TEN DAYS have passed since Thai people bid a final farewell to their late King, His Majesty King Bhumibol Adulyadej, and the gilded Royal Crematorium from which he ascended to his heavenly dwelling is now part of an exhibition open to the public. While the visit is naturally a solemn one, it is also a celebration of the master craftsmen and volunteers whose hard work in recreating a Heaven on Earth over the past year must be seen firsthand to be fully appreciated.

The buildings in the ceremonial ground including the Phra Thinang Song Tham (Royal-Merit Making Pavilion), the six Sala Luk Khun and a Thap Kaset (Government Officials’ Pavilions) are all hosting displays of the intricate details of the preparation for the royal funeral rites. Officials of the Fine Arts Department are on hand at every pavilion to provide more details.

Though the structures are conceptual and temporary and will be taken apart never to be used again, they incorporate the ultimate achievements in Thai architecture and art – along with some decidedly modern technology.

About 5,500 visitors are allowed into the ceremonial ground for an hour at a time. Though photography is allowed, selfies and live online broadcasts are forbidden.

The model of the Royal Crematorium

The first pavilion is home to an explanatory exhibition on the concept of the Royal Crematorium, which is modelled after the mythical mountain Sumeru, the centre of the universe in Buddhist cosmology. The King is believed to be the reincarnation of a god while King Bhumibol was also highly revered as a divine King. The designs of the Royal Crematorium dating back to those of King Mongkut (Rama IV) are on display together with the models of the Royal Crematorium and the Royal Funeral Pyre of King Bhumibol.

The process from sketch to construction of the Royal Crematorium is revealed. 

The process from sketch to construction is revealed in the next pavilion and it is here the visitor learns that the construction of the Royal Crematorium and 28 component structures covering more than 50 rai, or approximately two thirds of Sanam Luang, materialised from 377 sheets of pencil sketches that were later developed into more than 200 enlarged patterns.

A reproduction of sketches of this Royal Crematorium designed by Kokiart Thongphud is set out on a table along with the process of enlargement of each component to actual size. Also displayed is the painstaking work of the craftsmen using fretwork on gold-coloured crepe cloth, overlapping woodwork as well as coloured stencils to achieve the aesthetic perfection of the temporary architectural components.

A display of temporary architectural components used for the Royal Crematorium

“Temporary architectural components are made with materials that are easily manufactured, installed and dismantled such as thin pieces of plywood, plastic and fibreglass-reinforced resin composites. The decorative patterns retain the significance and symbols befitting the sovereign’s rank and status,” says an official of the Fine Arts Department.

Surrounding the Royal Crematorium are more than 500 pieces of sculptural works including the hand-crafted statues of celestial beings like the garuda and the naga, the mythical creatures believed to have existed in the Himmaphan Forest at the base of Mount Sumeru.

A showcase of the delicate procedures to create sculptural works

Visitors will be given details on the delicate procedures to sculpt these works and can take a closer look at some sculptures that are identical to those standing around the Royal Crematorium.

“Some sculptures were done in two editions – the ones for decorating the Royal Crematorium and the others to showcase in this exhibition, allowing people to study the details,” says Eakkasit Toratana from the Fine Arts Department.

A net of crown flowers crafted by HRH Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn to decorate the top of the Royal Funeral Pyre.

Another example of sophisticated fine arts for the ceremony is the elaborate carving of fresh flowers, banana stalks, fruits and vegetables that were used as the natural flame retardant on the Royal Funeral Pyre. HRH Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn also crafted a net of crown flowers to decorate the top of the Royal Funeral Pyre and her work is also on display in the exhibition.

“I am so sad to see that the flames from the cremation left a dark stain on some flowers. It was a sharp reminder of the solemn cremation ceremony that saw our beloved King returning to heaven,” said early visitor Kullaya Nitichan with tears in her eyes.

The delicate crafted sandalwood flowers presented to the royal family members

Also on display are pictures and details of the Royal Sandalwood Urn and Coffin that took over eight months to complete. Both are made from fragrant dead-standing sandalwood trees taken from Kui Buri National Park in Prachuap Khiri Khan Province. The Royal Sandalwood Coffin features more than 30,000 pieces of hand-carved wood assembled in an exquisite design, featuring 24 patterns of intertwined sprays adorning 132 Garuda. The Royal Sandalwood Urn was assembled from more than 10,000 pieces of carved wood featuring 46 traditional Thai flower patterns adorning 64 Theppanom deities.

The pictures of the meticulously crafted sandalwood flowers presented to the Royal Family members during the actual cremation are also revealed.

