Hi there, I'm Kai!

I'm a journalist, researcher and storyteller.

I like to say that I cover the “oddball beat” for The Straits Times because my reporting focuses on emerging trends, unusual subcultures and under-represented perspectives.

Beyond ST, some of my past work include roles in journalism (Business Insider, Yahoo Singapore) and communications (International Centre for Counter-Terrorism, LITMUS Public Relations).

I studied sociology and political science: graduating at the top of my class from the University of Cambridge as a postgraduate Chevening Scholar, and completing my undergraduate studies at Leiden University.

Always happy to be a listening ear, especially if you have a story to share.

For work-related queries, please contact me at kaixiang@sph.com.sg.

Alternatively, contact me at kaixiang.01 on Signal.

You can find me on: LinkedIn, Signal, Instagram, Twitter and Bluesky

Recent work

I think of my writing as falling under three main categories:

The invisible trends reshaping our cities - urban patterns of renewal and destruction, late-night transport and the nighttime economy, "colour democracy", vanishing nightlife districts, when a mall grows old, and why millennial homes look like that.

Fringe subcultures and 'taboo' topics - being a target of 'revenge porn' (video interview here), incel communities, furries, asexuality and aromanticism, crypto bros, and TikTok aunties.

How we imagine the past and construct the future - Singapore without Singaporeans, what might Singapore look like for those born today, nostalgic video games making a comeback, digital legacies, and an early history of public awareness campaigns.

Video

Personal Works

Untitled Train Story, my first ever published short story and one of 11 winners of the 2022 Storytel Epigram Horror Prize.

Paper Trails, a satirical pen and paper game published in the fourth issue of Mynah Magazine.

How a Reddit Post Sparked a National Conversation on Trans Rights, an article in my newsletter on Singapore's media and politics.

We, the City, a pen-and-paper game about belonging outside belonging, where players define the soul of a city.

Google Sites

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