Spot-on horoscope for work, money, coupled & single life from famously accurate Guru’s fortuneteller. Let’s see how would you fare this week & beyond!

This source first appeared on Bangkok Post Lifestyle.

In the wake of news about a certain multinational corporation shamelessly stealing intellectual property from independent designers who weren’t “big enough” to matter, we were reminded of why it’s important to give artists our backing. So, we scoured the streets — or more so the digital lanes of Facebook and Instagram — for local imaginations worth following and getting to know. The result is an eclectic pick of illustrators and designers we think could very well be the next Jeepjeep, Wisut or Sundae Kids.

KHAE

Creator: “Khae” Pimkhae Kaewpusri

It was instant follow the minute we saw her illustration about friendship and leg hairs. If you love illustrators like Sundae Kids and Tuna Dunn who capture reality in comics so lovable they’ll get you laughing at the lemons life has dealt you, you need to add Khae to your feed. Although a newbie to the Facebook blogging community, this illustrator makes our list over dozens of skillful doodlers because she’s no copycat and has something interesting to say.  

Interesting fact: When Khae first started her page, she was too cheap to invest in a digital pen and for a while used a regular mouse to make her illustrations. Girllll!

Follow at: http://fb.com/mspimkhae, ig@mspimkhae.

JULI BAKER AND SUMMER

Creator: “Phaan” Chanaradee Chatrakul Na Ayudhya

Her style is the antithesis of precision and austerity and is everything society needs right now. Inspired by what she calls “naive art”, or art that involves no rules or technical skill, Juli Baker and Summer’s works thrive on carefree strokes and a madness of colour. Behind the moniker is a fresh art grad named Phaan, who’s been keeping busy since finishing school. Not only is she a fulltime fashion and film columnist now, she’s been doing artworks for brands like Noe & Zoe, the album art for Plastic Plastic’s Stay At Home, and most recently painted a mural on The Hub Saidek foundation near Hualamphong. If you’d like to own a little Juli Baker and Summer, she’s got a regular collection of stickers, postcards and tees for sale on Facebook.

Interesting fact: Beatlemania is alive and well in this 22-year-old (as if we couldn’t already tell). She may or may not have nicked a rock from Ringo Starr’s house to keep as memorabilia…

Follow at: http://julibakerandsummer.wordpress.com, http://fb.com/julibakerandsummer, ig@julibakerandsummer.

NEW YEAR

Creator: “New Year” Paphakorn Srikunrayakorn

New Year is a chronic doodler who lets us in on exactly what her mind is thinking when she looks at random, everyday objects. She’ll show you, for instance, how rubber bands can become a worm, a stapler can turn into a weird pun and how street food can resemble a hat by adding just a few simple lines. Her Instagram is full of many other delights, such as abstract characters doing abstract things, like phone yoga or petting a spiky animal out of love. If you can’t get enough of her quirky vibes, you can sacrifice your lunch money to own her original Line stickers “hey dude” or real stickies to go crazy with on all your belongings. 

Interesting fact: The longest she’s gone without drawing is three days, accidentally ending the self-induced challenge by doodling on a restaurant napkin. Whoops.

Follow at: http://fb.com/nywoody, ig@newyear6, ig@thepostmanshop (sticker shop).

STEREOTYPE

Creator: “Chon” Chonlatee Aitzaratanazit

Stereotype is an independent clothing shop that specialises in original embroidered tees designed by the owner, Chon, who works in production — making MVs and commercials, that sort of thing. We first encountered his apparels at JJ, immediately throwing ourselves at a Ziggy Stardust homage no fan of Bowie should be able to resist. Admittedly, Chon’s shirt designs are quite the catch for any stereotypical hipster. If you feel like you’ve just been called out, take note that Stereotype is making a full transition to online by the end of this month, after having been in the weekend market circuit since 2009.   

Interesting fact: The name Stereotype was chosen somewhat ironically as the designer behind the brand has a disdain for cookie-cutter ideas. 

Follow at: http://fb.com/stereotypebangkok, ig@stereotypebangkok.

MM.

Creator: “MM.” Natnaree Kosum

You may have seen this design student’s hand drawn work last year at Speedy Grandchild, in a solo exhibition titled “Cigarette Butt That Washed Off By The Tide”. Since then, MM. has been messing around with screen printing, recently coming out with a batch of nattou (Japanese fermented soybean) and gyoza prints Japan-lovers never knew they needed. While she likes to switch up her choice of medium, MM.’s work has a few staying quirks, such as a love for contemporary Japanese culture, thick black ink and an unmistakable hint of personal story.   

Interesting fact: MM. has a fear of speaking on microphones because she’s quite terrified of the sound of her own voice. You’re not alone, MM., you’re not alone.

Follow at: http://fb.com/mmmm.kosum.

MR. LEMON HEAD

Creator: “June” Satida Hatthakitchumroen

If your clothes are in desperate need of a personality tune-up, perhaps all you need is a little patch or a few from Mr. Lemon Head. You can find these charming iron-on embroideries at the Happening Shop at the BACC or on Instagram and Facebook. They go so ideally with denim, plain cotton shirts and all those canvas tote bags you keep on collecting. But be warned: it’s difficult to stop at just one. At least five sounds about right. Or ten. You can get them in presets or pick and choose to tell your own story. That’s ultimately what’s so great about this design concept — it’s both a finished product and the starting point of your creativity. #weseewhatyoudidthere, Mr. Lemon Head.

Interesting fact: Though her alias is Mr. Lemon Head, June loves pine cones. A lot.

Follow at: http://fb.com/misterlemonhead, ig@misterlemonhead.

CALIIICO

Creator: “Tor” Thossaporn Chuatong

When we first found Caliiico’s works as postcards, he proved that touristy things didn’t have to be tacky. The artist, Tor, draws Thailand rather the way locals see it everyday, which is truly a treat for residents as much as tourists. Not to mention that the artist’s smooth watercolour style of digital art is one we admire and enviously wished we had. Besides societal portrayals, Caliiico’s works often centre around adorable animal characters, especially Baitarn the calico cat and Jumper the black dog — the artist’s own pets. There’s no question you’ll be smitten if you’re a cat-person or a dog-person, but even if you aren’t, Caliiico has a way of making these characters grow on you. His merch is available in several boutiques around town, including BACC, JJ and Asiatique. You can find the full list of outlets on his website.

Interesting fact: Despite his love for cats and having a kitty at home, Tor’s allergic to cats.

Follow at: http://caliiico.com, http://fb.com/caliiicosketch, http://thossapornch.tumblr.com. 

GAME: Now that you know a little bit about each of these illustrators, can you identify whose work is which on the 1st picture?

This source first appeared on Bangkok Post Lifestyle.

If you live around Sathorn-Narathiwat-Rama III, you probably have trouble explaining where that is to the uninitiated. And find it even tougher convincing them that bars and restaurants are mushrooming all over.

So no excuses necessary from Pranai Phornprapha (yes, a scion of those Phornpraphas) and several shareholders for siting their restaurant-bar “destination” project “Thyme” at the Rama III end of Nang Linchi where mass transit’s a mirage but road access is amazing.

Greenfield sites can still be found and rents are lower, so so are menu prices. Moreover, this twin-storey in-vogue-industrial box isn’t challenged either for table or parking space.

So game-on for its “casual all-day modern European” concept and smattering of fusion concessions to the Thai-food fixated.

With its metal frame, widescreen roadside vista, epoxied-concrete, brickwork, wooden table tops, hanging ferns and incandescent light bulbs, the décor is attractive without monopolizing attention.

Ground floor, front-facing tables require booking but the chic vibe evenly pervades the neighbouring long bar and mezzanine dining area, where live bands play Thurs-Sat, and trendy private dining room.

The menu is co-created by dashing Spaniard Mario Rodriguez Gago and self-confessed foodie Pranai, a hook-up that came courtesy of Facebook, Mario being a cohort of Thyme’s original Michelin-experienced Spanish chef.

At heart, Thyme is a showcase for artisanal, mainly Spanish but also Italian and local produce curated into full-flavour Euro-centric culinary concepts.

Spanish charcuterie — patanegra, iberico etc. — is one specialty and Mario rightly claims that Thyme’s dry-aged and cured Cecina beef compares favourably with competing charcuterie. Especially when the intriguingly purple “Spanish Wagyu” is doused with olive oil and sprinkled with parmesan, Spanish truffle and rocket.

Another pork product — Castilla-style suckling pig served with apple-mushroom compote, celeriac purée and gravy — is cooked sous-vide with herbs before oven-roasting for optimal crackling.

Seafood looms large, too, including deep-fried calamari rings in well-seasoned batter, with lotus root, fresh chilli and mayo foam whipped up with a tantalizing dash of Sri Racha sauce.

Gambas al Ajillo — tender, plump prawns from the Gulf of Thailand cooked and served in a skillet with garlic-infused olive oil, garlic and onion, contrasted with crunchy sourdough baguette dusted with herbs, is as sumptuous as it sounds.