The replicas of the cremation panels

The replicas of the cremation panels used to shield the Royal Funeral Pyre allow visitors to see the details of the double-sided paintings clearly. On the front at the top of the panels are paintings of an assembly of deities to pay homage to the late monarch while those on the bottom refer to royally initiated projects. On the reverse side is the heavenly abode filled with gorgeous lotuses and flowers in full bloom as well as daffodils – the late King’s favourite flower –and the monarch’s monogram.

Khun Tongdaeng, right, and Khun Jocho

The life-size fibreglass statues of the late monarch’s two favourite pet dogs, Khun Tongdaeng and Khun Jocho, sculpted to decorate the Royal Funeral Pyre now guard the front of the Phra Thinang Song Tham pavilion. Inside the main pavilion are items associated with his life and works as well as three magnificent murals on canvas depicting projects initiated by the beloved late monarch for the benefit of the country and his people.

A mural painting at the Phra Thinang Song Tham pavilion depicts projects initiated by the late monarch.

On display are a replica of his working desk with a desktop computer, a typewriter, cameras, a large map, a two-way handheld radio and stationery. When His Majesty learned of disasters or emergencies, he used radio communications to arrange and monitor the preparation and distribution of bags of emergency supplies to provide immediate relief. The examples of necessities in a bag of emergency supplies are showcased with a soundtrack of the monarch making suggestions to officials to help bring relief to the flood victims. The attached QR code brings up the video clip on YouTube.

A replica of King Bhumibol’s working desk 

His Majesty’s New Theory Farming based on sufficiency economy philosophy is translated into 3-D mechanical moving models for easy understanding as well as a display of different kinds of vetiver grass that King Bhumibol introduced for soil and water conservation.

The most touching part of the exhibition is the accumulation of pictures and videos of mourners since his passing on October 13 last year until the Royal Cremation day on October 26.

His Majesty’s New Theory Farming is told through 3-D mechanical moving models.

The Thap Kaset pavilion hosts a tactile exhibition designed for the visually impaired. The models of the Royal Crematorium and the landscape of the ceremonial ground as well as the sculptures of celestial beings and mythical creatures are available for touching and come with explanations from the officials and Braille letters.

“Ten eyes can’t be better than touching,” says Wiriya Namsiripongpun, 65, a retired blind lecturer of Thammasat University. “I can hear people explaining the structure of Phra Merumas, but having a chance to touch the model gives me a visual image of the grandeur. By touching, I even know the numbers of steps leading to the three-tiered Phra Merumas. The sculptures of celestial beings and mythical creatures have also been made with delicate details echoing the great efforts of the artists.”

Wiriya Namsiripongpun enjoys a tactile exhibition designed for the visually impaired.

“This is a respectful place from where our beloved monarch departed to rest at the heavenly abode, so people should be polite with both respectful attire and manner. With a limited time of one-hour per round, it’s better to use your heart and eyes to record the memory rather than spending much time taking pictures. I’ve seen some visitors touching and leaning against Phra Merumas and behaving in an inappropriate manner when taking pictures,” visitor Arunee Chuboonraj who attended a test run on Wednesday, told The Sunday Nation.

During the test run, visitors were permitted a close-up look of the three-tiered Royal Crematorium at the interior second level. Arunee’s comments proved prophetic however, and the Culture Ministry has since banned entry to the interior and the public can now visit only the surroundings.

Officials have also fitted sensors on some items in the exhibition, saying these are a preventive measure to detect if people came in too close a proximity.

IF YOU GO

The Royal Cremation ceremonial ground is open to the public until November 30 from 7am to 10pm. The one-way tour takes about an hour to complete, with only 5,500 visitors allowed at any one time.

Visitors are required to bring ID cards or passports and will have to proceed through one of five screening points. There are four screening points for Thais: the Territorial Defence Command, Tha Chang, the Earth Goddess Statue and Thammasat University, where wheelchairs will be provided, while monks and foreign visitors are invited to check in at the Defence Ministry screening point.

Eight roads adjacent to Sanam Luang will remain closed. Keep updated with the traffic situation at http://www.TrafficPolice.go.th or call 1197.

The Bangkok Mass Transit Authority will provide 60 free buses a day on six routes from 4am to 11pm. Call 1348.

Epson’s L4150 Wi-Fi all-in-one ink-tank printer can help you save a lot on printing cost. The design is compact and sleek and the Wi-Fi and Wi-Fi Direct connectivity makes it easy to set up.

The L4150 is a small 375x347x187mm, so it’ll fit nicely on any handy surface, and the Wi-Fi linkage means it doesn’t have to be near your desktop computer.

I had the thing up and running in a snap. You just press the Wi-Fi Connect button on the front and then the WPS (Wi-Fi Protected Setup) button on your home WiFi router. Bingo – the connection is made.

Now you have to install the printer driver on a notebook or desktop computer that’s connected to the router. The computer will find the L4150 and you’re all ready for scanning and printing.

