Despite ancestral links, Chinese opera struggles in Thailand

NAKHON PATHOM, Thailand: Thai performers caked in make-up belt out the piercing notes of Chinese opera -- an art form under threat by changing cultural habits and demographics in a kingdom reshaped by centuries of immigration from the north

With Chinese New Year kicking off next week, the nomadic “Lau San Chia Soon” troupe, who pitch their stage wherever they are invited, are expecting a particularly busy few days.