Thyme’s takes on paella, slimmed down to servings for two-three, are equally gratifying. The range of flavours may surprise those who have only encountered the seafood version on upscale buffets. Turns out it’s as versatile — and delectable — as its Italian rival, risotto. Possibly the most piquant is the version with black squid ink infusion into the bomba rice and fish stock. With tender, Atlantic coast octopus tentacles, squid rings, lemon slices and creamy garlic aioli on the side, this is hearty fare of the highest order. Other flavours range chicken & chorizo, Canadian lobster, classic seafood, porcini mushroom & pancetta, and even vegetarian paella with melted goat cheese.

For those who spurn Euro chow, tom yum spaghetti is a stunner. A paste of finely ground Thai herbs and spices forms a delicious sauce that clings to the homemade spaghetti perfectly. Added with grilled king prawn and seafood sauce, what’s not to love?

Some drop by just for the Torrija, a bread and milk loaf with caramelized crust, juxtaposed with dried raspberry, berry coulis, crunchy crushed nuts and vanilla sauce. Another sweet treat — classic churros; cylindrical sweet fritters — dunk delightfully in dark chocolate and caramelised milk sauces.

Craft beers, fruity cocktails and affordable wines flow from the bar.

Being all-day, breakfasts, light lunches and afternoon teas are also served. Moreover, the menu is constantly being refreshed because that’s what Mario and Pranai love doing best.

This source first appeared on Bangkok Post Lifestyle.

FOR LUDWIG van Beethoven, music was a higher revelation than all wisdom and philosophy. And for music lovers who get lost in the magic of his music, that sentiment rings true.

This may be the reason why music has such a strong presence at Bangkok’s 18th International Festival of Dance & Music which runs from September 8 to October 19.

As well as western classical, the festival has an evening devoted to songs from Hollywood films and another to jazz. “Hollywood Sound Of Cinema” on September 27 and “An Evening Of Jazz” on October 3 with The Shuffle Demons from Canada and the Belgian Saxophone Ensemble are both promising must-see performances.

The two-hour “Hollywood Sound of Cinema” with five international singers and musicians will travel through Hollywood’s iconic film music. The show has previously toured China and Europe with great success and has won several awards, such as the Beste Deutsche Showproduktion and has performed on various famous television shows in Europe such as “Das Fest der Volksmusik”.

The performers include soloists Lydia Gritz, Lisa Aberer, BarneHeimbucher and James Carrow, all known for their remarkable skills as vocalists and entertainers, along with Tim Hahn on the drums, keyboardist CarstenBrocker, on the guitar Lars Kutschke and on the bass Oliver Klemp. All have a long list of credits to their names and have performed across America and Europe.

Bringing these talents together is Scala Theatre that is known for its musical theatre productions, comedies, operas, classical dance theatres and dramas. Legions of celebrated actors, singers and directors have worked for the company, including Curd Jurgens, Giuseppe di Stefano and Maximilian Shell. Founded in Switzerland 1959 by the Grabowsky brothers, it is one of the most successful companies in Europe.

In the seventies, the company also took over the direction of various theatres such as Operettenhaus Hamburg, Bernhard Theater Zurich, Musical Theater Zurich, Theater des Westens Berlin and Deutsches Theater Munchen.

The show is directed by singer and actress Sina Selensky. She is also author, director and producer of comedies, musical theatres, dance-and-music shows for several tour companies and theatres.

An audience can expect to hear classics such as Pirates of the Caribbean, James Bond mix, I Will Survive, Unchain My Heart, Moon River, Supercalifragilistic, Dirty Dancing mix, Doctor Zhivago mix, Pretty Woman, Diamonds Are a Girl’s Best Friend, Purple Rain, Mission Impossible, My Heart Will Go On, Thriller, Ghostbusters, Footloose, and more.

The Shuffle Demons from Canada and the Belgian Saxophone Ensemble will be in a double bill for “An Evening Of Jazz”.

The evening begins with The Shuffle Demons and their jazz musical fusion. A high-energy Canadian band blends virtuosic jazz and funk, with eye-catching costumes and over-the-top stage antics.

The band first broke onto the Canadian music scene with their genre-bending music and visually entertaining shows. The group brings together five vocalists who are also accomplished instrumentalists: Richard Underhill (alto saxophone), Perry White (tenor saxophone), Ryan Oliver (tenor saxophone), George Koller (bass) and Stich Wynston (drums).

Underhill, a multi award-wining musician is the founding member of the Toronto-based band and its defacto leader. He took this bop-rap ensemble from the streets of Toronto across Canada and to Europe. One of Canada’s most distinctive jazz performers, he is in great demand as a sessions player and sideman and has written horn and string arrangements for several well-known musicians.

Along the band has released eight CDs, two hit videos, won several music awards, done numerous television and radio appearances and toured nationally and internationally, including 25 cross-Canada tours, five US tours, 16 European tours and seven Asia-Pacific tours.

Explaining their music, the band members say, “What do you get when you cross three amazing saxophonists dressed in wacky clothes, a crazy dancing drummer and a killer upright bass player and have them sing songs about buses, roaches and hockey and spend half their time playing in the audience? The Shuffle Demons, that’s what!”

The Belgian Saxophone Ensemble takes the stage for the second part of the night. The sound is incredible as thirteen mouthpieces create a unique sound that blurs the border between different musical categories – contemporary, classical, jazz, improvised and traditional music.

The ensemble’s repertoire consists mainly of specially written pieces and the music can range from avant-garde to neo-classical. The group was drawn together through their shared love of the saxophone. The instrument has an enormous scope of expression – from the bass saxophone through to the sopranino – and ensemble’s members explore all aspects of the versatile instrument.

Bringing it all together is Cezariusz Gadzina, the founder and conductor. Gadzina created the group from scratch and has led it for many years.

The Festival is sponsored by: Crown Property Bureau, Bangkok Bank, Bangkok Dusit Medical Services, BMW Thailand, B.Grimm Group, Dusit Thani Bangkok, Indorama Ventures, Ministry of Culture, Nation Group, PTT, Singha Corporation, Thai Airways International and Tourism Authority of Thailand.

MOVIE MAGIC AND SAX APPEAL

– Hollywood Sound Of Cinema will stage on September 27 at 7.30pm.

– An Evening of Jazz will perform on October 3 at 7.30pm.

– For more information: www.BangkokFestivals.com.

– Tickets: Thai Ticket Major (www.thaiticketmajor.com; Hotline 02 262 3191 and at the counters.

– Venue: Main Hall, Thailand Cultural Centre, Bangkok

This source first appeared on The Nation Life.

A PROJECT CENTRED on His Majesty the King’s sufficiency economy and new theory philosophy, which focuses on the design of catchment areas in and around the Pa Sak River to prevent floods and provide water in times of drought, the “Power of Human Energy: A Journey Inspired by the King” is returning for a fourth edition after three years of success.

“The project has achieved its purpose in terms of increasing the number of people who are following the King’s thoughts about the management of soil and water in the forest. In the past three years we have worked with communities in Lop Buri and Sara Buri and we have witnessed the success of the loom kanom krok water catchment model,” says Pairoj Kaweeyanun, president at Chevron Thailand’s Exploration and Production.

“This year, the project is highlighting the Pa Sak model at Huai Kra Tak, Lop Buri. This learning centre is a model of agricultural geography in the plains and uplands. It is like a living exhibition that builds on the strengths of people and network parties.”

“As ever, the project will be underlining the strong collaboration between the government and the public members, who have worked so hard to achieve the Pa Sak model,” adds Dr Wiwat Salyakamthorn, president of the Agri-Nature Foundation and the Institute of Sufficiency Economy.

“The network will include Phra Ajarn Sangkom Thanapanyo, who is a specialist in the kok mong na (swale) model in Surin, Jone Jandai, who teamed up with the community to build a water tank using local wisdom in a catchment powered by solar energy, Nathapong Maneekorn from the Church of Christ in Thailand who built a rice paddy terrace, and the Agri-Nature Foundation, which organised the workshops. And of course it will also involve the local people led by the Lop Buri governor and soldiers from the special warfare command unit of Erawan Camp.”

“Lop Buri Province has been taking part in this project since last year but this year we will serve as a host for this project. The most important activity is the learning centre, which is the first in Pa Sak River basin. It is also a new recreation destination and tourism attraction in Lop Buri,” says Lop Buri Governor Panu Yamsri.

“We joined hands with the province and the Royal Irrigation Department to build two ‘monkey cheek’ reservoirs in Huai Kra Tak with a capacity of 1.5-million cubic metres. They are based on the design of King Mongkut’s Institute of Technology Lat Krabang for a land area of 4,000 rai,” says Major General Thanasak Kengthanomma, of Special Warfare Command Unit of the King Narai Military Camp in Lop Buri.

Designed by Chevron Thailand Exploration and Production, the Institute of Sufficiency Economy and the Agri-Nature Foundation, this human-driven project aims to teach everyone about His Majesty the King’s theories on water-resource conservation. It has been very successful, with hundreds and volunteers signing up to take part in natural resource management, according to Dr Wiwat Salyakamthorn. The project will run from September 3 and 7 with the participation of Jirayu “Kao” La-Ongmanee, Kemmanij “Pancake” Jamikorn, Pisanu “Boy” Nimsakul and Siwat “Cee” Chotichaicharin.