The L4150 is outstanding in its ability to save printing costs.

There are four ink tanks – black, red, green and blue. You can fill the black one for Bt395, and that should last for about 7,500 sheets of A4 paper at standard resolution. That averages out to 5.3 satang per sheet.

The colour ink-bottles cost Bt265 each and can print about 6,000 sheets of A4 paper, so the average there is 13.3 satang per sheet.

The printing quality is quite good at a resolution of 5,760×1,440 dots per inch (dpi) using “variable-sized droplet technology”. The machine can print 4×6-inch photo-size paper as well as plain A4-size paper.

Epson rates the 4×6-inch photo printing at standard resolution at 92 seconds for borderless printing. In my test, using photo-grade paper, it took about two minutes and 45 seconds to print out a borderless 4×6-inch photo at the top resolution setting.

A4 printing at draft resolution in black and white is rated at about 33 pages per minute. I did one at top resolution in about six seconds.

It’s really convenient printing photos directly from an Android phone using Google Cloud Print once you install Epson’s Control app. Or, you can install Epson’s iPrint app to print and scan directly from an iOS device or Android phone or tablet.

My printed sheets had sharp, legible text and my photos came out beautifully coloured, if not quite as bright as what you get from a professional photo shop.

The L4150 can scan documents at a resolution of 1200x2400dpi. The maximum area you can scan is 216x297mm at 48-bit depth. The machine can scan a monochrome page in about 11 seconds at a resolution of 200dpi and in 28 seconds in colour at 200dpi.

And there’s a button for using the flatbed scanner to copy documents without the need for a computer.

Epson’s L4150 Wi-Fi ink-tank printer retails for Bt7,890.

KEY SPECS

– Functions: Print, scan, copy

– Print method: On-demand ink jet (piezoelectric)

– Configuration: 180 nozzles black, 59 nozzles per colour (cyan, magenta, yellow)

– Maximum resolution: 5,760×1,440dpi with Variable-Sized Droplet Technology

– Copy speed: SO 29183, A4, Simplex, up to 7.7ipm black, 3.8ipm colour

– Maximum copy resolution: 360x360dpi

– Reduction/enlargement: 25400 per cent, Auto Fit Function

– Maximum copy size: A4, letter

– Scanner type: Flatbed colour image

– Sensor type: CIS

– Optical resolution: 1,200×2,400dpi

– Maximum Scan Area: 216x297mm

– Scanner bit depth (colour): 48-bit input, 24-bit output

– Number of paper trays: One

– Paper hold capacity: Input 100 sheets A4 Plain (80 g/m2), 20 sheets Premium Glossy Photo Paper, 30 sheets A4 Plain Paper, 20 sheets Premium Glossy Photo Paper

– Interface: USB 2.0, Wi-Fi IEEE 802.11b/g/n, Wi-Fi Direct

– Network Protocol: TCP/IPv4, TCP/IPv6

– Dimensions: 3,75x347x187mm

– Weight: Five kilograms

It’s a common enough sight – a couple playing with their smartphones while waiting to buy tickets for a movie screening.

Except that the couple in question is far from ordinary and the “playing” involves not the social networks or games but the downloading of an app that will help them “see” the movie through a audio description.

New graduate Yoowanna Nutnapun, 24, was born blind and she along with her friend Akarin Punyaworawat, 42, blinded four years ago in an accident, were at SF Cinema in Central Rama IX to catch the recent Thai horror flick “Phuan Thee Raluek” (“The Promise”).

The app is called Pannana and allows the visually impaired to watch a movie at a cinema with a sighted audience during an ordinary screening. Right now, audio descriptions have only been completed for selected movies but the app is easy to use, requiring just a cellular network, and can be downloaded for both the iOs and Android platforms.

Pannana, which literally means “to describe”, has been developed by the social enterprise group Klongdinsor, who works with the visually and hearing impaired. It’s not the first AD project to be released but it is the first to give freedom to the blind to walk into the cinema and enjoy the show without asking their companion to explain what’s going on to them.

“It’s fun and it was so nice to be able to watch a film in the cinema rather than at home. I really hope they do more movies, especially fantasy movies and my favourite Harry Potter,” says Yoowanna.

Thanaphoom Paktra, 24, was also at the cinema that day with two of his friends and the three couldn’t stop talking about the film after it ended, giggling as they compared notes on the scenes that scared them the most. All three were full of praise for the app.

“I always get scared when watching horror films (even without AD) and then I dream about it because the music and the sound effects are scary in themselves. But watching with AD is so much better because the description elaborates on what’s going on, I love it!,” says Thanaphoom.

“The scariest thing is the imagination so a ghost movie for the blind that needs imagination creates scary feelings,” says Klongdinsor’s founder and manager Chatchai Aphibanpoonpon.

