Thailand as Refuge for Displaced Myanmar Creatives

Since Myanmar's 1 February 2021 coup, artists, filmmakers, musicians and creative workers have fled the country, finding relative safety in Thailand's remote corners and art communities. Exhibitions like Defiant Art (January 2022) and Trails of Absence & Symbols of Presence at Bangkok Art and Culture Centre (BACC) featured unattributed works or aliases to protect identities. At Jim Thompson Art Center, a talk by a Yangon curator was recorded for editing to remove statements that could endanger him. The festival Limbo, held in Chiang Mai in September 2024, included trauma-informed events and art by exiled creatives such as Khin Sandar Nyut, who used mortar shells to create sculptures. Artist Sai, who fled after 244 days in hiding, created the series Trails of Absence documenting his mother under house arrest. Thailand, sharing a 2,416km border with Myanmar and with a history of hosting refugees, has become a hub for post-coup solidarity, though risks remain for undocumented immigrants. The Can't Stop Won't Stop Festival is scheduled for 20–22 February 2025.