“Having these celebrities join us helps raise awareness of correct water management”, says Watchara Waewwutthinan, president of JSL Global Media, the country’s leading media content provider.

Celebrity Digging

– The “Power of Human Energy: A Journey Inspired by the King” will be broadcast as part “Joh Jai” showing on Mcot HD Channel 30 every Thursday from November 3 to 17 at 9.05pm.

– Find out more at Facebook.com/ ajourneyinspiredbytheking.

This source first appeared on The Nation Life.

THAILAND’S A-list celebrities turned out in force recently to toast Dr Puttipong Poomsuwan, or Doctor Boy as he is affectionately known, chief medical director of Aesthetic Innovation Centre (AIC), for leading the clinic to success in being recognised by leading dermatology company Galderma as an international-standard filler injection institute. AIC was among the 17 clinics around the world honoured with a Galderma mention and the only clinic in Asia-Pacific to make it to the list.

Puttipong celebrated by organising a luxury charity dinner at The House on Sathorn on the theme “The Edge of Glory” and inviting his friends to join him in raising funds for their favourite charities.

“The fact that Galderma has selected AIC Clinic as the first high-standard filler injection institute in Asia-Pacific is a very big honour for Thailand’s medical and aesthetic services. It reflects Thailand’s potential as the centre for beauty in this region as well as marks another step forward for our clinic,” he said.

Varavut Laohapongchana and Dr Chongmard Lerssin were among the guests, along with Araya Chittaropas, Supreeya Srethabhakdi, Dr Pavarit Tangruanrat, Apicha Laohapongchana, Saravut and Prowphan Laohapongchana, Orand Puipunthavong, Suvadee Phungbunphra and Suriyon Sriorathaikul.

Seven guests were randomly chosen as part of a game to help select the seven charity foundations the evening would support. Dr Chongmard Lerssin selected the Foundation for the Blind in Thailand under the Royal Patronage of HM the Queen, Araya Chittaropas selected the Kidney Foundation of Thailand, Supreeya Srethabhakdi chose the Foundation for Children with Disabilities, Apicha Laohapongchana opted for the Cancer Foundation of Siriraj Hospital, Suvadee Phungbunphra selected Phaya Thai Welfare Centre, and Yupharet Ketsakhorn selected Thai Nation Aids Foundation. Puttipong donated a total of Bt180,000 to all seven and a further Bt300,000 to Siriraj Foundation to support the construction of 84th Anniversary Nawamintbopit Building for HM the King.

More celebration was in order when Puttipong cut his surprise birthday cake and the restaurant reverberated to the sound of guests singing “Happy Birthday”.

This source first appeared on The Nation Life.

BANGKOK’S CLASSICAL music lovers are in for a treat at Bangkok’s 18th International Festival of Dance & Music.

The Israel Camerata Jerusalem Orchestra will strike up under the baton of conductor Avner Biron on Sept 22.

There is no denying that Israelis home to phenomenal talent when it comes to western classical music. A talent the nation has harnessed well. Zubin Mehta, music director for life, explained it perfectly, “It’s hard to find an emblem of cultural, national pride that burns as bright as Israel’s success in classical music.”

The story of the Israel Camerata is a reflection of this pride. In Bangkok, music lovers will get the opportunity to encounter the genius of Israeli Cellist Zvi Plesser, one of the most remarkable cello soloists of our times.

Biron, one of Israel’s leading musicians and musicologists, founded the Israel Camerata in 1984 and has been its music director and permanent conductor ever since. Biron has also conducted the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra, the Jerusalem Symphony Orchestra, the Sinfonieta Orchestra, and other well-known orchestras around the world. In 2005 Biron was awarded the Minister of Education Prize for excellence and artistic achievements for his contribution to the musical life in Israel.

In the early 1990s, a dramatic opportunity arose for the orchestra when a flood of immigrant musicians from the former Soviet Union arrived in Israel. Biron grabbed the opportunity and invited many of them to join the Camerata, which revolutionized the orchestra. In the process Biron brought together veteran and young musicians who collaborated and grew together as musicians, creating a sound that was wholly theirs.

These immigrant musicians contributed significantly to the growth of the orchestra, the quality of its musical program, the high standards of its performances, making the orchestra the top chamber orchestra in the country.

Perhaps the most interesting aspect of the 36-strong orchestra is that despite being a fully harmonious collective, there’s space for the strong individual voices of the musicians. The collective cohesiveness is thanks to Biron who will not compromise, and encourages almost academic standards of musicology and study of each work, followed by a dialogue.

Strangely it is because of this collaboration that the musical personality of each performer can be distinctly recognised and appreciated. Making it one of the most unique orchestras in the world. Not surprisingly a large number of orchestra members perform and record as soloists, as well as in chamber ensembles in Israel and abroad.

It is not surprising then that under Biron’s guidance the orchestra has received world wide recognition. The New York Times wrote, “The Israel Camerata Orchestra is one of the most highly regarded orchestras in Israel… the best of the new generation of Israeli ensembles.”

It performs an extraordinary number of concerts – over 100 – each year both in Israel and abroad. It has performed at major concert halls in Paris, Bonn Frankfurt, Leipzig, Geneva, Lyons, Marseilles, Rome, Karlsruhe, New York, Cleveland, Boston, Washington, Los Angeles, Milwaukee, South Carolina, Florida, Vancouver and Calgary and several cities in Asia.

The Camerata has participated in a large number of festivals, including the Schleswig-Holstein festival, the Reingau Festival, the Weilburg Festival, and the Rolands-Eck Festival in Germany, the Lille Festival in France, and in Vittoria, Spain. Besides festivals and special concerts the orchestra also reaches out to schools via unique educational projects.

In order to creatively challenge his musicians Biron collaborates with musicians of Plesser’s calibre regularly. Plesser, with several recordings to his credit, is in great demand world wide, and has collaborated with some of the leading instrumentalists and conductors of today.

As soloist he has performed with the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra, the Jerusalem Symphony Orchestra, the Israel Symphony Orchestra, the National Symphony Orchestra in Washington DC, the Academy of Saint Martin in the Fields, the Shanghai Symphony Orchestra, Hamburg Symphony Orchestra, and the Sofia Philharmonic. He has worked closely with renowned conductors like Zubin Mehta, Sir Neville Marriner Asher Fisch, David Stern, Steven Sloane and Sergiu Comissiona.

Last year Plesser appeared as a soloist with the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra in a special concert conducted by Maestro Simon Rattle in Berlin. He is also music director of the Voice of Music Festival in the Upper Galilee – Israel’s oldest chamber music festival. Bangkok is really in for a treat when Plesser puts the bow to his cello.

Biron creates original and interesting concert programmes, and takes pride in showcasing rare gems of the classical music world in Israel’s concert halls. The orchestra’s repertoire ranges from the early baroque to contemporary music, including world premieres of works commissioned by the orchestra, with special emphasis on works by Israeli composers. For Bangkok he has put together a programme that brings out the strengths of the orchestra.

The evening opens with BelaBarto’s Divertimento for String Orchestra, followed by Joseph Haydn’s Cello Concerto No 1, Mark Kopytma’s Kaddish and Franz Schubert’s Symphony No 5. A programme that gives Plesser plenty of room to showcase his talent. It will be a night to remember for the lovers of western classical music.

The Festival is sponsored by Crown Property Bureau, Bangkok Bank, Bangkok Dusit Medical Services, BMW Thailand, B.Grimm Group, Dusit Thani Bangkok, Indorama Ventures, Ministry of Culture, Nation Group, PTT, Singha Corporation, Thai Airways International and Tourism Authority of Thailand.

SOUND OF STRINGS

– The Israel Camerata Orchestra will perform on September 22 at 7.30pm.

– Venue: Main Hall, Thailand Cultural Centre, Bangkok

– Tickets: Thai Ticket Major (www.thaiticketmajor.com; Hotline 02 262 3191 and at the counters

– For more information: www.BangkokFestivals.com

This source first appeared on The Nation Life.

HUAWEI states that it has reinvented smartphone photography with its new P9 Plus and that’s no idle boast as the phone’s camera has been designed in partnership with Leica.

The P9 Plus has similar features and functions to the P9 that Huawei launched at the same time as its new flagship smartphone series but boasts a larger display as well as more memory and storage.

As a smartphone, the P9 Plus is also powerful, made from premium materials and components and installed with a fast octa-core processor. It comes in a light aerospace-class aluminium uni-body, which is only 6.98mm thin and weighs just 162 grammes. It looks sleek too with diamond-cut edges that go in harmony with its 2.5D glass.

The P9 Plus is powered by Huawei Kirin 955 64-bit octa-core processor, which is comprised of four A72 cores running at 2.5 GHz and four A53 cores running at 1.8 GHz. It has four gigabytes of working memory or RAM to ensure smooth multi-tasking and plenty of storage with 64 gigabytes. The P9 Plus runs on the latest Android 6.0 operating system.

The P9 Plus supports LTE 4G network and has dual SIM slots – the first one supports all networks and the second one just the 2G network. I tested it on TrueMove H’s LTE network and the connection was superfast. My snapshots were backed up to my Google Photos cloud space in no time. Using the Ookla speedtest app to measure the connection speed, the P9 Plus achieved a download speed of 66.24 Mbps and an upload speed of 20.54 Mbps.