The AD for movies was introduced on Thai DVDs a few years ago but is only available for GTH and later GDH films. Now, with DVDs in decline, AD needs support from everyone involved in the business. Making an AD for a movie costs around hundreds of hundreds of thousands of baht and Klongdinsor would not have been able to complete the horror film project without the support of SF Cinema and GDH.

It’s not that the blind can’t go to movies but to do so, they need to be accompanied by a friend to act as a living AD. Given the potential for disturbing another spectators, it’s hardly a comfortable situation. The AD in app form sets them free and allows them to enjoy themselves.

The app is in synch with the sound and starts working when the titles begin rolling.

Chatchai says that the idea was born when the company organised a special movie screening for the blind with AD provided. “We could see it worked but we also knew that the cost was high and it would reach out only to a small group of the blind,” he says, adding that he starting working on the app after learning that many countries were passing laws that made it compulsory to provide AD for the visually impaired.

He took the idea to media agency Dentsu Thailand and spent a year working on the app with financial support from the Thai Health Promotion Foundation.

Klongdinsor is a social enterprise company whose projects and products cater to those with impairments. Its best-known product is the Lensen kit, which allows the visually impaired to draw.

Its mission, says Chatchai, is to create an inclusive society where people with and without disabilities can live together in harmony and help contribute to the enrichment of the society.

“We organise workshops on volunteering skills for the blind so they too can give to society.”

The principle for the AD app, says Chatchai, is the sound synching between the (AD) sound recorded on the app and the sound on the screen. “And when it works, the people who want to use it can do it alone, anytime and anywhere,” he says.

The Pannana app, however, is not limited to movies but is also a platform for any audio-visual media who want their content to reach out to those with impairments.

“I hope the content provider takes responsibility for this part. There’s a need to build awareness among movie-makers and TV producers that there are hundreds of thousands of people – the blind – who can’t access their content. I hope they pay more attention to these people and do it. We have already provided the platform, so they only have to do the AD and put it into the app. That’s not so expensive,” says Chatchai.

The visually impaired in Thailand are all too often ignored, which isolates then from society. But even though many more organisations are providing more access to the blind, for example, the 1414 hotline that they can call to find information, news, audio books and even AD, not enough is being done to encourage them to play a full role in society.

“Speaking in business terms, the app and the platform will make their products or content reach out hundreds to thousands of customers,” he says.

So far only a few movies and TV shows are available for download.

Like other people, the blind enjoy watching commercial films and are hoping that AD will one day be available for Hollywood films. Chatchai has already started work and recently added blockbusters “The Avengers Part 1” and “Thor Part 1” to the app along with the TV series “Mom” from Thai PBS TV, one of the few channels to provide AD.

“I’ve heard that most Hollywood films are obliged by law to have their own AD but I don’t know whether their distributors in Thailand have it or not. It would be great if they have it in hand so that we could translate it and put it into the app,” he says.

The next challenge is finding the manpower to translate and write the AD script for the app. He hopes this will be achieved by volunteers, in much the same way as audio books have become possible.

“There is a AD course at Thammasat University and also some organisations hold occasional workshops on creating the AD script. It’s not a hard job. The AD doesn’t need to convince the visually impaired but just paint them a picture through words. Their imagination will do the rest.

“Audio description will help create equality and should be provided for all kinds of content. The blind should have the right to choose what they listen too – it shouldn’t be only Dharma or information,” he stresses.

“Our project shows what can be done for them. It’s like the chicken and the egg. In the past, we didn’t see the blind going to the cinema and people would say it was because there were no facilities for them. Now we have the Pannana app and everyone can see that a platform exists that helps the blind to see a movie at the cinema,” he says.

LISTEN A LITTLE

– The Pannana team is holding a special screening for the blind today of two movies: “The Avengers Part 1” shows at 10am and “Thor Part 1” at 1.30pm in meeting room 413 at the Thai Health Promotion Foundation’s Rian Roo Sukha Phawa building in Soi Ngam Duphli, Sathorn.

– The movie is Thai dubbed and has the audio description provided in the app. Those wanting to see the films can bring along one companion. All that’s needed is a smartphone with Internet access and earphones to listen to the AD.

– Find out more at Facebook.com/pannanaapp/ or call (086) 069 5652.

Sony’s WF-1000x true-wireless earbuds boast a neat compact and minimalist design that makes them both discreet and comfortably in the ears. Unwanted background sounds are eliminated and ambient sound is automatically adjusted to suit your current activity. The buds cost Bt7,990.

