I’ll get to interview many more icons of the industry like this in 2024 as well.
—KV, Content Writer