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.

Maine lobster with drawn butter.

Residents of Bangkok’s eastern suburbs now get to experience the iconic gastronomic vibe of New York’s upscale market-cum-eatery Dean & Deluca thanks to its recent opening at The Crystal.

Occupying a large space at the north end of the sweeping arcade, the 80-seater is the brand’s second outlet in Bangkok that boasts a full-scale kitchen and vast selection of wine.

The brightly-lit venue looks a hybrid of a grocery store, deli bar and laid-back restaurant with clientele a mix between local families, young executives and expats.

The rule is no rules here. Visitors are welcome to shop for takeaway food from the deli and dessert bars. Or book themselves a comfortable seat and dine in. If you are there for the latter, expect to be spoiled for choice.

The dine-in menu is a large collection of all-day brunch items, salads, sandwiches, main entrées and pasta.

Of the brunch list, a breakfast platter of bacon, avocado and asparagus (295 baht) is the top seller.

This hybrid of a deli bar, laid-back restaurant and grocery store is the brand’s second outlet in Bangkok to boast a full-scale kitchen and vast selection of wine.

It features pan-seared belly bacon, Hass avocado, green asparagus spears and fried egg dressed with spicy adobo hollandaise and jalapeño salsa on toasted multi-grain bread. The hefty sandwich proved as wholesome as it was tasty.

To follow was a hearty salad of baby spinach, roasted Japanese pumpkin and butternut squash with Parmesan cheese, pistachio, hazelnut and apple cider vinaigrette dressing (175 baht).

Another sandwich worth stuffing your stomach is the Dean burger (445 baht), made with house-ground wagyu beef patty, bacon, cheddar, sweet onion, Salanova lettuce and rogue ale mustard on brioche bun. The juicy burger was accompanied by French fries.

From the pasta collection, tiger prawn fettuccine with marinated anchovy, cilantro lime pesto, chilli, garlic and organic sea caviar (425 baht) is highly recommended, as are black truffle macaroni and cheese (295 baht) and tagliolini carbonara (350 baht).

For the main course, steamed Maine lobster with drawn butter (995 baht) proved a great option for sharing. While salmon fans won’t regret having salmon teriyaki with heirloom carrots, shiitake mushroom and asparagus (325 baht).

The New York cheesecake (145 baht) and lemon meringue tart (145 baht) are among the most ordered desserts.

To go with the sumptuous cuisine, the restaurant offers a complete wine list that comprises more than two dozen labels, from red, white and rosé to Champagne. Half of the selection is also available by the glass.

Yet, for non-alcohol drinkers, a wide variety of coffee, tea, sodas, fruit smoothies and milk shakes from the espresso bar promises a true contentment. Caramel macchiato (135 baht) and peach & passion fruit smoothies (145 baht) are my favourite.

The Dean burger.

Tiger prawn fettuccine with marinated anchovy, cilantro-lime pesto and organic sea caviar.

Dean & Deluca

The Crystal shopping mall Pradit Manutham Road Call 02-061-2846 Open daily 10am-10pm Park at the Crystal’s car park Most credit cards accepted

This source first appeared on Bangkok Post Lifestyle.

Have you ever wondered what your bum would look like when it gets hit with a stick in slow motion or how the 7-Eleven staff would react when presented with a bag full of satang coins? Of course not. But if you are now, search My Mate Nate on YouTube to find out.

Nathan Bartling, better known as My Mate Nate, is a popular and prolific YouTuber whose channel has amassed nearly one million subscribers with his funny videos in Thai language.

In his recent video, 23-year-old Nate, showed how easy it was to persuade young Pokemon Go players to follow a stranger with a promise of finding a rare Pokemon to highlight the game’s potential danger. It went viral with over a million views on YouTube in one week and received some media attention. We chatted with Nate about his online success as a farang YouTuber in Thailand.

What were you like as a child?

I grew up in California, did a lot of sports as a kid, ran around the neighbourhood, terrorising my neighbours and having fun like a child should. My first noteworthy “prank” was at my high school graduation. When they called my name, I ripped off my gown to reveal a Superman outfit underneath and started flexing. The graduating class gave me a standing ovation while I was escorted out of the ceremony.

How did you end up living in Thailand?

I first came here as a Mormon missionary and taught English for free. After I finished two years of volunteer service, I went back home. I didn’t feel like college was for me so I moved back to Thailand to work as an English teacher and started my own YouTube channel.

When did you decide to do a YouTube channel?

It started out just for fun with a few of my travel videos around Thailand. Then I did a few prank videos on Thais and received great feedback. After having a few hundred followers, I decided to make videos regularly. Things slowly took off from there. In the past eight months, the number of subscribers has skyrocketed from 40K to almost one million. I will also soon start another channel which I can’t tell you much about right now but it’s gonna be good.

What can people expect from your channel?

My videos range from pranks on the Thai public, social experiments, travel, vlogs and whatever feels right to me. Wouldn’t you like to know how people would react when I ask them if I can feel their nom (milk or breast in Thai) or kai (egg or testicle in Thai)? I also have some of the more serious videos where I explore different aspects of Thai culture too. I’m pretty sure you should be able to find something you like there.

Did you ever think your channel would become this big?

I always hoped that it would be big, but I never thought it would reach this scale so quickly. I think Thais really enjoy my work because it’s something new to them and I bring in a foreigner’s perspective. Another big thing I think makes people enjoy my videos is that they can see that I genuinely love making them and that I don’t do them just to get paid by sponsors.

What’s a kind of dream prank that you would like to do someday?

A large scale zombie infestation would be cool.

What do you find to be the rewarding aspects of being a YouTuber?

When I talk about my life motivation in my vlogs, I like to think that I help people ignite that “fire” to make their dreams come true. I’ve made it to where I came from nothing but hard work. I tell my young and older followers that all the time. It’s always nice to receive messages from fans who tell me that I’ve inspired them. On the flip side, I have received negative and rude comments from people who tell me to go back to my country or that I don’t belong here. It comes with the job.

Any tips for those who want to become a YouTuber?

Be yourself and keep making videos. Things may start off slow, but if your content is good, people will find their way to your channel. Before you know it, you’ll have hundreds of thousands of followers. The best thing about social media is that anybody can make a name for themselves. You don’t have to go through all the agencies and do what they want you to do. When I think something is ready, I don’t have to have it approved by anyone else. I have complete creative control over what I do. And what a great opportunity to be living in this age where you can use technology to benefit yourself in so many great ways. All you have to do is to be willing to work hard to get somewhere. g

This source first appeared on Bangkok Post Lifestyle.

Dragon’s Heart. Photo courtesy of Anatta Theatre Troupe

Musicals about the lives of Thai defenders of democracy and human rights have come to define director and playwright Pradit Prasartthong’s body of work since he founded the Anatta Theatre Troupe in 2012. He’s imagined the intimate and personal moments of the late writer Sriburapa, first lady Poonsuk Banomyong and former rector of Thammasat University and Free Thai Movement member Puey Ungphakorn.

These musicals are the more obvious statements by the artist about his country. Pradit is much more subtle and artful in his treatments of Thai folk tales and classic literature. But even though he always paints these men and women as unequivocally good and heroic, Pradit’s intention is to humanise and entertain rather than provoke.

In its third incarnation, Mangkorn Slad Gled (Dragon’s Heart) returns this year to commemorate the 100th anniversary of Puey Ungphakorn’s birth and the 40th anniversary of the Oct 6, 1976, massacre at Thammasat University. The play premiered at the Bangkok Theatre Festival in 2013. It was comedic in tone and dealt more with Puey’s identity as a young Thai born into a family of Chinese immigrants. The second production, which I didn’t see, boasted a large and star-studded cast and had a three-hour run time. The latest version is a much more modest one, with 14 cast members, four musicians and the first act about Puey’s childhood chopped off.