All eyes on the road

If you want a dashboard camera, DOD’s RC500S is a good choice because the LCD screen can be removed to avoid distraction while driving. You can watch in real time and replay video using an app connecting the camera to a phone or tablet. Files can be downloaded to a phone quickly and easily, and the app even offers video editing and marking functions. RTB Technology sells the RC500S for Bt13,900, including a 32GB MicroSD card.

Workout listening

If you exercise regularly, Urbanears Stadion is a light, flexible, Bluetooth-enabled headset. The stretchy coils wrap behind the neck in a good fit and EarClick technology secures the buds in the ears. With the three-button controls, you can click through a playlist, adjust volume and pick up calls. The headset will run for seven hours on a single charge. Head to http://www.AShop.asia with Bt3,590.

When gamers go big

BenQ’s W1210ST is a projector made for gamers. Short-throw technology enables projection of a 100-inch display from 1.5 metres. Built to block motion blur, it can be connected to an Xbox One, PlayStation 4 or Wii U for crisp, high-definition games. The going rate is Bt49,900.

Behold the flash drive reborn

The humble flash drive reinvented, the SanDisk Connect Wireless Stick works on a computer, phone or tablet. It allows for wireless access to media, transfers of large files, streaming HD videos and music, and saving and sharing photos and videos. The builtin battery is rechargeable. A 16GB stick costs Bt1,090, 32GB Bt1,390, 64GB Bt1,890 and 128GB Bt3,290.

Fresh from HMD Global, the Nokia 8 smartphone boasts a good-quality camera, zippy performance and near-instantaneous Internet connection.

The main camera represents a dual-camera system with a Zeiss lens enhancing the image quality and Dual-Sight video technology for live-streaming motion pictures in real-time onto Facebook or YouTube.

Rather remarkably, Dual-Sight simultaneously harnesses both the front and rear cameras in a split-screen visual presentation of photos or videos.

Nokia’s OZO Audio technology encodes spatial 360-degree audio in a 4K video, so the sound is really immersive.

The Nokia 8 has a rugged build but it’s beautifully curved too, a design that makes it just 4.6mm thin at the edge, while the middle part is 7.3mm. The seamless body is milled from a single block of 6000-series aluminium, which HMD Global says is refined in a 40-stage process of machining, anodising and polishing.

The 5.3-inch display, protected by tough Corning Gorilla Glass 5, has a high-gloss mirror finish polished for 20 hours. The IPS LCD is 2,560×1,440 pixels and a very bright 700 nits. This makes it sensational for watching HD movies streamed, for example, via TrueVisions’ Anywhere app.

The Nokia 8 performs well thanks to a Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 (MSM8998) with four cores running at 2.45GHz and four more at 1.8GHz. You have four gigabytes of DDR4 RAM (active memory) and 64GB of internal storage to play with.

The Google Android 7.1.1 is a “pure Android” version with no third-party user-interface on top of it.

AnTuTu Benchmark Version 6.2.7 gave my test model a score of 168,931 points. In global rankings, it was third as of October 5, after the iPhone 7 Plus (with 183,106 points) and iPhone 7 (173,767). These scores can be influenced by various factors, including apps running in the background.

Though equipped with Qualcomm’s flagship CPU, the Nokia 8 doesn’t overheat. The heat-dissipation design involves a graphite-shielded copper cooling-pipe that diverts heat across the full length and breadth of the phone.

I was amazed at the Nokia 8’s handling of graphics-extensive games and High-Resolution Audio music tracks. FLAC 24bit/192kHz files played through Sony’s MDR1ABT Hi-Res Audio headphones sounded fantastic in terms of clarity, instrumental detail and bass.

The Internet connection is very fast, letting you download apps and back up snapshots to a cloud in no time. The Ookla Speedtest app gauged download speed at 95.75Mbps and uploads at 33.08Mbps.

The fingerprint reader embedded in the home button provides assurance about security. I was able to use it effortlessly and effectively to unlock the phone.

The main camera’s dual nature produces impressive results. One sensor and lens capture RGB and others pick up the monochromes. When these are combined, the camera can achieve that magical bokeh effect of background blur, comparable to the quality offered by a DSLR camera.

To get this effect, select Live Bokeh mode, in which you can shoot first and focus the image later, using Bokeh Editor.

Other shooting modes are Manual, Photos (Auto), Panorama and Beautify.

Manual allows you to adjust exposure settings, white balance and auto, infinity or macro focus, and also choose among auto, evaluative or centre-weighted light-measuring.

Beautify mode, with a four-phase range (520), brightens and smoothes the subject’s face – it makes them look younger, in other words.

The shots I got in different modes were wonderfully sharp with well-saturated colours, and pictures taken at night were no less crisp, thanks to the f/2.0 aperture.

The Nokia 8 can use Qualcomm Quick Charge 3.0, so the 3,090mah battery is renewed very fast and, once charged, can comfortably last a full day.

