Obituaries

I am actually a little bit saddened to make this announcement, but yesterday I received word from a reliable source that the Bua Savan Theater in Vientiane, Laos has been destroyed. A Vientiane fixture for film since at least as early as the 1960's, the Bua Savan operated throughout the latter years of the Lao Royalist era and most of Communist era, the transition point of which was 1975. I visited the old giant back in January of this year. Its image has served as the title banner for the Southeast Asia Movie Theater Project since I started it in March.

RIP
Bua Savan Theater
Vientiane, Laos
196? - 2009

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In other grim news, last weekend I was down in Bangkok on yet another theater hunt and I noticed two recent casualties:

The street side sign and marquee for the Thai Rama on Somdet Prajao Thaksin Road, just off the Wong Wian Yai traffic circle has been taken down. I don't know whether the theater itself has been destroyed or not.

A sign no more

In the Sathon area of Bangkok, the sign and marquee for the Jan Theater and Snooker, once perched above the lot of a Caltex gas station on Jan Road has likewise been removed. Whether the theater itself remains or not is unknown.

A handsome sign, now likely in a scrap yard.