The P9 Plus has really good performance too. Its touch screen and menus are very responsive and video clips played smoothly. Games also ran with impressive performance. Its 5.5-inch Full HD display with 1920×1080-pixel resolution is great for watching HD videos and viewing high-resolution photos.

The display is enhanced with responsive Press Touch technology that recognises subtle variations of screen pressure then responds accordingly. For example, when you are viewing a photo in the Gallery app, you can press on the photo to zoom into the detail. However, not all apps support the Press Touch function. Clock support does though and a shortcuts menu of “new alarm”, “resume stopwatch” and “start timer” pops up immediately as soon as you press.

With the Pressure sensing option activated, you can hide the navigation bar and then apply pressure on the bottom of the screen to use the hidden navigation bar keys.

You can also assign an app that will be launched when you press the left corner edge or right corner edge on the top of the screen.

As another indicator of its good performance, the P9 Plus plays high-resolution FLAC 24bit/192kHz audio files very smoothly indeed. I tested the hi-res audio playback with Sony’s MDR-1ABT headphones and found that the smartphone played very good quality music.

The speaker-system design lets you share the music too. When used in vertical mode, its earpiece acts as a tweeter and works with the lower to mid-range speakers to produce good quality sounds. In landscape mode, the smartphone presents stereo sounds for both music and video.

Another nice feature of the P9 Plus is that it has an effective touch-type finger print scanner on the back that allows you to unlock and wake the phone up with just one touch of your finger.

But what I love most about the P9 Plus is its dual-camera system for the main camera. The first lens is connected to a 12-megapixel RGB main image sensor and the second lens to a 12-MP monochrome sensor. With help from Leica, the main and second sensors are designed to combine light information to produce excellent image quality – sharp, clean and well-saturated photos even in a low-light environment. Huawei says the design allows the P9 Plus camera to be 100-per cent more light sensitive.

The main camera uses dual Sony IMX286 12 MP sensors with 1.25-micron pixel size and the lenses have 27mm equivalent focal length and f/2.2 aperture. The front camera has 8-MP resolution and f/1.9 lens.

The P9 Plus’ cameras uses IMAGEsmart 5.0 technology and Leica co-engineered Picture Quality Algorithm.

Experienced photographers will like the manual control provided by the P9 Plus’s camera. Actually, the camera app provides a lot of controls, thus allowing you to make most of your shots.

The control menus of the camera can be conveniently accessed by swiping the edges of the screen towards the opposite direction. Swipe from left to right to show menus for various shooting modes and from right to left to configure the camera setting.

To activate the Pro camera mode, you swipe the slider near the bottom upwards. If the slider is moved down, you can return to any shooting mode you have previously selected.

While in the Pro mode, you can adjust the shutter speed, white balance and other camera settings, like the ISO value, exposure compensation, and focus mode. You can also select metering mode from matrix, centre-weighted or spot metering for optimal results.

Several shooting modes are provided, including Beauty, Panorama, Panorama Self-portraits, Night shot, HDR and Light Painting.

The Beauty mode has two options – standard Beauty mode and Perfect Selfie mode. The standard one will make your subject look young with smoother-looking skin. The Perfect Selfie mode will apply beauty settings to your face when you are in a group photo to make you stand out from the crowd.

I was particularly impressed by the Night shot mode. The camera will take several shots and combine them into one sharp and clear photo.

The Light Painting mode enables you to take stunning shots of light trails without the need to manually adjust the aperture and shutter speed. There are four different sub-modes called Tail light trails, Light graffiti, Silky water and Star track. You will need a tripod to use these modes.

For example, you use the Tail light trails mode to capture trails of light made by cars at night. For the Light graffiti, you ask your subject to use a small torch or a glow stick to create a pattern while you are shooting. Silky water is useful for capturing smooth images of waterfalls and rivers while the Star track is, as the name suggests, for capturing the movement of stars in the night sky.

During the test, I found that main camera of P9 Plus captured very good quality photos in most lighting conditions. The photos came out sharp and clean with well-saturated colours. The monochrome mode captured excellent black-and-white photos.

Huawei P9 Plus retails for Bt21,990.

Key Specs

– Networks: 4G LTE: Band1/2/3/4/5/6/7/8/12/17/18/19/20/26/28/38/39/40/41; 3G n UMTS: 800/850/900/AWS/1900/2100MHz; 2G GSM: 850/900/1800/1900MHz

– OS: Android 6.0

– CPU: Huawei Kirin 955 (64-bit), Octa-core (4 x 2.5 GHz A72+ 4 x 1.8 GHz A53)

– Memory: 4GB

Storage 64 GB

– Display: 5.5-inch FHD Amoled with 1920×1080 pixel resolution

– Connectivity: Wi-Fi 2.4G/5G,a/b/g/n/ac with Wi-Fi Direct support, BT4.2, support BLE, USB Type C (High Speed USB)

– GPS: GPS/A-GPS/Glonass/BDS

– Sensors: Fingerprint Sensor, G-Sensor, Gyroscope sensor, Compass, Ambient Light Sensor, Proximity sensor, |Hall effect sensor, Barometer sensor, infrared sensor

– Cameras: 12MP f/2.2 main camera, 8MP F/1.9 front camera

– Battery: 3,400 mAh

– Dimensions: 152.3mm x 75.3mm x 6.98mm

– Weight: 162g

This source first appeared on The Nation Life.

Sopana and Opras Lavichant of Pacifica Group. Somchai Poomlard

On the spur of the moment, when Opras Lavichant walked past the Coach store on Madison Avenue and 57th Street in Manhattan, he had an idea to get the American heritage brand on the racks in Thailand.

“I saw a very nice collection of women’s handbags and accessories. Thailand has a very fashionable culture. And I said to myself it’d be a really great thing to have Coach in Thailand,” Opras remembered of the days when he was a 29-year-old equity consultant with no experience in fashion.

“I did a lot of research to find out more about Coach and who to contact. At the end of the day, I just called up the CEO [Peter Emerson] and asked him, ‘Hey, can I represent Coach in Thailand?’. He was a little surprised. I think he was trying to be gentle and said, ‘Why don’t you send in a business plan?’. I spent a lot of time writing a pretty good one. He called me back and asked me to come and meet him in New York. And that was the start of it.

With American leather goods landing first on the portfolio, Opras broke into fashion. Although the story sounds like plain sailing, he admitted there were a lot of challenges, with many competitors trying to win the “modern luxury” brand to come to Thailand at the time. The winning recipe, he believes, is to be involved, detailed and very passionate about the brand.

“Psychologically, every time you partner with somebody, it’s like a marriage. You have to be very open with them and there’s no secrets,” the 44-year-old CEO of Pacifica Group, an importer and retailer of international luxury brands, said.

Opras Lavichant, Pacifica Group’s CEO. Somchai Poomlard

In real life, Opras tied the knot with his long-time friend Sopana (née Pattapanichchote), 43, currently at the marketing helm of the venture.

“Back then, I wasn’t involved in the business, but I was very supportive of his ideas,” she said.

It took two years from first meeting with the CEO to the opening of Coach’s first Bangkok store at Erawan Bangkok in 2004. From there, Opras has developed a retail and distribution network in Thailand, managing a collection of international fashion, accessories and cosmetics brands, including Kenneth Cole, Camper, Coccinelle, Keds, American Eagle Outfitters, MaxMara and Nyx.

“To be successful in business, you have to live it. You have to understand the fashion business. It’s not about, ‘Oh, that bag looks beautiful’. That’s individual, personal taste,” he said. “It’s about understanding the consumer and seeing what they want and what attributes they look at. It’s a bit more scientific for me than just saying, ‘Oh, that’s a beautiful bag’.”

“Consumers are becoming more democratic,” he observed. “They don’t want to be told what is fashion. They want to discover it for themselves. There’s a lot more influence on personal style versus brand style. A lot of mixing and matching. The consumers are more about wearing something they’re comfortable in but also having something they cherish.”

Seeing that the Thai market boasts a very sophisticated taste, Sopana further stressed that brands are about giving values to the customers willing to pay extra — not merely for the material worth but for sentimental value, added service and niche identity.

Describing himself as “a jeans-and-T-shirt type of person”, Opras has gained more insight into the consumer as Pacifica Group has grown. Price-points, to him, are another key to fashion success. Being an importer and distributor of diverse lifestyle products, he plays up the “accessible side” of the luxury business. Thanks to an accumulation of data-driven decisions, continual conversations and market research, Opras feels that his enterprise established itself as a key player around 2013.

In building Pacifica, Opras, who grew up and was educated in the US, not only thrives in business, but has also accomplished a life goal he’d always longed for.

“I always knew I was going to come back to Thailand. I always wanted to be an entrepreneur. Because I felt that I wanted to come back to live in Thailand, the best thing to do is be an entrepreneur here.”

When Opras and Sopana got married in 2004, Opras still worked for a corporate job in China. Two times a month, he flew over either to Bangkok or Hong Kong to meet their children. It was in 2009 when he realised it wasn’t the life for him and decided to return to finally settle in his motherland.