The phone’s available from AIS, Dtac, True Move, Jaymart, TG Fone and other authorised dealers for Bt19,500.

KEY SPECS

– Network: GSM: 850/900/1800/1900, WCDMA: 1, 2, 5, 8, TDSCDMA: 34, 39, LTE (Cat 9): 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 20, 28, 38, 39, 40, 41

– Operating system: Android Nougat 7.1.1

– CPU: Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 (four 2.45GHz Qualcomm Kryo, four 1.8GHz Kryo)

– Memory: 4GB LPPDDR4

– Storage: 64GB, expandable with microSD by up to 256GB

– Display: 5.3-inch IPS LCD QHD 2,560×1,440 pixels, 700 nits brightness, Corning Gorilla Glass 5, 2.5D Glass

– Primary camera: 13 MP (Colour + OIS) + 13 MP (Mono), 1.12um, f/2.0, 76.9 degree, PDAF, IR range finder, dual tone flash

– Front-facing camera 13 MP PDAF, 1.12um, f/2.0, 78.4degree, display flash

– Ports: USB TypeC, 3.5mm headphone jack

– Wireless connectivity: Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac (MIMO), BT 5.0, GPS/AGPS+GLONASS+BDS, NFC (sharing) ANT+

– Sensors: Ambient light, proximity, accelerometer, ecompass, gyroscope, fingerprint, hall, barometer

– SIM slot: One nano-SIM slot, one nano-SIM or one MicroSD card slot

– Dimensions: 151.5×73.7x 7.9mm

– Weight: 160 grams

Unlike in Bangkok, people in the provinces are unable to access fully equipped medical facilities for effective, integrated treatment of illnesses. This is the case especially with breast cancer, now the most common cancer in Thai women.

To narrow the health divide between people in the capital and the provinces, a fundraising campaign has been organised to establish the first breast cancer centre at Khon Kaen Hospital.

The campaign is headed by Prof Dr Supakorn Rojananin, Chairman of Surgeons for All and President of the International College of Surgeons, Thailand Section, under the Royal Patronage of His Majesty the King, who has been mustering support from the public and private sectors in the hope of distributing advanced medical services to other regions of Thailand for the people’s well-being.

“We want Khon Kaen to be the first landmark in our success,” Dr Supakorn says.

Khon Kaen is the third most populated province in the northeast and has great potential for public health development, particularly in the field of breast cancer prevention led by Khon Kaen Hospital.

“The hospital has received admirable cooperation from the public and private sectors as well as from local people and it has been internationally acclaimed as a model medical institution for breast cancer prevention and treatment in the northeast. The new breast cancer centre at Khon Kaen Hospital is almost complete. After a long and continuous effort, the first one-stop breast cancer centre in the northeast is expected to open next year so that residents of the northeast will no longer need to go to Bangkok to receive breast cancer-related examination and treatment.”

Additional funding is still needed to acquire some medical equipment. The campaign has been supported by several private organisations, including ICC International Plc, distributor of Wacoal lingerie products; and its partner Thai Wacoal, which together have donated Bt15 million on behalf of their “Wacoal Pink Ribbon” breast cancer awareness campaign for the purchase of mammogram and breast ultrasound machines for the centre.

“We intend to make it an integrated centre for breast cancer-related treatment and education, with tasks ranging from primary prevention – educating the surrounding communities on the disease and health care – to treatment of terminal patients,” Dr Supakorn adds.

“We have worked closely with the general public, sending out teams to educate people on how to identify signs of breast cancer, how to perform breast self-exam, and how to avoid risks. Khon Kaen Hospital has held many breast cancer awareness activities, while encouraging north-eastern women of all ages at risk to receive regular breast checks.”

“Our goal is to elevate Khon Kaen Hospital to the centre of excellence in breast cancer treatment in the Northeast. This will not only help establish Thailand as the leader in breast cancer treatment and prevention in Southeast Asia, but our country will be an example of medical progress in this field for our neighbouring countries,” he says.

If the development of the breast cancer centre at Khon Kaen Hospital is successful, a similar centre will be created in the northern region through a collaboration between Chiangrai Prachanukroh Hospital and Mae Fah Luang University for the benefits and well-being of the people in that region.

The general public interested in donating for the purchase of medical equipment for the breast cancer centre at Khon Kaen Hospital should call (02) 716 5957 for more information.

The firm said in a press release on Wednesday that it has sold 50 million headphones around the world in recent years and 1More Thailand aims to replicate that success here.

The products, with prices ranging from Bt350 to Bt6,300, including both wired and wireless devices, are available at Speed Computer Pantip Pratunam in Bangkok.

The company designs and manufactures all of its own components “from the ground up”, not relying on third-party sources or middlemen, which would boost prices.