This is the most complex work of Pradit I’ve seen. But Dragon’s Heart is not a complex portrait of Puey; it’s an admiring and affectionate one. The man is faultless in Pradit’s eye. But through Puey’s life, work and values, Pradit has found a more complex way than we’re used to to portray Thailand’s political culture and upheavals.

The musical begins with Puey’s time as a prisoner of war due to his involvement with the Free Thai Movement during World War II. It then takes us through his period as the governor of the Bank of Thailand and subsequent relationship with Field Marshal Sarit Thanarat’s government. The play culminates in the Thammasat University massacre of 1976, which led to his exile to England, where he died less than a year later.

While Puey’s public record is stainless and the message of his moral courage and integrity is an important one, the play, or at least this version of it, doesn’t investigate how he became this wise and virtuous man. Puey’s portrayal in the first half of the play felt flat, as if it was made for school touring.

To be fair, Puey does struggle in the play, just never between right and wrong. If anything, he is always so morally assured, which is both his biggest strength and weakness. Rather, he struggles to choose between his ideals and the reality, his country and his beloved Margaret, his country and the ordinary people.

These struggles show little emotional depth in the character, even though there is a lot of room for that in a man like Puey. To Pradit, Puey’s incorruptibility casts him as an outsider throughout his career, but the play only reveals glimpses of what that might have felt like for Puey.

In that sense, the composite character, Raphi (played by Pradit), is more realistic and interesting than Puey. Raphi and Puey become friends when they are both prisoners of war. While Puey refuses to get into politics after the war, Raphi gives in to Thailand’s corrupt political culture. But they remain friends over the years even as their values and political beliefs diverge. Raphi later becomes somewhat of a tragic figure as a father of a young hotheaded man with extreme political views.

The second half of the play is much stronger — at times thrilling, angry and passionate, at times tender and moving. Pradit depicts the student movement at the time as fervent and well-intentioned, but also marred by the recklessness and bullheadedness of youth.

Puey becomes more interesting as a character, too, when he has to deal with the generation gap at his job at Thammasat University and at home with his son Giles, who has inherited his father’s humanitarian streak but not his equanimity.

The exchanges between Puey and the student protesters and his son reveal a side of the October generation we rarely see in the theatre. These scenes also reveal how intolerant a political movement can be even when it believes its cause to be democracy.

And even though Pradit writes in his director’s note that all the characters and events in the musical are fictional and “do not exist in history”, the student massacre scene involving the right-wing groups and the police, as imagined by the artist, felt real and true, especially for an event that no governments since have considered worthy of an official death toll.

Pradit, also the lyricist for the play, teamed up with Gandhi Wasuvitchayagit and delivered gorgeous music based on the melodies passed on from the late National Artist Sudjit Duriyapraneet. The music in the play is in the style of lakorn rong, a Thai musical theatre performance adapted from bangsawan, a type of Malay opera, and European operas. Gandhi conducts a four-person orchestra who together play Western and Thai percussive, string and wind instruments and produce lush, beautiful sounds.

Not all the actors can meet the demand of the music or even sing on a professional level — a common problem in Thai musical productions. But in the role of Puey, the young actor Pasakorn Rungrueangdechaphat, with his warm, smooth singing voice, carries the show with aplomb, playing the revered figure from his 20s to his 70s with subtlety and grace.

This source first appeared on Bangkok Post Lifestyle.

After having been fascinated with Roger Vivier’s gorgeous creations for two years, Thai ladies will have the opportunity to learn more about this legendary brand and what has made it embraced by sophisticated women around the world.

Sophia Loren and her favourite Roger Vivier shoes. photos courtesy of Rizzoli New York (2013)

Held to mark the 80th anniversary of the brand that opened its biggest store in Southeast Asia at The Emporium in Bangkok in 2014, the “Roger Vivier Retrospective Exhibition” will take us back in time to discover the birth of this French brand and how it made its way to become a world leader in luxury footwear and accessories today.

The exhibition is divided into five parts that will recount the history and work of its founder Vivier, who branded the world’s first stiletto-heel shoe, unveil his personal collages and sketches from the archive collections, and narrate how the brand has earned the trust from the world’s royalty and style icons.

A selection of famous iconic shoes and bags as well as an exclusive collection of nine photos showing Hollywood celebrities sporting Roger Vivier items on the red carpet will also be displayed alongside the actual ones.

Established in 1937, Vivier began to gain attention from modern ladies right after his buckle shoes made its first appearance on the catwalk of the Yves Saint Laurent fashion show in 1953. They became even more popular when actress Catherine Deneuve was spotted wearing them in the classic film Belle Du Jour. The very same year, the French shoemaker once again made a name for himself when he was chosen to design Queen Elizabeth II’s coronation shoes.

Embellished with jewellery of various colours to match with her coronation crown, the pair of golden shoes was Vivier ‘s most delicate and dramatic leather work that required the finest artisanal skill. It is also regarded as the world’s best fashion masterpiece of the century.

Since then Vivier was commissioned to make shoes for a number of royals namely Princess Grace Kelly of Monaco, the Duchess of Windsor in the UK, the Empress of Iran and Princess Victoria of Sweden.

The list of his prestigious clients includes Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, Marlene Dietrich, Audrey Hepburn, Elizabeth Taylor, Sophia Lauren, Brigitte Bardot, Ines de la Fressange and Carla Bruni.

Vivier buckle shoes have been entering a new era with the perfect sense of design by creative director Bruno Frisoni who understands the heart and soul of his predecessor. He has brought “The Buckle” — the brand’s signature piece — to the accessory line especially for clutch bags, which have become must-have items for many top celebrities.

— Patcharawalai Sanyanusin

Queen Elizabeth II’s coronation shoes designed by Roger Vivier. Rizzoli New York (2013)

This source first appeared on Bangkok Post Lifestyle.

Navin’s 15m-long movie billboard-style painting over the now defunct Saha Cinema (Saha Phapayon). Photo courtesy of Navin Production – StudiOK

The historic old town of Songkhla is always full of life. But everything — the people and the picturesque old neighbourhood flanked by the lake on one side and ocean on the other — was accentuated over the past weekend.

It was the launch of the collective ABOUT ART RELATED ACTIVITIES’ art and preservation project that spans six venues throughout the southern town, the highlight being an opening of Misiem’s, a three-storey museum dedicated to works by Misiem Yipintsoi, a legendary Thai painter and sculptor.

The people behind the event are the late sculptor’s own granddaughter Klaomard Yipintsoi and photographer Nopadon Kaosam-ang, the couple who founded ABOUT STUDIO/ABOUT CAFE, a fabled art space that was the driving force behind Bangkok’s art scene from the mid-1990s to the mid-2000s, paving the way for the boom of art galleries today.

Also joining the event was Chiang Mai-based artist Navin Rawanchaikul with his usual lively old-school movie posters and music videos, which resulted from his first-hand research and interaction with people in the community.

For Klaomard and Nopadon, Songkhla was an accident; they were driving through the town for fun almost a decade ago, and fell in love with an old town house and immediately decided to buy it. The only connection Klaomard has to the province is the fact that her family’s trading company once had an office in Hat Yai, a southern business hub a 40-minute drive away, and that her uncle was also a doctor there.

“We didn’t know what we were going to do with the building at that point. We just loved it,” said Klaomard. “We asked the construction team to come down from Bangkok and start repairing the site. It was only when we had acquired more buildings that we started thinking about coming up with some project.”

