Thailand’s Contemporary Theatre

Abstract

Though European colonialism ended in the late twentieth century, Thailand faced 
another form of Western influence during the Cold War; its political and 
economic systems were formulated by and reliant on those of the United Kingdom 
and the United States. In addition, the impact of globalisation and 
international cultural exchange has been evident in the development of Thai 
contemporary theatre. The negative effects of globalisation, on the one hand, 
may be seen in the homogenisation of cultures. On the other hand, the cultural 
exchange and hybridity brought about by globalisation have had a positive impact 
on theatre-making (Rebellato, 2009: 5). Since theatrical hybridity, as a 
post-modern construct, has primarily occurred within the context of cultural 
negotiations of the global condition, it can prove a positive source of 
creativity and cultural intervention and renewal (Barber, 2007: 13). I certainly 
believe that Thai theatre practitioners can take advantage of this cultural 
interchange to create new modes of contemporary theatre.