“For this reason, 1More can provide high-performance sound at extraordinary prices while producing a product that is as much form as it is function,” the firm said.

“With award-winning products like the Quad Driver and Triple Driver in-ear headphones, 1More has succeeded in making reference-quality audio products available to everyone.”

The Triple Drivers (Bt3,500) and Quad Drivers (Bt6,300) feature patent-pending design technology that allows for “a full-frequency, low-distortion, premium audio experience” using three and four separate driver components respectively, to deliver “unsurpassed clarity and dynamic power with a hi-res bandwidth”.

Both items carry a rare-earth-element dynamic driver, plus multiple balanced armatures dedicated to independent frequencies, to deliver “an ultra-realistic soundstage”.

Both also feature a streamlined, anodised-finish sound chamber with perfected ergonomics, which provides exceptional comfort and noise isolation.

As with all 1More products, the Quad and Triple Drivers are expertly tuned by Grammy-winning sound engineer Luca Bignardi for a fully balanced and ultra-realistic soundstage.

The Triple and Quad Driver In-Ear Headphones this year became the first THX-certified headphones, enhancing the value of products already lauded by industry experts for exceeding standards for both value and quality. THX certification is a guarantee of superior sonic qualities.

Peter Vasay of THX said his firm and 1More were “natural partners”, since “we share a common mission – delivering an experience that stays true to the artist’s intention.

“Out of all of the brands in the portable audio genre, 1More can be counted on to deliver a truly superb audio experience.”

Recently released were an active-noise-cancelling (ANC) in-ear headphone and an over-ear gaming headphone.

The Dual Driver ANC (Bt6,300) is the world’s first dual-driver Lightning ANC. Powered through the Lightning connector, and with no need for a bulky battery, it’s remarkably compact, light and easy to use.

The Spearhead VR Gaming Headphones (Bt4,190), a PC-based, wired set featuring 7.1-channel sound and a comprehensive UI for user-customisation.

They have synchronised vibrating drivers that respond to gaming-specific sounds, like explosions and aircraft noise, for a more realistic experience. A 3D audio-integrated VRX version will be available next year.

The 1More MK802 Bluetooth Over-Ear Headphones (Bt5,250) feature rare beryllium drivers for an exceptionally comprehensive sound and a durable, lightweight and stylish TR-90 exterior.

The iBFree Bluetooth In-Ear Headphones (Bt2,100) are extremely light aluminium-alloy earpieces with Bluetooth 4.1 aptX coding, oblique-angled ergonomic comfort, titanium dynamic drivers and IPX water resistance for active sports use.

The 1Mmore Dual Driver Capsule In-Ear Headphone (Bt3,150) is a two-driver in-ear headphone that has a sleek pill-shaped deign meant for ideal comfort for long periods of use.

Seen through the eyes of Miyazaki, the two-part film installation, which was commissioned by the ArtScience Museum and SGIFF, depicts urban life, and scenes from Singapore. The isolation and anxiety of modern life is depicted in the first part of the experience, “Specters”, whilst “Tourists” reveals the temporary freedom that the protagonists experience in the absence of technology. Admission to “Specters and Tourists”, and the programmes that accompany it, is free.

In “Specters”, scenes from Miyazaki’s previous films are woven into a multiple-screen spectacle of people trapped like ghosts. Miyazaki lingers on the observation that the modern experience is homogenised and without meaning; without risk and thoroughly monotonous. As one peers into the windows of their uninspired lives, the spectator becomes the spectre himself.

“Tourists” was filmed in Singapore and stars Japanese actresses, Nina Endo, who also appeared in the director’s “Yamato” (“California”), which was screened at the 27th SGIFF) and Sumire Sato (from Japanese girl group, SKE48). In “Tourists”, two friends win a free trip abroad. They arrive in a cosmopolitan city identical to their home country, but find themselves displaced in its unfamiliar monuments when one of them loses her mobile phone. Without the predictability of a travel itinerary found on the Internet, the friends reconstruct their identities with their encounters in unwritten places.

Born in Yokohama, Japan in 1980, Miyazaki was one of the Berlinale Talents directors of the omnibus film, “5 to 9”, which screened at SGIFF in 2015. Miyazaki’s first feature “End of the Night”, was selected for numerous international film festivals and won the Special Mention Prize at the Toronto Shinsedai Cinema Festival.

“‘Specters and Tourists’ is an extension of ArtScience on Screen, our platform for film, video and moving image which explores the intersection of art, science, culture and technology. Daisuke Miyazaki’s thoughtful and compelling film installation gives us a new view on Singapore, and encourages us to think about our urban environment in a more imaginative way,” said Honor Harger, executive director of ArtScience Museum.