The facade of Yap Fah Mi. Photo courtesy of ABOUT ART RELATED ACTIVITIES

That first town house, named Yap Fah Woon after Klaomard’s father’s Chinese name, was followed by another love at first sight, then another, and another, and so on. Now, they have five buildings in total — Yap Fah Kuang (named after her uncle), Yap Fah Mi (named after her aunt), an old rice storage house, and the site for Misiem’s. These buildings — some have been fully renovated while others are still in dilapidation — are now open to the public on Saturdays and Sundays or by appointment until Oct 30.

“There was no other motive at the time other than the fear that these old buildings would be somehow destroyed by new developers,” said Klaomard. “To me, they are worth a lot, both historically and in terms of feelings. I want the community to realise what valuable assets they have, valuable in the way that money has nothing to do with it.”

Klaomard said that these buildings reflect the dynamism of the Songkhla’s long history, some sites, for example, would bear Chinese-styled structures on one half of the land plot while on the other half is architecture with Western influence, and this tells a lot about the change in the community from generation to generation.

When they came across a three-storey building in the centre of town on Pattani Road, they knew right away that it should be dedicated to Misiem Yipintsoi’s works.

“We have always wanted a proper place for her work,” said Klaomard. “She was an inspiration, she was the person who filled our lives as children with art and we want this space to represent that.”

While on the third floor there are 15 of her paintings on display, the glass room in the backyard houses six of her abstract sculptures, a rare sight as most people know of her work by its lifelike style. This is the first time the public will get to see Misiem’s works again after the Misiem Sculpture Garden closed down last year after one of her best known pieces Coy Girl was stolen.

Abstract sculptures by Misiem Yipintsoi. Photo courtesy of ABOUT ART RELATED ACTIVITIES

Also displayed in the space are contemporary works by artists like Charit Supaset, Chitti Kasemkitvatana, Kamin Lertchaiprasert, Pinaree Sanpitak, Rirkrit Tiravanija and Udomsak Krisanamis. The site is also where documents related to ABOUT STUDIO/ABOUT CAFE’s past exhibitions are stored, waiting to be properly sorted.

For artist Navin Rawanchaikul, it started just as a trip last year to visit Klaomard and Nopadon who are his good friends. He immediately took a liking to the community and began to think that he could start a project about it.

“My part of the project is the visual art,” said Navin. “My team and I thought we could do something about it so we started researching by interviewing people in the community.”

Titled “OK NAKORN — Singora Diary”, the project’s highlight is a 15m-long old movie billboard-style painting, which sits over the now defunct stand-alone theatre Saha Cinema (Saha Phapayon), which was built in 1930 and stopped functioning almost 20 years ago. In the painting, ordinary people in the community were dressed and given roles as if they were movie stars.

“My visit to Songkhla made me realise how similar the town is to Chiang Mai’s Warorot Market where I was born and grew up,” wrote Navin in the exhibition text. “They are similar both in terms of the architecture and the way of life in the community whose population is of mixed races. That made me curious about the history of the place and want to research on ways of life of people from various generations.”

Another striking similarity between Warorot Market and here is how small shophouses are gradually fading as more real estate developers come in. Navin’s work is in dialogue with Klaomard and Nopadon’s buildings in the way that while the latter is about highlighting the heritage in the physical sense, the former is about making people’s history and stories which are fading heard and remembered again.

Navin’s other exhibition site is at a former mechanical workshop that Klaomard and Nopadon renovated and now displays a large portrait painting, made up of a collage of more than 70 panels. Titled Singora Diary, each panel tells a story by community members that he encountered in his research. Also on view is a music video of a song OK Nakorn, which was written for the province and starred Navin and community members.

“I think of myself as an outsider,” said Navin. “A traveller just passing by and hoping that maybe what I leave behind can be picked up by the community for further use somehow.”

This source first appeared on Bangkok Post Lifestyle.

Ordering in seems to be the new dining out, given the sheer number of online food delivery services and individually-run meal makers out there. However, some of these services put price tags on offerings that seemingly include tax and service charge. Fortunately, that isn’t the case for Heart Kitchen which delivers Japanese dishes at a reasonable price. By that, we mean you can have a big box of bento for just under a B100. We know. We also said “Whaat?” like you just did.

Yaki salmon steak (B99) is impressively packed with goodies, giving a good bang for your baht. The big slab of grilled salmon dressed with tasty sauce hides the spaghetti underneath and is topped with shimeji mushroom. Accompanying the flavourful fish is a mixed bed of jasmine rice and rice berry with extra healthiness from the likes of sesame seeds, green mung beans, barley and more. Mashed potatoes, fresh veggies, kimchi and a half piece of egg roll comes on the side too. The only complaint we have is that the kimchi tastes a tad too salty for our liking.

Ma-po tofu set (B69) is also good value. This box contains the same items as the salmon box except for the main attraction which is the giggly cubes of tofu and juicy minced pork in the sticky and spicy sauce.

If you have a petite appetite, we reckon one bowl of Chicken steak with black pepper and rice (B75) should be enough for you. The chicken is grilled just right with its skin intact. You can taste the black pepper but not to the point that it overwhelms the moist and tender meat.

Served with mashed potatoes and kimchi, the Japanese egg roll (B49) impresses with thick but tender yellow-and-white layers. When you sink your teeth into each piece, you’ll also get some crispness from fresh veggies that are enveloped between the sheets too.

From Heart is run by Korean-Japanese cook Koki, who worked as a chef in Tokyo, and his wife Tanyaporn. Their food isn’t gourmet but we think they do a good job, especially at these kinds of prices. Whenever you want to up your office lunch game, consider ordering from Heart Kitchen. Get your colleagues to join and spilt the delivery costs too.

This source first appeared on Bangkok Post Lifestyle.

Army chief Gen Theerachai Nakvanich recently urged people to look out for anything suspicious in their communities in the wake of the recent bomb attacks, while adding new Thai characteristics to everybody’s knowledge. He said, “Thai people don’t wear hats or glasses in the mall. Carrying a backpack is also suspicious too.”

Thank you krub, dear sir, for such words of wisdom. I didn’t realise there are new nuances to being Thai. And because I’m so Thai I know that I should accept any statement made by a phuyai like you without questioning.

This also got me thinking about other details about being Thai that we may have overlooked. Please allow me to present a quiz to help any Thai find out how Thai he or she really is.

1. You met a farang who tried to speak Thai but got all the intonations completely wrong. How should you react?

a) Aww. What an adorable farang. See how great our country is that so many westerners try to learn our language.

b) Politely correct the person (while thinking to yourself, “stop butchering my language”).

2. How would you react to Thais who can speak English fluently?

a) Oh, do you think you’re too cool for the Thai language or something? So gra-dae (pretentious) na you. I would be as good as you had our country been colonised.

b) You must have put a lot of hard work into practising. Good on you!

3. What kinds of words would you associate with Pokemon Go?

a) Nonsense. Danger. A waste of time. Addiction. Car crash. Espionage. Fining opportunities (if you’re a traffic police officer).

b) Fun. Business booster. Discovery of new places. Something to encourage nerds to go out more.

4. What’s considered to be a proper swimsuit at the beach or a water park?

a) A combo of T-shirt and shorts.

b) A swimsuit of any style. Duh.

5. What is the first thing you do when served with a bowl of noodles?

a) No one knows my taste better than I do. I should just add seasoning before I eat and get my money’s worth.

b) Try it as served first and then decide whether to add seasoning.

6. How would you react to “news” about Thai celebs or politicians doing normal things like eating at a street side food stall or not cutting in line?

a) They are such role models! It’s so great of them to show that they can do normal stuff normally as we would normally do every day.

b) Why the heck is this news?

7. How do you react to someone attending a party with a black face?

a) It’s a joke. Don’t be so serious. Jai yen yen.

b) When will we ever learn?

8. What do you do when you encounter a plant or an animal with an abnormal shape?

a) Put incense sticks around it and tell neighbours it gives you clues towards winning the lottery.

b) Nothing? Maybe a couple of pictures for my IG?