“I didn’t want that life anymore. It wasn’t something I wanted,” he recalled. “It’s important that you’re at a stage of life where you have no regrets. If you’re successful, that’s great. But if you have money, what’s the point of it while you can’t enjoy life?”

Running the business together, Opras and Sopana blend work and life seamlessly and offer each other support. The husband sees that there are more pros than cons in the 24/7 partnership because they can spend a lot of time together, understanding each other more as the relationship becomes stronger. Despite disagreements regarding work, the two realise they share the same goal and have built a meaningful life together, both at home and at work.

“We don’t have the relationship where the husband comes home and throws this clothes on the table and then drinks,” he said. “In a complementary perspective, every single reason why we are [where we are] today. Whether you call it success or just growth, it’s because of my wife as well as our employees.”

Sopana, who according to her husband “wears the pants as much as he does”, provides emotional backing as well as practical day-to-day support, as she also oversees some of the in-house brands she is especially passionate about.

Although Pacifica Group now houses 14 brands, 350 employees and 80 stores/shops-in-shops, their three children, aged five, eight and 10, are the entrepreneurial couple’s top priority. The CEO enjoys cooking for the kids, taking them out to tennis and reading to them: “It’s important because it’s my connection with them. As a parent, your job is to give the time necessary to the kids, because it’s something money can’t buy.”

This source first appeared on Bangkok Post Lifestyle.

You can try hiding under a rock, but it will still be impossible to avoid this season’s it-bag which made massive waves across Thailand when it was first spotted on Balenciaga’s runway back in March.

Looking like it was inspired by the ubiquitous rainbow shopping bags usually seen at Platinum Mall and Mo Chit Bus Station, it is no surprise that these Bazar Shopper bags strike a chord with our nation. The Georgian creative director of Balenciaga, Demna Gvasalia, is currently considered hot stuff for putting seemingly mundane, everyday objects into the high-end and this upgraded version of our beloved market bag should set you back 69,000 baht for the small size and 75,000 baht for the medium — they’re now available at Balenciaga stores at Siam Paragon and EmQuartier.

It’s hard to say no when the inspiration for a world-class fashion house comes so close from home, but if you’d rather not buy into this season’s most conspicuous it-bag (equivalent to that attention-seeking best friend), but still want to ride the stripe wave, there are still lots of other options just as striking. We pick some of the most playful and sophisticated handbags that get the stripe treatment.

Besides the shopper bag, there are also pouches and wallets that sport rainbow stripes.

These geometric prints get paired with tassels and a double T buckle.

There’s both bright and softer tones that get crossed with stripes of snakeskin.

The zigzag leather patchwork comes in embroidered velvet stripes.

The Roseau gets stripes made of smooth and curly sheep wool, velvet-effect cowhide leather and rabbit fur.

This source first appeared on Bangkok Post Lifestyle.

Note Panayanggool.

Grand opening of Marimekko concept store

Marimekko store, G floor, Siam Discovery

HOST: Tanapong Chirapanidchakul, CEO of Tanachira Home, and ML Chanika Patpongpanich, brand manager of Marimekko

HIGHLIGHT: A fashion show of exclusive pieces from the autumn/winter 2016 ready-to-wear collection from Marimekko, Finnish fashion and lifestyle brand known for iconic bold prints. Guest models were Aniporn Chalermburanawong, Miss Universe Thailand 2015, Thai supermodel Varissara Yu and Chutimon Chuengcharoensukying. Joining the event were MR Chantaraladda Yugala, Kleddao Panichsamai, Panida Iemsirinoppakul, Pattreeda-Nualtong Prasarnthong, Sopitnapa Chumpanee and ML Oradis Snidvongs. The show concluded with a Champagne toast to officially open the store.

Tanapong Chirapanidchakul and ML Chanika Patpongpanich.

Navadee Mokkhavesa.

Maylada Susri.

Nopmanee Krairiksh.

Sopitnapa Chumpanee.

Kemisara Paladesh.

Marimekko autumn/winter 2016 fashion presentation.

Sirima and Pimlada Chaipreechawit.

From left, Sopitnapa Chumpanee, Kleddao Panichsamai, ML Chanika Patpongpanich, MR Chantaraladda Yugala and ML Oradis Snidvongs.

This source first appeared on Bangkok Post Lifestyle.

1 Fashionistas the world over know of Yves Saint Laurent, the man hailed as the father of French fashion. From now until Aug 30, learn about the legendary designer’s life and times at the Yves Saint Laurent: Birth Of A Legend photo exhibition, held at Siam Paragon’s Hall of Fame on the M floor. Held in collaboration with the Embassy of France, the exhibition will feature 49 photographs taken at various stages of Saint Laurent’s life, as well as a recreation of his work desk.

2 This weekend, take the time to peruse through some of Singapore’s finest books at the ONEDAY X BooksActually Showcase, held at the OneDay Pause and Forward bookstore on Sukhumvit 26. Featuring a bunch of books from Singaporean publishing label Math Paper Books, the event will also host Singaporean poets Cyril Wong and Pooja Nansi, who will be reading their own poetry as well as conversing with eventgoers. Prospective bookstore owners can also enjoy a talk from BookActually owner Kenny Leck, who will be offering his insights on how to establish and maintain a bookstore.

3 This Sunday, JAM Cafe Bangkok will be hosting their Cultural Studies Film series, featuring a screening of the 1988 Japanese film Black Rain. Based on the 1965 novel of the same name, Black Rain explores the life of Shizuma Shigematsu and his family following the horrific atomic bombing of Hiroshima. Dealing with themes such as PTSD, physical suffering and mortality, the film won numerous film awards in Japan as well as international film festivals such as the Cannes Film Festival and the Flanders International Film Festival Ghent. The screening will begin at 8pm. For more info, call 089-889-8059.

4 The Readrink Bookclub is back again for it’s lucky seventh iteration, this time highlighting Thai SEA-write award winning writer Prabda Yoon’s 2002 book Chit-Tak. Taking place in the year 2123, the book tells the story of a future where technology has allowed humans instantaneous communication at the speed of thought, and humanity’s struggle to break free of the destructive cycles repeating themselves again and again through history. The event will begin at 2pm at The Reading Room on Silom 19, and is free for anyone interested.

5 Veteran footwear brand Asics has unveiled their new Gel-Kayano 23 running shoes, which will be available at retailers next month for 6,500 baht a pair. Designed to “deliver enhanced stability and comfort for long distance runs”, Asics has kitted out their new kicks with a bunch of improvements, such an upgraded guidance line (to improve gait efficiency) and a midsole design using the brand’s patented FlyteFoam material. Let’s hope this won’t be a repeat of the Addidas NMD R1 fiasco earlier this year.

This source first appeared on Bangkok Post Lifestyle.

“Art” is a mirror of culture, society and a way of life of people in different geographical areas. Who they are and what they become can be narrated through art and sustain the human spirit and civilisations for centuries.

Fueled by a passion for art and awareness of its value, Thavorn Ko-Udomvit, a Thai artist who is renowned for his elaborate paintings and print works for over 40 years, has created masterpieces of architecture that are a marriage of natural and artistic beauty.

Mr Thavorn, a former vice-rector of the country’s leading art institute, Silpakorn University (SU), reinvented himself from artist to proprietor of “Nhapha Khao Yai Resort”, a recreational sanctuary that combines a harmonious composition of nature and exquisite man-made artworks.

The eight-room resort sits in a former marble mine surrounded by nature in Khao Yai in Nakhon Ratchasima’s Pak Chong district.

Mr Thavorn said his resort was built to conform to the concept of living harmoniously with nature. He chose to fit his resort’s building structures into a setting that features natural stone architecture.

The veteran artist recounted that he crystallised the resort’s concept when he purchased the land from a former owner and noticed that rock blasting had left the surrounding in a unique shape that resembles a cliff jutting out. The “Nhapha” in the resort’s title also means “cliff”.

Mr Thavorn finds time to cook for his guests at the resort.

Those who check into the natural hideout will also experience interior design decorated with several artworks.

Aside from natural recreation, the resort’s visitors will also experience aesthetic values and knowledge of art. Children who accompanied their families to the resort can also learn to draw and paint in a class Mr Thavorn himself teaches.

Besides the resort’s distinguished architectural style, the place offers unique cuisine with art and cooking styles initiated by Mr Thavorn who attends to the guests’ needs and demands himself.

Despite the place having been open for only a year and a half, it is popular with Thai and foreign visitors, so much so that it was voted the country’s top resort by TripAdvisor, the popular travel website.

At 60, Mr Thavorn said he plans to turn the resort into a hub of music and art by hosting a small-scale opera concert catering to an audience of no more than 100.

The event, which is part of the art activities provided for the resort’s guests, will also help promote art awareness among Thais. He is now discussing the project with the Tourism Authority of Thailand.

Mr Thavorn said his artwork concept is inspired by his own experiences, shaped by the evolving social context.

His deep passion for art is also the result of inspirations received from several renowned artists such as Prof Silpa Bhirasri, the Italian-born sculptor who is regarded as the father of modern art in Thailand and the founder of SU, as well as the late Thawan Duchanee, a well-known contemporary artist.