“Miyazaki has been a regular at the Festival, and it is really the next step for us to work with him on a multi-disciplinary exhibition that weaves together film, music and live performance, challenging the possibilities of how we use film to connect with our audience.” added Yuni Hadi, executive director of SGIFF.

In conjunction with “Specters and Tourists”, ArtScience Museum will also be hosting performances and screenings, as part of the museum’s ongoing programme strands, ArtScience Late and ArtScience on Screen. ArtScience Late brings experimental performances by outstanding local and international performers who work at the intersection of art, technology and science, to the public. ArtScience on Screen is the museum’s dedicated film and video programme, and is part of Marina Bay Sands’ ongoing commitment to local and international film culture.

On November 16 at 8pm, Miyazaki will be directing an immersive and exuberant ArtScience Late performance, “All Life is Tour”, in partnership with Singapore musicians, ARE. Sound project and art rock band, ARE create psych-art arrangements that sway between loud guitars, colourful electronics and lyrical tales. They have performed and recorded their melodic psychedelia and grainy electronics in Japan and Singapore, in locations as diverse as museum and abandoned houses.

“All Life is Tour” will combine improvised music and live cinema to allow visitors to experience life as both spectre and spectator.

Admission is free, on a first-come-first-served basis with limited capacity at the performance.

ArtScience Museum will also be screening a collaborative film by four regional directors – Tay Bee Pin (Singapore), Miyazaki (Japan), Vincent Du (China) and Rasiguet Sookkarn (Thailand). First premiered in Singapore at the 26th SGIFF, the programme comprises four short stories that transpire and interweave from 5pm to 9am on the evening of the historic Brazil-Germany match during World Cup 2014, spanning intimate vignettes of unrequited love and final meetings.

The screening will take place from November 5 and December 5. Admission is free. For screening schedule, please visit MarinaBaySands.com/ArtScienceMuseum

The Guide’s 2018 edition saw celebrity chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten suffer the indignity of being downgraded from three to two stars, leaving the US cultural and financial capital with just five three-star restaurants.

And San Francisco? It has seven.

Seventy-two New York restaurants were awarded stars by the celebrated culinary guide, down from 77 in 2016. Michelin said several previously ranked restaurants had been dropped from the list because they had since closed.

But most notable was the loss of three-star status for Vongerichten’s flagship Jean-Georges, one of the most glittering restaurants in New York and situated in the Trump International Hotel and Tower overlooking Central Park.

It was at Jean-Georges that then president-elect Donald Trump dined on November 30, 2016 with Republican grandee Mitt Romney, whom he was then considering but quickly afterward passed over as a possible US secretary of state.

After eating in full glare of other diners, Trump let Romney walk out alone after the meal to heap praise on the incoming president before the cameras, offering remarks that contrasted sharply with his criticism on the campaign trail.

Jean-Georges, which opened in 1997 to critical acclaim and has long been the jewel in the French-born chef’s empire, is now one of 11 New York restaurants with two stars.

Instead of the three-star ranking, which Michelin characterizes as “exceptional cuisine, worth a special journey,” its downgraded status is classified as “excellent cooking, worth a detour.”

The restaurant’s prix fixe dinner starts at $148 a head.

San Francisco now has the most number of three Michelin-starred restaurants in any US city. Chicago has two three-starred restaurants. Washington has none.

New York is home to 56 one-starred restaurants. Six new restaurants joined the star selections, three of which feature Japanese cuisine, the guide said.

While dwarfed by the population of New York, San Francisco is one of the most expensive cities in the country, hugely popular with tourists, famed for its Golden Gate Bridge and which in the 1990s became the hub of the dot-com bubble.

The device raises the bar for Dell’s most aggressive performance design and components offered within the Inspiron gaming laptop family. It comes with a striking, gamer-focused design with Intel’s 7th Gen H-series quad core mobile CPUs and NVIDIA® GeForce GTX 1060 graphics with Max-Q Design Technology, delivering clear, detailed gameplay.

Premium materials make this laptop stand out with an ultra-sleek finish. Durable magnesium alloy braces the system for exceptional rigidity. It’s equipped with fast, long-range 802.11ac WiFi with SmartByte network priority optimization, full 100/1000 Gigabit Ethernet, SuperSpeed USB 3.1 Gen 1 Type-C and Type-A ports with multi-format media card reader so you never have to slow down.

The Inspiron 15 7000 gaming laptop’s SuperSpeed USB 3.1 Gen 1 type-C port with Thunderbolt 3 can support a single 5K display or dual 4K display output. The device comes with superior sound, allowing gamers to experience every beat of the action with improved clarity thanks to two front-firing speakers powered by Waves MaxxAudio Pro. The Inspiron 15 7000 (7577) comes in matte black.