9. When a phuyai says wearing hats, glasses or backpacks at the mall isn’t Thai, how would you react to it?

a) Accept it as a fact and wear your MCM studded backpack at home.

b) (Think to yourself) What is he on?

ANSWERS:

More a) – The more you go a), the more Thai you are. If you’re all a), then you’re super Thai.

More b) – Sorry, maybe you aren’t so Thai, despite your nationality and the taxes you, your parents and your ancestors have paid.

How many did you get right? How Thai are you, ja?

This source first appeared on Bangkok Post Lifestyle.

The Sukhumvit episode in Bangkok Stories. Photos courtesy of Bangkok Stories Film

Paris had Paris Je T’aime, New York had New York I Love You. Now Bangkok has its own film ensemble drawn from different neighbourhoods of the city. Bangkok Stories, a portmanteau of six films telling tales of brief encounters and nebulous romance, will premier tonight at the 20th Short Film and Video Festival at Bangkok Art and Culture Centre, before going on to cinema and television release later.

The six films, each around 15 minutes in length, derive their flavours from six Bangkok districts: Yaowarat, Silom, Phahurat, Mor Chit, Khao San and Sukhumvit. The boy-meets-girl (and boy-meets-boy) stories are sketched with a broad stroke and melancholic longing, backgrounded by the demographic characters of each neighbourhood. Thus the Phahurat episode pairs a Sikh boy with a Chinese girl (Phahurat is known as Bangkok’s Little India); the Khao San section is about a Western backpacker and her chance meeting with a Thai stranger; while the Sukhumvit part is a sun-kissed, Rohmer-like afternoon at a swimming pool of well-to-do teenagers.

“We came up with the idea of the project after the bombing of Erawan Shrine,” says Maenum Chagasik, one of the producers of Bangkok Stories. “We thought about conflict and about romance, and we thought about how Bangkok is populated by people from different backgrounds and beliefs — say in Phahurat you have the Indian-Thai and the Chinese-Thai, or around Mor Chit bus terminal you have migrants from the North and Northeast. And yet we all have been living side by side since forever.”

Maenum adds that the overarching theme of romance in the six short films — mostly kept hidden under the surface, revealed only through subtle gesture — follows the lead of the city-based ensemble such as Paris Je T’aime, in which 20 filmmakers made movies about each arrondissement, and New York I Love You, which has the same format.

“It’s time Bangkok has a film like that too!” says the producer.

Phahurat.

Thankfully this is not a tourism project (Bangkok Stories is funded mainly by TrueVisions, which will air it later this year), and the six filmmakers here care more about the humming vibe of the neighbourhoods than about their obvious characters. In Yaowarat, directed by Apinya Sakulcharoensuk, a young hotel receptionist walks through the busy Chinatown traffic at night to return to his rented room in a rundown building, a typical back-alley abode of so many non-Chinese workers lucking it out in the capital. His conversation on a rooftop with a young woman — the naturalism is a little bit forced here — reveals the dreams and desires shared by so many young people finding their temporary home in the capital.

In Khao San, directed by Anocha Suwichakornpong, a bored backpacker spends an afternoon with a smiling, super-nice Thai guy, and their fleeting encounter is balanced between mystery, friendship and a possibility of romance — two people carving out a few hours of peace in that usually chaotic street. Things become more playful and intimate in the Silom episode, directed by Vorakorn Reuthaivanichkul, in which a high school boy flirts with an office worker — the well-dressed kind you find at Silom — and the film includes a scene set in the snake museum in the Thai Red Cross compound on Rama IV. The poison of love has no protective serum, as the two young men soon learn.

The Mor Chit part could have been edgier: this bus terminal is where the influx of migrant workers converge, before they are dispersed, left at the mercy of fate in cruel Bangkok. Directed by Wichanon Somumjarn, this short features a young taxi driver and a peroxide-haired girl, both coming from the province to try their luck in Bangkok. Then in the Phahurat section, we have a Sikh boy — this is perhaps the first time a Thai film has a serious Sikh character, invested with genuine emotion — who tends to his hospital-ridden father and whose good friend is a Chinese-Thai girl. Again, an indecipherable cloud of romantic feeling hovers above them, and director Soraya Nakasuwan handles it with gentle delicacy.

In the final part set on Sukhumvit, we have two girls in bikinis sunbathing by a swimming pool (it is the one near the Bangkok Planetarium) as a cute-oafish boy tries his best to get their attention. Director Aditya Assarat, his touch always nimble, sketches a frivolous high school courtship game that’s grounded in the milieu of that wealthy neighbourhood. The girls are sumptuously haughty — you can picture them growing up into the kind that saunters around EmQuartier with expensive handbags dangling from their wrists — and yet their adolescence isn’t devoid of regret and kind understanding. Sukhumvit is the last film in the package, and one that you’ll keep thinking about.

This source first appeared on Bangkok Post Lifestyle.

We’ve heard it all before. These (almost) cryptic statements and sayings that are supposed to encourage, inspire and frankly, make you feel less crappy about yourself. Those quotes that are often found on one of your passive aggressive friends’ Instagram postings at about 2am.

Nevertheless, proverbs we’re familiar with are often outdated and applying them to modern-day Thailand is rather difficult. Especially during this “transitional” period when uncertainty looms and havoc is just waiting to spew itself, with people breaking ballot boxes for no reason.

These tough times are in dire need of motivational and uplifting sentiments (such as these ones that Guru has come up with). Ones that will draw all the people together and make them realise that no matter how bad things may seem, we shall prevail. For this is not just any country. This… is… SPARTA! Oh sorry, we meant Thailand. This is Thailand!

This source first appeared on Bangkok Post Lifestyle.

A woman walks past a damaged pagoda after an earthquake in Bagan, Myanmar, on Thursday. (Reuters photo)

State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi has instructed the Culture and Religious Affairs Ministry to refrain from conducting urgent renovations on the 187 ancient Bagan pagodas and temples that were damaged by a 6.8-magnitude earthquake on Wednesday.

State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi has instructed the Culture and Religious Affairs Ministry to refrain from conducting urgent renovations on the 187 ancient Bagan pagodas and temples that were damaged by a 6.8-magnitude earthquake on Wednesday.

President’s Office deputy director general Zaw Htay said Suu Kyi asked the ministry on Thursday to discuss renovations with specialists from the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, and to make their plans with technical support from the organisation, the Myanmar Times reported on Friday.

Sun Oo, president of the Association of Myanmar Architects, agreed, saying repair work on damaged pagodas should be done carefully and without rushing.

“There is no need to rush heritage renovation,” he said. “The world heritage renovation principles should be followed. First, we must collect data about the damaged pagodas and after we have documented the situation on the ground, we can repair the high-priority pagodas.”

After an earthquake struck Bagan in 1975, more than 600 pagodas were poorly renovated. Shoddy preservation work has been an ongoing barrier to the government’s efforts to have Bagan added to Unesco’s list of World Heritage Sites.

Sun Oo said the next wave of reconstruction requires good leadership.

“We do not want to reduce the value of our heritage sites again due to bad renovation,” he said. “The previous leaders reconstructed as they liked. Bagan is not only for Myanmar heritage but also for world heritage. That is why they should really work with the experts while renovating.”

He would like to see more staff at the Archeology, National Museum and Library Department in Bagan as well as an increased budget. The department has contracted out conservation work in the past, but there have not been enough skillful masons, Sun Oo said.

Starting this year, the Myanmar Tourism Federation (MTF) began collecting entrance fees for the Bagan conservation zone on the basis of a five-year contract, in an agreement with the former culture minister.

According to the agreement between the ministry and the MTF, 90% of the take goes back to the government, 2pc goes toward pagoda conservation and 6pc goes to the federation.