Aside from Nhapha Khao Yai Resort, Mr Thavorn is also on a team of designers for the Khao Yai Art Museum, a venue for art exhibitions that feature masterpieces by the country’s leading artists such as Thawan, Chalermchai Kositpipat and Chalood Nimsamer.

The latest painting by Mr Thavorn is unveiled before being shown at an exhibition.

In the four decades of his involvement in art, Mr Thavorn has come to be recognised for his dedication, and for being able to harness his artistic skills to make a living.

Many of his works have been displayed in art galleries in Bangkok as well as the Buddha Monthon Buddhist park in Nakhon Pathom province, as his craftwork is admired by art aficionados far and wide.

“My works can be sold because I always initiate new ideas which are not restricted by culture, social norms and traditions. My first-hand experiences in life are also applied to my works,” Mr Thavorn said.

He is also passionate about reading, regarding books as helping to broaden his knowledge and horizons, which is most useful for creating art.

Hailing from a merchant family in Bangkok, the young Thavorn grew up with his elder sister who was adept at drawing and who influenced his dream career in art.

Against his parents’ wishes, Mr Thavorn took a decisive step which marked a crucial turning point in his life by attending the Poh-Chang Academy of Art. He went on to obtain his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in graphic arts from SU’s Faculty of Painting, Sculpture and Graphic Arts in 1980 and 1986. While his university peers spent time hanging out, Mr Thavorn took up an apprenticeship under several veteran art teachers. He participated in their art workshops to absorb their techniques so that he would be able to adapt them to produce his own stylised works.็

His art skills have been developed based on theories and deliberate practices.

“Art workshops greatly helped me hone my skills. Also, it helped encourage students to create their own works,” Mr Thavorn said.

Nhapha Khao Yai resort is sited on an old mine with some rooms perched on top of boulders resembling cliffs.

In 1982, he won an art fieldwork scholarship to study in the US from the Asian Cultural Council which seeks funding from private individuals, foundations and companies to strengthen ties between the United States and the countries of Asia. Mr Thavorn said living abroad gave him challenging opportunities to work with several top global artists at various international arts-related agencies. He admitted he almost gave up on his dream of becoming artist many times but he soldiered on.

After returning to Thailand, he landed a teaching job at SU’s Faculty of Painting, Sculpture and Graphic Arts and was later promoted to university vice-rector.

Mr Thavorn has been invited to lecture at many art institutes in the country and overseas. His art has won numerous awards from domestic and international art events.

He has held many solo exhibitions. He is also recognised as being the leading art gallery manager in Thailand. Among art galleries run by him is Ardel Gallery of Modern Art in Bangkok’s Thawi Watthana district.

Despite being occupied by his resort, Mr Thavorn has never even thought of abandoning his art. He continues to lecture at many institutes as well as create paintings and prints at the Khao Yai Art Museum.

The resort doubles as a music and art venue which welcomes aspiring painters.

Thavorn Ko-Udomvit applies the finishing touches to a painting. Art has been his passion for over 40 years, but these days he fits it in with his duties as boss of Nhapha Khao Yai Resort. photos by Nauvarat Suksamran

This source first appeared on Bangkok Post Lifestyle.

Fighter for rights: Chantawipa Apisuk, director of the Empower Foundation. Her T-shirt says, ‘Good girls go to heaven, bad girls go everywhere’. (Photo by Pawat Laopaisarntaksin)

It’s the oldest profession in the world and one that still carries a stigma in Thailand. But for a local non-profit organisation that opened a museum earlier this month in Nonthaburi, prostitution is a job like any other, and with its exhibition hopes to dismantle the negative stereotypes surrounding sex work.

Complete with an installation of an actual-size go-go bar, similar to those that can be found in Bangkok’s red light districts, but with no live shows, the “This is Us” Museum on Tiwanon Road aims to draw a distinction between the performance and eroticism of sex work, and the rights to which it says that employees should be entitled to.

Chantawipa Apisuk, the director of the Empower Foundation, a local non-profit organisation that supports sex workers and aims to decriminalise prostitution, said she wants people to see prostitution as a job like any other, where workers are entitled to equal treatment under the law.

“Many prostitutes want equal legal treatment and advancement in their jobs, just like anyone else. They also have a desire to escape from poverty and dream of a better life,” she said.

The museum, on the third floor of the Empower Foundation building, features stories from sex workers which the founders hope will educate people on the difficulties they face, while attempting to lend some humanity to an industry rife with misogyny and exploitation.

The sex workers’ plight is symbolised by a boxing ring at the museum featuring a painting of a female fighter hitting out at threats and injustices, Ms Chantawipa said. She said the ring is her favourite part of the museum.

The foundation has acted on behalf of prostitutes and other sex workers for years, calling for better legal treatment and protection of their rights.

Recalling her first days going to the Patpong red right district to educate sex workers about their rights, Ms Chantawipa said many of the girls were naive and not used to life in the city.

She has spent years making them aware of issues surrounding health, education and employment rights.

Now the time has come to educate the public, she said.

At the museum, one corner is dedicated to Thailand’s history of prostitution dating back centuries to the ancient Ayutthaya kingdom.

The section explores the economic and legal evolution of the sex business, from the Ayutthaya to Rattanakosin periods, through to the bustling, digital age and trade in places such as Pattaya.

In the late 17th century, prostitution was legal, with state officials allowed to run brothels provided they were licenced. Customers were charged standard rates of half a baht to four baht depending on what services they wanted.

Back then, four baht would buy one sack of rice, Ms Chantawipa said, adding the equivalent amount of rice today is priced at between 3,600 and 4,000 baht.

The business became more organised in the early Rattanakosin era as the state imposed a ban on girls aged 15 or younger from selling sex. Flouting the ban would lead to a fine or jail time.

Fast forwarding to modern times, Pattaya has since 1959 been the playground for mainly foreign tourists and American marines on shore leave, as well as American soldiers who went from their military base in Nakhon Ratchasima to Pattaya for the nightlife, entertainment and women.

Ms Chantawipa says the sex industry, which employs a vast number of women, has co-existed in Thai culture for a long time, yet is outlawed and denied the legal framework to protect “workers”.

Speaking in defence of her campaign of giving sex workers their rights and legalising their service, Ms Chantawipa said: “We’re not defying morality or some [conservative] laws, but these alone can’t solve prostitution issues.”

This source first appeared on Bangkok Post Lifestyle.

Next month, two music labels Genie Records and White Music, both under entertainment giant GMM Grammy, will feature their top acts: Genie Records’ Pack4 Turn Back Concert and White Music’s White Haus Concert. The two upcoming shows are sold out and it may be bad news for those who miss them. But, it can be a good sign for the Thai music scene. The soldout shows says the local music industry is not dull and listeners still care about appreciating live performances and supporting their favourite artists.

Pack4 Turn Back. photo courtesy of Genie Records

In the Pack4 Turn Back Concert, Num of Kala, Pup of Potato, Kwang of Abnormal and Bankk of Clash will reunite on stage for the first time after Pack4 Freedom Romantic Rock Concert in 2004. The frontmen of Thailand’s influential rock groups then shared the stage to commemorate the 20th anniversary of GMM Grammy. They paid tribute to the late songwriting legend/GMM Grammy founder Rewat Buddhinan with an orchestral back-up. The 2016 edition will see the four rock stars perform with their bands, on Sept 3 at Thunder Dome, Muang Thong Thani.

Pop imprint White Music will host an “open house” at GMM Live House at CentralWorld on Sept 10. White Haus Concert boasts a full line-up of their artists. Jetset’er, Getsunova, Pop Pongkool, Lula, Atom, Oat Pramote, Muzu, Bell Supol and Ammy The Bottom Blues will welcome fans with a tunefully homey ambience. Enjoy hit numbers ranging from acoustic, soul pop, bossa nova, indie pop to experimental pop by all the nine outfits.

While Thai listeners can sometimes be spoiled by attending free gigs at sponsored events or paying minimally at “hired shows”, a full-scale performance with a collection of artists is a treat. The two soldout shows offered affordable ticket prices — 1,000-1,600 baht for Pack4 and 1,000-2,000 baht for White Haus. A good line-up can grab the attention of fans who would pay for a proper concert experience. Despite the depressive economic (and political) climate, locals still need to entertain themselves.

White Haus. photo courtesy of White Music

This source first appeared on Bangkok Post Lifestyle.

Clad in black, Kat Von D creatively batted asymmetrical eye make-up with a different colour on the left and right eyelid. Her followers can copy the look by watching a tutorial on her official YouTube channel, where another video has her talking about a tattoo concealer.

The Los Angeles-based beauty is literally dressed in tattoo, a body art that extends to her face with twinkling tattooed stars around the eye.

“Because of the tattoo, on the outside, I might look really tough, but on the inside, I’m quite sensitive and emotional. I like that juxtaposition. At heart, I’m just a girl, who likes to wear make-up and high heels,” said the tattoo artist and star of the reality show LA Ink.

“People have always asked me what I would be doing if I wasn’t a tattooist, and the only thing I could imagine being as fulfilling as tattooing would be doing make-up,” said Kat Von D, whose cosmetics are exclusively retailed at Sephora stores.

Wearing make-up though is not so much about enhancing beauty and she loves it as a form of self-expression.