In June, Sun Oo told the Myanmar Times that the amount devoted to pagoda renovation is too small.

While he urged leaders not to rush into renovations, Sun Oo did acknowledge that pagodas that could be destroyed by rain must be protected, given that it is monsoon season.

Some pagodas have been preserved with cement, which cannot hold its weight, causing cracks over time, said Bagan tour guide Zaw Win Cho.

“The parts of the pagodas that were renewed after the 1975 earthquake have been damaged but the ancient bricks have not collapsed,” he said. “That is why if they are renovated as usual, this damage will be repeated whenever there is a natural disaster.”

Of the 187 damaged pagodas, Tayoke Pyay Min is in the worst condition. Its top collapsed and many bricks are cracked, which will be difficult to repair.

This source first appeared on Bangkok Post Lifestyle.

THAI FOOD is one of the most popular cuisines in the world but a phad thai or som tum that you enjoy, say in London, often bears little resemblance to what you will chow down at a Bangkok food stall. So what is authentic Thai food and how do you know if you are eating the real thing?

Chang, which makes the famed Thai beer, is out to set the world straight with its brand new global campaign, “Chang Sensory Trails”, which is tracking celebrity chef and Thai culinary ambassador Jet Tila’s memories of the Kingdom’s cuisine starting in Singapore.

“The inaugural Chang Sensory Trails is our first-ever global campaign to bring the vibrancy of Thai urban food culture to the world. The iconic flavours of Thai food are already renowned in various parts of the world. In addition to its distinctive presentation and taste, Thai cuisine embraces creative twists to deliver more exotic, palate-teasing experiences to international epicureans,” says Ronnie Teo, global marketing director for Chang.

“We are collaborating with Jet, who is known as a culinary storyteller, to highlight Thai dishes and take gourmets down memory lane. These memories are based on Jet’s personal experience of food with his family and friends in Thailand.”

Billed as a multi-sensorial event that celebrates Thailand’s iconic flavours, the campaign seamlessly blends iconic Thai dishes with soulful funk music and urban street art for a truly unique, one-of-a-kind experience. After its launch in Singa- pore last week, it’s heading to Los Angeles and London.

All three destinations will see some of the finest Thai restaurants joining Tila in creating Thai dishes at Chang Sensory Trails. A highlight activity in each destination is an exclusive VIP dining experience where the winners of an online contest will get to taste Tila’s off- the-menu dishes.

The event in Singapore featured the signature dishes of the City State’s eight finest Thai restaurants, namely Folks Collective’s Phad Thai with Crab Meat, Atlantic Black Cod Yellow Curry with Bamboo Shoots Tempura from Patara, Cured Pork Fritters from Long Chim, Thai Watermelon Fried Rice from Gin Khao, Grilled Fish and Beef and Pork Balls Skewers from Nara Thai, Kor Moo Yang from Rochor Thai, Prawn in Crystal Roll with Sweet Basil from Tamarind Hill and Chiang Mai Bites from Long Tail.

“We have spent our lives travelling and tasting Thai foods around the world, so we know how important authentic tastes are,” says Therapong “John” Monthienvichienchai, the founder of Folks Collective.

“But you also have to go with what’s available. For example, we modify our green curry by using pumpkin instead of eggplant, which is hard to find here.”

His wife Pacika, who prefers to be called Katherine, confirms his statement, adding, “Our food is authentically Thai and we don’t cater to the locals’ taste.”

Therapong and Pacika, both former bankers, are permanent residents of Singapore. Folks Collective, their Thai restaurant business, today boasts four branches, each with a different concept and we made our way to the China Square branch, known as “The Vintage Shophouse” to feast on a selection of dishes including Phad Thai with Crab Meat, Kang Khiew Wan with Khao Klong (green curry with brown rice) and Folks Wings (fried chicken drumsticks), all served in the traditional fish baskets known as kheng pla too.

The restaurant itself, which is mainly furnished with antiques, is decorated in an eclectic vintage style.

“Our target group for this branch is office workers. They earn very different salaries and our aim is to get them to eat here a few times a week so we keep the prices low,” says Therapong, who worked in England for more than 10 years.

“When I was in England, I had a Thai meal with a British friend, who told me that ‘tom yam’ was as sour as medicine!”

The Chang Sensory Trails event brought the Bay Front Event Space to life as dusk fell, with festival-goers pouring into the area to enjoy music performances as well as a graffiti show. Later in the evening, we were welcomed to Jet Tila’s Chef’s Table to enjoy six dishes based on his memories. They included miang kham “A Night of Yum”, (stuffed betel leaf with palm sugar jam), sa la pao sai moo “The Way My Grandmother Used to Do It”, (five-spice braised pork belly buns), yum som-o “Prosperity & Pomelos”, (pomelo crispy rice salad with shrimp), khao soi “From Lampang with Love”, (Thai Northern curry noodles with braised beef and curry), yum pla-duk fu “We Need A Bigger Boat”, (crispy fish with green mango slaw) and pad kee mao “The Dish that Made Me” (drunken noodles).

“If we are going to spread Thai food, Thai culture and Thai beer around the world, we need a voice that people can associate with English. I’m very proud that Chang has taken me on for this mission,” Tila says.

“I create dishes for you to experience based on growing up as a Thai-American who has travelled the world. I think people love Thai food and when you ask them where they first tasted it, they will say Bangkok and Chiang Mai. You can see the happy memories in their eyes. They tell me ‘I was in Bangkok’; ‘I was in Chiang Mai;’ ‘I was on the beach’. I want to pick dishes that hit on those memories and I want people to come to our events in London and Los Angeles. And we hope at every festival to create a new sense of memory,” he explains.

“Here in Singapore, we have eight amazing partner restaurants. My mother comes from Lampang and she would often prepare charcoal-boiled pork neck or kor moo yang. That is old school. Watermelon fried rice is a beautiful blend of old school and new school. I’m excited to share those dishes with Singapore,” he adds.

“We will change the menu according to the city though we will keep staples like phad thai and khao soi. I think it’s important to get people hooked, make them love the food and help them find their own food journey.

“You know, the French have been recording their dishes in books for more than 250 years but Thailand doesn’t have many of those books. I think the best we can do is to keep the ingredients authentic. That’s important right now.”

This source first appeared on The Nation Life.

CAMP, TOKYO’S best-loved curry restaurant, recently organised a grand opening event for its Camp Curry restaurant, which brings a selection of healthy but hearty Japanese dishes to the fourth floor of Siam Paragon.

The Shibuya-based chain, which has been serving up its curries to Bangkok’s foodies since earlier this year, took the opportunity of the grand opening to showcase its premium dishes, even flying in its founder, Takashi Sato, to rustle up one of the highlights.

“Camp has been running for more than nine years and now has 32 branches across Japan. This branch in Bangkok is the first outside the country,” explained Surapab Limatibul.

“Each dish is freshly cooked and represents the fun experience of camping in Japan. Customers |can select such toppings as Onsen egg, cheese, beef, salmon while dining in an atmosphere that brings to mind the Ringungkakko (schools in the wood), which take place every year when kids go off on a summer break and cook their favourite dishes. When the meal is ready they shout out ‘Itadakimas!’ before tucking in,” added Tirawan Taechaubol.

Guests joining the opening event included Tipanan (Krairiksh) Srifuengfung, Pumi and Prae Sarasin, Tiporn Sihanatkathakul, Chaiyapat and Sutassanee Sosothikul, Danai and Disaya Sorakraikitikul, Napamanee Krairiksh, Kamolsut Dabbaransi, Ausana Mahagitsiri Dabbaransi, Gavin Vongkusolkit, Kulapat Kanokwatanawan, Karatphet Issara, and ML Atadis Diskul.

Sato busied himself in the kitchen cooking his special Roasted-Beef Shio in the large, heavy cooking pot with a lid often referred to as a Dutch oven to ensure the meat was tender before covering it with a powerful wasabi curry.

Camp’s recommended dishes include BBQ Curry (Bt320), which features curry on top of high-quality braised pork topped with corn, cheese, or egg and Fully-loaded Vegetables Curry (Bt190), a very popular dish with healthy eaters. Another super healthy option is the Hango Salad Shake (Bt100). Both are made with top-quality vegetables grown in the Royal Projects.

Hayashi Brown Stew (Bt150) is prepared from onion soup that is reduced to a brown caramel before being mixed with hot rice and served with Camp’s special sauce on top of braised beef. This dish is perfect for kids or those who don’t like spicy food.

Tokyo Curry (Bt140) has been specially concocted for the Bangkok branch and is inspired by Kima or ground chicken curry mixed with Shoyu sauce and Japanese Sake. The Big Camp Fire Curry Bt380, a Thai take on the traditional Nabe curry, is for two and is also recommended for groups of friends who want to share.

Desserts include Hokkaido Milk Pudding (Bt150) and Daigaku Sweet Potato (Bt80) made with Japanese-style sugar potato and honey.

Creative Cuts

– Camp Curry Bangkok is in the Food Passage Zone of Siam Paragon and open daily from 10 to 10.

– Book a table at (02)610 9612, or visit Facebook.com/campcurry.

This source first appeared on The Nation Life.

A GROUP OF celebrities has lined up to support Thailand’s athletes in the Paralympic Games in Rio de Janeiro.

Led by Chutinant Bhirombhakdi, president of Paralympic Committee of Thailand and Naiyanobh Bhirombhakdi, chairman of Brain Disabled Sports Association, they have launched an online campaign to let the public show its backing for the athletes competing in the games that take place from September 7 to 18.

Chutinant said, “This is a great occasion where Thai people can witness the talents of Thai paralympics athletes who make a name for their country with their commitment. All of them carry the hopes of Thailand.

“We are launching the campaign #HEROparalympic2016 and inviting Thai people to send their support through online media by clicking “Like” on Paralympic Thailand Facebook fan page with hash tag #HEROparalympic2016.

“The messages will be put together and sent to the athletes during the competition,” Chutinant said during a press conference at the Cellar Room of Dusit Thani Hotel Bangkok.

Nat Prakobsantisuk, the famous photographer assigned to the campaign, said, “I am very glad to be part of interpreting the efforts of the athletes through photos. To me, they are not only athletes, but they are heroes for Thai people, similar to the concept I use for photographing this project which is focusing on commitment and determination not only in sports but also on the challenges of their bodies.

“For the mood and tone, I would like to tell the story that people should not give up or fight when facing challenges in their lives. I would like to invite Thai people to send their support to our athletes who are doing their best to create a name for our country and to be paralympics heroes.”

The press conference was packed with celebrities such as Dr Arunee Tangkaravakoon, Sombatsara Teerasaroch, Patcharapimol Youngprapakorn, Nattinee Sirirattanapol, Patawee Thongsem, Nathaphat Suwanno, Dr Puttipong Poomsuwan, together with his wife, Dr Chongmart Lertsilp, Piyarat Kaljareuk, Dr Pavarit Tangruenrat, Sukanya Janchoo, Warunthorn Somkitrungroj and Benjawan Buhrman.

Naiyanobh said, “I always feel great to see a team happy. I believe that anything done with a happy mind brings a great result, and so do the athletes. If we send them a lot of support, at least post some messages, we can be a part of their successful game.”

Patcharapimol said the athletes talents are so impressive as they need to put huge effort into practising for the competition. We, as Thai people, should see them as an idol for our work and our life.” Sirirattanapol said that as the athletes have been practising so hard “success is within reach”.

Paralympic Games fans can follow “Paralympic Games 2016” on September 7-18 at Rio de Janeiro, Brazil as well as sending their supports to the athletes through Paralympic Thailand Facebook fan page with hash tag #HEROparalympic2016 from today onward.

This source first appeared on The Nation Life.

RHA has launched its new T20i flagship in-ear headphone that has premium build quality and excellent sound reproduction.

The headphone, with deep bass, won the Red Dot design award in 2015. It uses DualCoil technology that allows it to deliver high-resolution audio with clarity.

The headphone has specially-engineered diaphragms and ring-shaped magnets along with an outer voice coil to produce upper mid tones and treble, while its inner voice coil produces bass and lower mid tones. As a result, the T20i can produce deep bass and boost mid and high tones.

The T20i is built for all types of music thanks to its changeable tuning filters. The headphone comes with three filters – reference filters for all genres of music, treble filters for jazz, acoustic and classical music and bass filters for hip-hop, dance, and heavy rock music.

You can simply unscrew the default or reference tuning filters and replace them with one of the two alternative pairs to suit your taste in music.

The headphone is made of ergonomically designed stainless steel. RHA said the stainless steel housing produces outstanding sound and durability. As part of the manufacturing, the stainless steel is heated to 1,300 degree Celsius to increase density and decrease the size, then the T20I’s housings is finished by hand polishing.

RHA’s flagship model is designed to be worn with the cable over the ear for a comfortable, secure fit. To add to its high specification, the T20i uses reinforced copper cable with a gold-plated 3.5mm jack. It also comes with a remote unit and microphone that supports iOS devices.

During the test, the remote was effective in controlling the song playback with an iPad Pro. The remote increases or decreases volume, allows play or pause as well as backwards or forwards skip capability.

When used on the Sony NW-A25 Walkman hi-res audio player the T20i produced impressive music quality. For example, the jamming of the pianist, drummer, saxophonist and the cello player could be heard clearly on the hi-res audio version of “Blue Rondo a la Turk” by The Dave Brubeck Quartet. The bass sound of the cello sounded deep and powerful and the cymbal resonated while the saxophone sounded very real.

The RHA T20i retails for Bt10,490. The package comes with two extra tuning filters with a holder, six pairs of dual density ear tips, two pairs of double flange ear tips, two pairs of memory foam ear tips, a premium carrying case and a clothing clip.

Key Specs

– Drivers: DualCoil Dynamic

– Frequency range: 16-40,000Hz

– Impedance: 16 ohms

– Sensitivity: 90dB

– Rated/max power: 2/5mW

– Weight: 39g

– Cable: 1.35m, OFC

– Jack: 3.5mm, gold plated

This source first appeared on The Nation Life.

BILLED BY ITS makers as a masterpiece in the world of television, the new LG OLED E6T TV transforms a living room into a perfect small theatre with several display-enhancing technologies that the Korean electronics giant labels “perfect” as in Perfect Picture on Glass and Perfect Black.

The 4K Ultra HD television is certainly easy on the eyes and good for viewing 4K and new-technology HDR content.

The OLED display is well known for its sharpness, brightness and vibrant colours and has combined with 4K Ultra High Definition of 8.3-million pixels or 3840×2160-pixels.

The E6T comes in a sleek design too. Under the Picture-on-Glass design, the TV’s OLED module is applied directly to the glass back panel for a clean, ultra-slim profile. To be more specific, the OLED panel is just 2.57 mm in width and when it’s merged with a mirror, measures a mere 6.5mm. The Picture-on-Glass and “Perfect Angle” designs allow the TV to have an up to 180-degree viewing angle. The screen can be viewed from any position in the room even at 180 degrees to the side.

An outstanding development is the level of blackness achieved via the OLED panel technology. OLED has self-lighting pixels, as opposed to backlighting used in LED/LCD TVs. As a result, the pixels of the OLED panel can switch on and off individually, creating a pure black canvas and only producing light where it’s required. And the very deep level of blackness means that the colours are spectacular.