“Lots of girls wear make-up because they want to look cute,” she said. “I always wear my make-up kind of pretty wild. I wear black eyeliner and nail polish because I felt inspired.”

Her audacious make-up style is influenced by punk rock, which she listened to as a teenager. To her, this music genre is not necessary rebellious but about having a voice. The music and tattoo art influences are reflected in the black packaging of her cosmetics launched in 2008. The debut make-up was four shades of red lipstick, which has expanded to 39 colours in the Studded Kiss lipstick range.

“Red lips have always been a signature look for me. I love red because it’s a classic symbol of femininity, with beauty icons from Cleopatra to Marilyn Monroe having made it a signature look too,” she said.

Now with a wide range of make-up products, they stand out in being highly-pigmented, bold colours with staying power.

“Even though the range offers wild colours, most of my hero colours are in nudes, of which there has been a good response here in Southeast Asia,” she said.

Last month’s launch in Bangkok was marked by the Studded Kiss Lipstick installation art, which towered two-storeys-high at Quartier Avenue, The EmQuartier.

She was in Bangkok to introduce her range, of which the Lock-It primer, foundation and powder are ideal long-wear formulas for Thailand’s hot and humid climate.

Boasting a beautiful complexion, however, is also from inside out, with Kat Von D owing her smooth skin to being a vegan.

“I’m a vegan for the environment and animals, more than anything. When I cut out dairy products, there was a very noticeable and positive change to my skin,” she said. “Veganism changed my life in a lot of ways, not only about what I eat, it led me to compassionate living.”

Although there isn’t an FDA regulation on “vegan” cosmetics, the American brand has defined it as a product that does not contain any animal products or by-products, and has not been tested on animals. Its make-up marked #VeganAlert indicates that the finished product is vegan.

Kat Von D encourages women to have fun playing with her make-up products.

“It’s not like tattoo of which there’s no room for error,” she said. “With make-up, you can always experiment and if you don’t like it — just wash it off.”

This source first appeared on Bangkok Post Lifestyle.

The cosmic connection in music has spawned colourful characters and great musicians like Sun Ra and George Clinton. The innovative bandleader Ra said he’d been born in outer space, a claim also made by Clinton (although the latter’s sister reportedly said that she thought he had been born in North Carolina). Listening to their music or watching Clinton’s huge Mothership descend onto a stage that included at least one musician dressed in adult diapers, you’d certainly be excused for thinking these talented musicians were indeed from outer space.

Earlier this year another space oddity was released by the German label Analog Africa, Space Echo – The Mystery Behind The Cosmic Sound Of Cabo Verde Finally Revealed! This is a double vinyl compilation of Cape Verdean hit songs that came from a boom in electrified keyboard and guitar-driven music in the 70s.

And what inspired musicians, according to the liner notes, was a ghost ship that turned up in the spring of 1968 on Sao Nicolau Island in then Cabo Verde. The crew were nowhere to be seen. The villagers of nearby Cachaco were surprised by the ship and asked village elders to open the ship’s cargo. But news travels fast and before they could do that the area had already been secured by colonial police. Scientists followed and after weeks of study concluded that the ship had “fallen from the sky”. The villagers laughed at this, and they said that knew that already. But what they didn’t know was that the bow of the ship showed evidence of extreme heat and “cosmic particles”.

Eventually, a team of welders was summoned and they opened the many containers that made up the ship’s cargo. For an area that did not have any electricity, what the villagers found was disappointing; inside the containers and crates were hundreds of new synthesizers and electronic instruments, keyboards of all kinds.

It turns out that the ship had left Baltimore on the east coast of the US in March 1968 with a shipment of synthesisers, including the innovators of the day like Moog, Rhodes and Hammond, bound for an important industry exhibition in Rio de Janeiro. It was the first expo of its kind in South America and interest was high for the latest gadgets and electronic instruments. The ship disappeared off radar the day it set sail and no one heard anything about its whereabouts until it turned up on the other side of the Atlantic Ocean, after apparently falling from the sky.

Despite their disappointment, the villagers stored the goods in the local church, although the women of the village demanded that they all be removed before Sunday mass. And the story takes another delightful twist. Somehow, the anti-colonial leader Amilcar Cabral emerges and orders that the instruments be distributed equally to those places that had electricity, which meant schools. Whether this is true or not, lots of keyboards found their way into the hands of teachers and curious students and this inspired the modernisation of local styles like Mornas, Coladeras and, a style that features heavily on the compilation, Funana. Interestingly, the latter genre was banned by the Portuguese authorities until 1975 for its excessive “sensuality”.

One of those kids was Paulino Vieira, who by the late 70s would go on to become one of the country’s leading music producers. Half of the songs on the compilation were recorded with his backing band, Voz de Cabo Verde.

And what of the music? Well, after a fanciful story like that the music had better be good and the tracks I’ve heard did not disappoint. There are a lot of Funana-style up-tempo dancers, which sometimes sound a little like Angolan or Antillean music, then sometimes like Colombian Cumbia or Brazilian music. Very good for dancing. Many of the songs also have that “saudade” (sodade in Cape Verde dialect) sad feeling in the vocals that was so beloved of the country’s first international super star, the late Cesaria Evora, a master Morna singer. Great songs. Highly recommended.

Space Echo is available online and comes in vinyl format with digital download. Visit www.analogafrica.com.

I’ll be playing some Cape Verdean music at my World Beat night at Studio Lam on Saturday. Starts at 9pm till late. Visit www.facebook.com/groups/1893339064225936/

This source first appeared on Bangkok Post Lifestyle.

Atip Anantawan, Wilaiporn Wannaklang and Pala Meechai. photo courtesy of Thai Muscle Physique

Bronzed and fully ripped, three Thai bodybuilders walked away from the World Fitness Federation (WFF) Universe 2016 — an international bodybuilding competition held in the US in June — with their gold and silver trophies. No Thai person has even won the contest. But, while there should be a call for celebrations, the trio’s performance was instead a quiet affair in their home country.

The three bodybuilders Pala Meechai, Wilaiporn Wannaklang and Atip Anantawan claimed to have entered the competition without the support of any sports association or institution in Thailand. Rumours began to spread online of their personal conflict with the Thailand Bodybuilding and Physique Sports Association (TBPA). The association has since released an official statement clarifying that WFF Universe is privately-owned, and doesn’t fall under the World Bodybuilding and Physique Federation (WBPF) — an institution which TBPA is registered with.

The statement said that WFF Universe doesn’t require a doping test, which is against the association’s rules. The three athletes also have neither informed the association nor asked permission before participating in the competition.

Also from the same statement by TBPA, both Pala and Wilaiporn were previously members of the Thai national team. Last year, however, they were disqualified by the association. Pala — who has been a bodybuilder for 30 years — was found to be doping. Wilaiporn violated several association rules that led her disqualification.

In their opinion, the disqualifications were unjust, forcing them to leave the association and fly solo.

With a determination to prove themselves, the two invited a relatively new face like Atip to join them on a self-funded trip to the international stage. They had no coaches or assistants. This vagabond team of three had no one but each other to rely on during the competition held in Orlando, Florida. One one was on stage, another remained backstage to help with preparation and body painting. The other cheered from the crowd.

“The three of us stayed in the same hotel room,” recalled Pala. Their US experience always brings smiles to their faces. “We even brought our own rice cooker!”

In the end, their effort didn’t go in vain. The team emerged victorious with Pala getting his gold in the Master Men category, Atip won his gold in Male Sportsmodel, and Wilaiporn was awarded silver in Women Performance. In an interview with Life, the trio said they hoped their performances would put Thailand on the bodybuilding map.

“We’ve already won awards and titles for ourselves through our years as athletes. This time, it’s for the world to know that we’re from Thailand, and we dare to go all the way to the US. People were amazed. Some didn’t even know where Thailand was. And then there were the three of us, all winning our own awards,” said Wilaiporn. “This is also an auspicious year. The king has reigned for 70 years. We want to do this to bring back good name and glory for the country and for the king,” she added. Upon returning to Thailand, they presented their trophies to the Bureau of the Royal Household.

Bodybuilding is not popular among Thai people, with many not understanding it actually is a sport, they said. The financial support and sponsors that go into the game also are reportedly low. Pala believes athletes are now receiving better support from dietary supplement and vitamin companies.

In hopes of better supporting bodybuilding athletes, Wilaiporn set up NABBA/WFF Thailand — a club that aims to promote the sport, and recruit bodybuilders to compete on an international stage. The club, she said, is registered with the NABBA (National Amateur Body-Builders’ Association) International. Currently, the team is seeking Thai athletes to compete in the WFF World Championships in Ireland in November.

Bodybuilding is a very demanding sport that requires a strict, high protein diet. The lifestyle requires dedication while spending countless hours in the gym and accounting for every calories of food consumed. But is it worthwhile? The athletes believe it was.

“A day of joyous pride can erase an entire year of weariness,” said Pala, who is in his 50s and fit and healthy. Both Atip and Wilaiporn are in their 40s, and their muscular form resembles those of ancient Greek statues.

“Bodybuilding helps correct my posture. I used to walk with my back hunched. But, as I exercise, each move and position slowly adjusted me, physically,” said Atip, a member of the Thai national shooting team for eight years. He said bodybuilding gives him the necessary strength he needs to manoeuvre and control firearms with precision.