The display technology that allows each pixel to produce light by its own is combined with an anti-reflection film to reduce light reflection from the outside so the TV can display a jet-black colour while also presenting life-like colours under LG’s concept of “Perfect Colour”. These technologies are great for watching 4K Cinema 3D content and provide sharp and realistic pictures on the Ultra HD screen.

The technology means watching movies is a real cinematic experience. When watched in a dark room, the Perfect Black technology allows the TV screen to perfectly merge into the darkness of the room in dark scenes.

The OLED panel also allows the TV to achieve an infinite contrast ratio, displaying brilliant whites to the deepest black to produce a sense of realism.

The E6T’s display is further enhanced with OLED HDR technology for watching new HDR content. HDR or High Dynamic Range technology enhances graduation of contrast in the light and dark areas of an image as well as the colour to create a new level of realism. HDR content has been made possible through the advancement of cinema cameras in the last few years, capturing scenes in multiple ways and blending them together. In this way images are filmed at high and low exposures and are combined to form a HDR image, closer to what the human eyes actually see.

Best of all, the E6T can play both HDR-10 and Dolby Vision content. The Dolby Vision technology further enhances HDR content. And Netflix now streams Dolby Vision content.

Thanks to its enhanced motion clarity, the E6T is also good for viewing fast sports action. LG says the pixels of its OLED display turn on 1,000 times faster than LED/LCD TVs so the fast moving scenes have minimum blur.

Apart from the outstanding picture, the E6T has very good sound too thanks to its Sound Bar Stand design. Its bottom is a soundbar system so you don’t have to buy a separate one. Best of all, the sound system is designed by Harman/Kardon and it has 40 watts of output power. The 2.2-channel sound system has good bass and generates great surround effects.

The E6T has built-in digital TV tuner and I connected it to an outdoor antenna and it received all the digital TV stations with clear and sharp pictures.

The TV runs on LG’s webOS 3.0 to provide Smart TV functions with a web browser, YouTube and several other apps. A keyboard and mouse can be connected and the TV used for browsing web pages like a computer and for enjoying YouTube clips.

I don’t have 4K UHD and HDR content so I tested the TV by using the built-in YouTube app to watch 4K and HDR 4K clips. Viewing was spectacularly sharp on both but the HDR 4K clips found on YouTube side were much better. For example, when I watched a clip that showed an emerald green forest, even the moss looked sharp. Details of dark areas could be seen clearly. Reflections of trees in a running creek could be seen clearly as well as the gravel under the water.

Through my Platinum account with TrueVisions, I was able to watch major football matches from the English Premiere League. Here again, the pictures were bright and colourful and there was no motion blur. Last Saturday night, I watched the match between Barcelona FC and Real Madrid CF of the Spanish La Liga on beIN Sports 2 (677). I also caught Italy’s Calcio Serie A and French Ligue 1 matches during the test.

Of course such perfection does not come cheap. The LG OLED E6T has a suggested retail price of Bt249,990.

Key Specs

– Display size: 65 inch

– Resolution: 4K (3840×2160)

– Back light type: Self emitting

– Design: Picture on Glass

– Stand type: Sound bar stand

– Smart TV: webOS 3.0

– Web browser: |HTML5 supported

– CPU: Quad core processor

– Dimming: Pixel dimming

– HDR: OLED HDR

– Sound output: 40 watts in 2.2 channels

– Connectivity: 4 HDMI, 2 USB 20, 1 USB 3.0, 802.11ac Wi-Fi, LAN port

– Smart share: Network file browser, Miracast, Intel WiDi, smartphone remote app

– Dimensions: 1461mmx 893mm x 56.7mm without stand and x 200mm |with stand

– Weight: 22.8 kgs without stand, 24.8 kgs with stand

This source first appeared on The Nation Life.

From left, ML Korkrita Kritakara, Sorapoj Techakraisri, Gunn Adireksarn, Pranitan Phornprapha, Nisamanee Bhirombhakdi, Bhurit Bhirombhakdi and Chanond Ruangkritya.

Official launch of Morimoto Bangkok Japanese restaurant

Morimoto Bangkok, fourth floor, MahaNakhon Cube, Narathiwat Ratchanakharin Road

HOST: Pranitan Phornprapha, director of Big Bad Wolf Hospitality Group and owner of Morimoto Bangkok.

HIGHLIGHT: Creating a 10m-long sushi roll, the longest in Thailand, by world-renowned chef Masaharu Morimoto who flew in specially for the occasion. The celebrity chef also introduced some of his signature and brand new dishes for guests to taste along with playful cocktails created by renowned mixologist Shingo Gokan. The celebration event also featured an exciting Japanese Taiko drum show. Among the guests were Pornthep Phornprapha, Ausanee Mahagitsiri Leonio, Bhurit Bhirombhakdi, Pattriya Na Nakorn and Sopitnapa Chumpanee.

Chef Masaharu Morimoto and Pranitan Phornprapha.

Burin and Sichol Boonvisut.

Sopitnapa and Thitinan Chumpanee.

Bhurit Bhirombhakdi and Chanond Ruangkritya.

Fa Benedetti.

Napassanan Pasawong and Prakasit Phornprapha.

Duangrit Bunnag.

Cris Horwang and Tipanan Krairiksh Srifuengfung.

Lawrence Leonio and Ausanee Mahagitsiri Leonio.

Making the 10m-long sushi roll.

This source first appeared on Bangkok Post Lifestyle.

One of the two historical buildings at Vachira Phuket Hospital in Phuket that are at risk of being demolished to pave the way for the construction of a new hospital wing. The hospital’s medical staff oppose the project. (Photo by Achadtaya Chuenniran)

The Fine Arts Department (FAD) has stepped in to save two historic buildings at Phuket’s Vachira Phuket Hospital from demolition to make way for a new highrise building to house patients.

FAD director-general Anandha Chuchoti said his deputy will inspect the sites today and map out a conservation plan.

The move came after medical staff voiced opposition to plans to demolish the two old abandoned buildings built in 1921 and several trees that are more than 100 years old.

The demolition plan is part of a scheme to pave the way for a new building project valued at about 300 million baht. The building will increase the hospital’s patient capacity.

Under the project funded by the Public Health Ministry, an eight-storey building with 298 patient beds will be constructed. Of all beds, 16 are allotted to ICU, 84 to special patient rooms and 198 to the general patient section.

Hospital director Jessada Chungpaibulpatana said currently the hospital’s bed occupancy rate is at 105%, forcing a number of patients to be put on the waiting list for hospital admission.

The objective for the new project is to cope with a recent surge in patient numbers, she said.

Weerasak Lorthongkham, one of the medical staff who opposed the project, said a hospital inspection team earlier proposed two locations suitable for the project: An area where the hospital’s laundry, kitchen and saline solution buildings were located; and an area behind the Nom Klao Building where the old buildings and trees were situated.

The hospital later agreed to construct the new building at the first location. However, after the budget was approved, the hospital announced in July that the project will be launched in the second location instead.

Dr Weerasak said about 80% of hospital personnel disagreed with construction in the second area, and added he was in the process of gathering names of people who opposed the project to submit to hospital executives. He also suggested the hospital transfer patients to other hospitals to reduce its burden.

The structure of the new building should be designed to fit in with the existing environment instead of destroying nature and hospital history, Dr Weerasak added.

He said the new building will be used instead of an existing three-storey surgical building which will be demolished.

This source first appeared on Bangkok Post Lifestyle.