As the world’s aesthetic trends evolve, and the team foresees being fit as defining beauty. No more skin and bones. Now, a toned, muscular body is more appreciated around the globe. “We are currently in an era of health and fitness,” said Wilaiporn. “And people do value perseverance and discipline that comes with exercising. Muscles are difficult to build up, and people are proud as they work hard to get it. It makes them more confident of their own bodies and of themselves.”

Atip Anantawan. Danny D’Mello

Pala Meechai. photos courtesy of Danny D’Mello

Wilaiporn Wannaklang. Danny D’Mello

This source first appeared on Bangkok Post Lifestyle.

These pictures have never been unveiled before, until now. Forty-five rare photographs developed from wet- and dry-plate collodion in the collection of the National Archives of Thailand testify to the development of women’s fashion in early 20th century Siam in conjunction with the Western style. The elegant, enigmatic pictures are currently on view at the exhibition “Chattharat Phattraporn: Looking Back To Women’s Attires In Global Fashion” at the National Library’s Vajiravudhanusorn Hall. The show runs until Oct 10 and is held to celebrate Her Majesty the Queen’s 84th birthday.

A collaboration between the Fine Arts Department, the King Vajiravudh Memorial Foundation, the Bejaratana-Suvadhana Foundation, Vajiravudhanusorn Hall and the National Archives of Thailand, this 60-day exhibit is a historical account of Thailand through the beautiful clothes of royals and elite during the reign of King Rama VI (Vajiravudh), which corresponded to the proliferation of international fashion and how it was blended into the Siamese wardrobe culture.

The 45 photos — curated by historian Thongthong Chandrangsu and fashion expert Lupt Utama — are an interpretation of the period and its social context relating to fashion in the 1910s.

HM Queen Saovabha Phongsri of King Rama V. Photos courtesy of Chattharat Pattraporn Exhibition

“Siam joined World War I and had a number of foreign-educated citizens who returned from abroad as well as foreign traders and stores,” says the curator. “Siamese princesses and noblewomen were subscribers of foreign magazines. Fashions for clothes, hairdos and shoes from abroad arrived in the Sixth Reign.”

Fine Arts Department director-general Anandha Chuchoti said that the National Archives of Thailand keeps tens of thousands of collodion, which now serve as a visual heritage. The organisers requested permission from the department to present the photos focusing on stories from the Sixth Reign, which was when modernity came to Siam.

As explained by the curators, Thongthong and Lupt, the chronology of the photographs can be divided into three sub-periods, each matching with emerging trends of fashion in Europe.

The early part of the Sixth Reign (1910-1915) was the same period as the late Edwardian Period (the reign of King Edward VII of Great Britain, from 1901-1910) and the Early Teens Period (1911-1915). That was when western women started to don corsets instead of bustles (bird’s cage-shaped supportive structures for skirts), had a big hairdo with a hair bun and wore numerous pearl necklaces. Women’s fashion in Siam at that time — a clever mix of both worlds — is clearly seen from the photo of HM Queen Saovabha Phongsri of King Rama V wearing a European-style shimmering lace blouse, matched with a Thai-style jongkraben trouser, with knee-length white stockings, a stylish pair of high-heels and topped with a traditional short hairdo. She wore a profusion of diamond and pearl necklaces, resembling Queen Alexandra of King Edward VII.

“Siamese women hadn’t fully adopted Western style, because it was the time of heavy colonialism and to dress 100% like Western ladies might seem inappropriate,” says Lupt at the opening. “Instead they mixed both Thai and Western styles.”

Several dry plate prints show teenage princesses who wore jongkraben trousers in the Siamese style, but grew long hair or hair buns while wearing low-waist blouses with elbow-length sleeves and round or V-shape cuts. In the West, women enjoyed more political, social and cultural freedom while the use of corsets became less popular starting from the Late Victorian Period in Britain (the late Fifth Reign in Siam). Siamese women’s fashion then was highly influenced by French fashion designer Paul Poiret, combining Orientalism art, late Edwardian fashion, such as Japanese kimono-shaped attire, and local clothes.

A young Siamese woman had a Western-style hairdo. Chattharat Pattraporn Exhibition

The middle part of the Sixth Reign coincided with what fashion experts know as Late Teens Period (1915-1920). European fashion then was shaped by the impact of World War I as well as the global economic downturn. Women used clothes prepared from simple patterns and fewer fabrics in order to reduce luxury and use less labour. Blouses were hip-length and loose while skirts became shorter (above ankles). Since 1917, zippers have been widely used. In Siam, tube skirts, or pha sinh, became as popular as jongkraben among women who put up their long hair as a hairdo above the neck. An outstanding example of this was the photo of Queen Rambhai Barni of King Rama VII when she was MC Rambhai Barni Svasti.

Princesses wore silk tube skirts and loose knee-length silk and lace blouses decorated with ribbons, beads or pearls and headdresses made of plain fabrics or diamond-studded fabrics or pearls, small necklaces with lockets and wristwatches.

Women’s fashion in Siam during the last five years of the Sixth Reign between 1920-1925 was influenced by the European fashion called flappers, or the Early Art Deco period. Women’s clothes became more geometric and decorated with beads as a result of the archaeological discovery of Egyptian costumes in the New Kingdom Period. It was the time when jazz was popular globally and the silent movie culture took hold in Siam, where foreign-educated people brought a modern lifestyle.

Women’s fashion consisted of straight hip-length or thigh-length blouses with shorter sleeves as well as shorter tube shirts, stocking and shoes. Later, Western-style skirts and an entire Western-style dresses decorated with pearls and furs became popular. Many Siamese women had bob hairdos and wore hats.

A good example is the 1924 photo of HRH Princess Suvadhana, royal consort of King Rama VI, wearing a sleeveless and long art deco cocktail dress, a belt around her hip, an ostrich feather-decorated diamond tiara, a diamond necklace, an engagement ring and a royal decoration.

Although the Sixth Reign lasted only 15 years, the period clearly reflected women’s fashion through daily life, ceremonial clothes and stage theatre costumes as well as photos. Siamese women dressed according to modern international fashion standards while maintaining Siamese uniqueness, and enjoyed better status and bigger roles in the society.

“Her Majesty the Queen is a fashion leader in Thailand,” says Thongthong. “Traditional Thai costumes designed by Her Majesty beautifully combine traditional styles and modern culture in harmony. This concept is similar to King Rama VI’s policy to ensure equal rights for Siamese women just like Western women.”

A Siamese woman in a Western-style loose blouse and Siamese jongkraben. Chattharat Pattraporn Exhibition

A Siamese princess in an Edwardian costume. Chattharat Pattraporn Exhibition

Late Teens period fashion is reflected in this photo of HM Queen Rambhai Barni of King Rama VII when she was MC Rambhai Barni Svasti. Chattharat Pattraporn Exhibition

A woman holding a baby in a Western-style bonnet. Chattharat Pattraporn Exhibition

A Siamese couple. Chattharat Pattraporn Exhibition

Two princesses with a bob hairdo pose for one of the very first photos taken outside studios in Siam. Chattharat Pattraporn Exhibition

A Siamese bride in a Western-style wedding dress with her groom. Chattharat Pattraporn Exhibition

HRH Princess Suvadhana, a royal consort of King Rama VI. Chattharat Pattraporn Exhibition

Three siblings in European-style clothes and shoes. Chattharat Pattraporn Exhibition

This source first appeared on Bangkok Post Lifestyle.

Psychological research shows that women are likely to be vulnerable to the “lipstick effect”, with them splurging on cosmetics no matter what. During a recession, they can cut spending on other items but not their beauty budget.

One theory proposes that it’s a natural instinct that helps ladies ward off depression during an economic downturn, whereas another theory relates cosmetics purchasing to help them look prettier in order to attract men when times get tough.

In this regard, red rules as the most seductive lip colour associated with love and fertility.

According to Shiseido, each woman has to find her perfect red by testing the variations to pick one suited to her skin tone. The Japanese brand’s colour-payoff technology can create a range from ethereally diffused to deeply intense reds, with the 16 variations resulting in the latest Rouge Rouge collection.

Chanel global creative make-up designer Lucia Pica pays tribute to reds — a pillar colour for the French brand — in her debut Le Rouge Collection No1 for autumn/winter 2016. The colour symbolises the power of femininity, as Coco Chanel, once said of red: “If you’re sad, add more lipstick and attack.”

Other recent launches include Illamasqua’s Lip Lure, the product name expressing the purpose of wearing lipstick to attract attention. With a glossy finish, the long-lasting liquid formula comes in Sorbet and Virtue reds, as well as daring deep purple and green.

Choosing one of the 10 Lip Lures is much easier than picking a tube from Urban Decay’s epic Vice range, whose 100 options include 74 new shades in six different finishes.

Shortlisting the palette, 18 shades are categorised into blue-based and yellow-based reds. Doubt for instance is a matte red with a blue undertone and Wrath, a metallic red.

The naming of the collection further reflects how lipstick is a woman’s vice, with the retail therapy tempting make-up junkies to add more than one tube to the cosmetics bag.

This source first appeared on Bangkok Post Lifestyle.