Tunyaros and Tunyaluk Puriprachaya, co-founders of Tamas Jewelry. Tawatchai Kemgumnerd

Tunyaros and Tunyaluk Puriprachaya were born six minutes apart. They studied the same major. Later, they together founded a jewellery line, Tamas Jewelry. Thanks to their family business, the two grew up being familiar with handcrafted jewellery manufacturing. Before building their own brand, the twins delved more into gemology and the art of jewellery making with the aim of exporting bespoke jewellery to the international markets and, at the same time, to help support Thailand’s gem and jewellery industry.

How did you started the business?

Tunyaluk: It was in 2002 when we worked as interns in our mother’s company, which manufactures jewellery for brands. After we went to a fair in Hong Kong, we started to learn a lot more about the export standards and what the market was looking for. The Thai Pavilion has been famous for high-end jewellery, but the designs have always been of traditional styles. So we got an idea to develop our own brand to create elegant pieces with modern aesthetic. That was about a year after the exhibition in Hong Kong. Luckily, we got quite a big order from China when we started.

Anna Hu Symphony of Jewels Opus 1 is one of the luxe jewellery inspiration books Tunyaluk loves to look at. Tawatchai Kemgumnerd

How do you two manage roles in running the business?

Tunyaluk: I look after sales and marketing because I love to meet people and am more communicative. My sister is Miss Perfectionist, so she oversees the production.

How you develop the designs?

Tunyaluk: Meeting the customers directly and going to fairs is a great way to learn about market waves and trends — what is in demand, price points, market preference. So I come up with the core concepts for each collection and develop sketches with our designers. It has been a process of trial and error before really knowing what each market wants.

How about material selection?

Tunyaluk: Blue sapphire and ruby are our signature. The reason behind that is that we want to help contribute to the local industry and workmanship. Thailand is the world’s only hub for cutting and heating of these two kinds of coloured stones, no matter they are from. Also, their prices never drop. The blue sapphire we use is from Sri Lanka, while ruby is from Chanthaburi. We use other gemstones only for customised collections.

Is your background in chemical engineering useful in the business?

Tunyaros: Aside from the logical thinking, there are technical similarities, especially in the production process. Jewellery design is a combination of art and science. There is mathematics behind each finished product. It involves structural calculation, pricing formula and alignment for the wearer.

From sketches to real bejewelled pieces. Tawatchai Kemgumnerd

Blue sapphire, similar to diamond, is assessed for cut, shape, weight, measurement and colour. Tawatchai Kemgumnerd

Tunyaros visiting the manufacturing workshop, also situated in the Jewelry Trade Center, where Tamas Jewelry’s main office/showroom is located. Tawatchai Kemgumnerd

One of the in-house artisans works on the setting. Tawatchai Kemgumnerd

This source first appeared on Bangkok Post Lifestyle.

Surachada Bowra. Thiti Wannamontha

Not in her wildest dreams did Surachada Bowra, 43, envisage having a Facebook following of 35,000 and counting. The low-key architect-turned-sports specific trainer set up the Be fit and Eat Well Facebook page in December last year with the intention of sharing well researched information, plus her own experiences as a long-distance runner, with like-minded individuals.

A platform where people interested in nutrition and exercise can exchange their thoughts and ideas, Be Fit and Eat Well has followers that have become more than just fans of the founder.

“I am genuinely interested to see them do well as runners,” she said. “I can tell a lot about an athlete by their training record. From the outside they might be calm but when they train they can be very aggressive. In such situations, I coach them so they can calm down.

“I also connect with my students and Facebook followers on a personal level so much that when they are competing, the night before I get anxious for them. Running is a learning experience for not just them, but also me. We get inspired by each other.”

Despite her huge fan base, Surachada comes across as humble and genuinely keen to assist runners, of all levels, reach their goals. She never set out to become a popular Facebook icon. It was windows of opportunities that presented themselves along the way and a personal desire to run better that paved the way for her to become what she has today.

Muse met up with the cool, calm and collected Surachada, a mother of two, on a rainy Monday afternoon at the Anantara Siam Bangkok. Coming across as nonchalant and amiable, the Thai talent has come a long way since her interest in running lead her to embark on a journey that has helped her to make a difference in the lives of people who desire to become better runners.

Based in the UK, the half-Thai, half-British had been an architect for most of her life. Coming from a sporty family and being a trained swimmer, she however admitted that she was never passionate about any particular sports.

For a span of eight years, she chose to give up her job to become a full time housewife because her husband’s job called for them to move quite a bit. When her son started nursery, she decided it was time for her to get some quality time for herself, so she took up long-distance running — a sport Surachada admitted she had no interest in the past.

Running for Surachada Bowra has become more than just a hobby. Marathonfoto

“In retrospect, I started running out of desperation,” she said. “It was like running helped me to let go of pent-up frustration. We had a park near our home, which was a 3k run. I remember how I once told myself that I would complete the entire run or die. I managed to complete the run without stopping, which was quite an achievement for a person new to the sport.

“I knew that I had to complete the run, otherwise I would find an excuse to stop the next day. Even without the basics in the sport, I realised in the initial stages of my running that I had to learn how to save my energy to reach the finish line.

“Not knowing better, back then, I ran 10k daily, which took a physical toll on me. I eventually hired a running coach who taught me the importance of strength training to accomplish my goals.”

Surachada also immersed herself in researching the mechanics that went behind the making of a perfect runner. When she found that there was a limit to what a book could teach her, she was encouraged by a close friend to take up a short course. Soon after, she was hired as a fitness instructor at a gym for staff of the Daily Mail media group, whom she prepared for running events.

In her late 30s, she again weighed the pros and cons before deciding to register for an intensive six-month certification course. “I did this course for myself, so I could run properly,” remembered Surachada. “I knew there would be proactive ways I could use the knowledge, one of which was to train my sons.”

Sport-specific training, according to her, simply put is fitness and performance training designed specifically for athletic performance enhancement. Training programmes could include strength, speed, power, endurance, flexibility and more. In a nutshell, all these elements are pivotal to running long distances.

The gutsy runner told us that some of the best knowledge came not just from experts and courses, but also through trial and error.

“Soon afterwards I started a blog in English, sharing everything I had learned and was picking up along the way. On a random run with my son, I found that when you breathe in rhythm your body tends to respond better and you don’t get tired easily, enabling runners to complete their run, not when they are tired but when they reach the finish line.”

“I don’t profess to be an expert,” she said, recalling when she started Be Fit and Eat Well in the hope that she could share her running experiences. “The posts on my Facebook page are from the common man’s perspective, the only difference being that I do extensive research to back up anything that I post.”

“I think people began to appreciate my Facebook page because it had scientific references backing my claims. It also has answers to some very basic questions people might have such as why they experience extreme fatigue during a run or feel like throwing up and more.”

Saying that it seems quite surreal how things have panned out for her thus far, Surachada continues to keep Be Fit and Eat Well spiced up by peppering it regularly with titbits of fresh information and personal anecdotes because, as she put it, “there are a number of questions on my mind that require answers”.

Currently training a handful of professional marathoners in Thailand, Surachada is one of the five coaches on the 90 Days Challenge programme on Thai PBS, where she guides people with obesity issues to lose weight. For herself, she aims to compete in the six major marathon events in Tokyo, Boston, London, Berlin, Chicago and New York. While passion is what keeps her connected to the work she does, thanks to her mother, she has learned how to be happy in her skin.

Since taking on the role of a trainer, she has had girls as young as 12 send her scantily clad photos of themselves, asking her whether they are fat. They go on to tell her that they would save all their money for her to train them to have a six pack.

“I refuse their offer and tell them to go outside to play,” she remarked. “I also tell them to never send such photos to anyone. I reassure them they don’t look fat. Many people have the wrong impression that they are muscular, while all they have is skeletal muscle.

“My advice to teenagers and young women today is to go outside and play sports. I often tell them that beauty is skin deep and that everyone is unique.”

This source first appeared on Bangkok Post Lifestyle.