WHEN THE funeral rites for His Majesty the late King Bhumibol Adulyadej conclude today, the ashes will be transferred from Phra Sri Rattana Chedi within the Temple of the Emerald Buddha to the two Bangkok temples most closely associated with him.

Wat Bovoranives Vihara is where he resided while ordained as a monk in 1956. At Wat Rajabopidh Sathitmahasimaram rest the cremains of other Kings of the Chakri Dynastry and those of his parents.

Through the morning, King Bhumibol’s relics will be kept in the Heavenly Abode of the Chakri Maha Prasat Throne Hall, alongside relics of Kings Rama IV through VIII.

In the evening, King’s Guard cavalrymen under the authority of the late monarch’s granddaughter, Her Royal Highness Princess Sirivannavari Nariratana, will lead a motorcade procession in which His Majesty King Maha Vajiralongkorn and Her Royal Highness Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn will accompany their father’s ashes to the two temples.

This will be the last of the six elaborate processions that have taken place during the five days of funeral ceremonies that began on Wednesday.

Cavalrymen of the King’s Guard will today lead the sixth and final funeral procession, transporting the royal ashes to the two temples.

Wat Rajabopidh – the name means “built by a king” – was indeed erected by King Chulalongkorn (Rama V), King Bhumibol’s grandfather, in 1869. It was long the custom for monarchs to build a temple to commemorate their reign.

At the side of the temple opposite Khlong Lot, to the west, is the royal cemetery that King Chulalongkorn established for the interment of his queens, consorts and descendants.

It contains more than 30 memorials of varying designs. One, the Rangsi Vadhana, holds the cremains of King Bhumibol’s parents – Prince Mahidol of Songkla and Princess Srinagarindra – and his sister, Princess Galyani Vadhana.

“The ashes of King Ananda Mahidol [Rama VIII] – King Bhumibol’s elder brother – were enshrined at Wat Suthat because he’d had it restored,” says historian Chissanupong Talakana.

One portion of His Majesty King Bhumibol’s ashes will be enshrined beneath the base of the Phra Buddha Ankhirot, the main Buddha statue of Wat Rajabopidh Sathitmahasimaram.

A portion of King Bhumibol’s ashes will be laid beneath the base of the Phra Buddha Ankhirot, the temple’s main Buddha statue, situated in the Phra Ubosot (ordination hall). Also beneath the statue are the remains of Kings Chulalongkorn and Prajadhipok (Rama VII) and the latter’s consort, Queen Rambhai Barni.

The casting in bronze of the Phra Buddha Ankhirot, whose name means “aura from the body”, began late in the reign of King Mongkut (Rama IV) and was not completed until his son King Chulalongkorn was on the throne. Thongthong Chandrangsu, an expert in royal ceremonies, points out what a remarkable image it is.

“Many Buddha statues made in the time of King Rama IV are quite life-like, closely resembling actual monks. Take a look at the robes of the Phra Buddha Ankhirot – they look like real, folded fabric, just as monks wear their robes. King Rama V also provided gold ornaments he’d used in his youth to gild the statue.”

The exterior of Wat Rajabopidh’s Phra Ubosot is decorated with hand-painted tiles.

Wat Rajabopidh’s place in history is further secured by its classification as a royal temple first class of the Rajavoravihara type, and by the fact that it produced three Supreme Patriarchs, the leaders of Thai Buddhism. Its current abbot, Somdet Phra Maha Muneewong, is the 20th and incumbent Supreme Patriarch.

Thongthong notes that, while most Thai temples mark out sacred ground for the boundary of the Phra Ubosot with eight small sema stones, Wat Rajabopidh has eight huge ones set into the enclosing wall, thus consecrating the entire compound. Its monks can thus perform religious ceremonies, including ordinations, outside the Phra Ubosot.

The architecture of Wat Rajabopidh blends classical Thai and European styles.

The architecture of Wat Rajabopidh blends classical Thai and European (mostly Gothic) styles, reflecting Siam’s opening to the West under Kings Rama IV and V.

The Phra Ubosot is distinctly Thai, with the exterior covered in hand-glazed tiles and the interior featuring a raised ceiling with chandeliers. The doors and windows are decorated with inlaid mother-of-pearl in the form of various royal insignia.

Thongthong says Wat Rajapradit and Wat Rajabopidh were specially built to commemorate the reigns of Rama IV and Rama V, respectively, but there has been no official announcement about dedicating a temple to King Bhumibol.

“He did, though, initiate the building of Wat Phraram Kao Kanjanapisek.”

The Rangsi Vadhana Memorial in the royal cemetery at Wat Rajabopidh contains the ashes of King Bhumibol’s parents and sister.

Each of the varied memorials in the royal cemetery is marked with a name and number. The four most prominent ones are topped with gilded chedis.

These are dedicated to King Chulalongkorn’s four principal consorts. The Sunandha Nusavaree Memorial is for Queen Sunandha Kumariratana, the Rangsi Vadhana for Queen Savang Vadhana (King Bhumibol’s grandmother), the Saovabha Praditsatharn for Queen Saovabha Phongsri, and the Sukhumala Naruemit Memorial for Queen Sukhumala Marasri.

“You can see some European influence in the memorial stones, too,” says historian Chissanupong. “One of the big memorials belongs to the Yugala family and it’s modelled after the Phra Prang Sam Yot in Lopburi and adorned with three Khmer-style prang. The stupa-like Chao Chom Manda Uam Memorial was built by the Kitiyakara family.”

In the Phra Ubosot of Wat Bovoranives Vihara is the Buddha statue Phra Buddha Chinnasi, under which a second portion of King Bhumibol’s ashes will be laid.

Wat Bovoranives Vihara – Wat Bovorn as it’s commonly known – was established in 1829 under King Rama III. This is where Siam and Thailand’s Kings and princes have traditionally spent time as monks, including King Bhumibol and his son, King Maha Vajiralongkorn.

The Phra Ubosot houses the revered Phra Buddha Chinnasi, a statue believed sculpted around 1357. The second portion of King Bhumibol’s ashes will be enshrined at its base, near those of King Rama VI.

Wat Bovorn is a first-class royal monastery of particular importance as the temple where six monarchs donned monks’ robes. The others were King Rama V, King Rama VI and King Rama VII.

Wat Bovoranives Vihara is where six monarchs of Siam and Thailand were ordained as monks.

A museum within the monastery pays tribute to its six abbots through the ages, and one of the resident monks insists it’s “not just for devout Buddhists”. It’s a wonderful place to learn about Thai history, politics and traditions, says Phra Soponkanaporn, and especially about the religion.

“Four of the temple’s six abbots served as Supreme Patriarchs and worked closely with the royal family,” he points out.

The first abbot, in 1836, was in fact Prince Mongkut. He was a monk for 27 years and the abbot for 14 years before being crowned King Rama IV.

The second abbot, Krom Phraya Pavares Variyalankarana, became the eighth Supreme Patriarch, serving from 1851 to 1892, and acting as upajjhaya (preceptor) under King Rama V while he wore the robes of a novice and a monk.

Krom Luang Vajiranyanavongse – the fourth abbot, from 1921 to 1958, and the 13th Supreme Patriarch – was preceptor to King Bhumibol following his ordination in 1956. It was Krom Luang Vajiranyanavongse who conceived the names for His Majesty’s children.

A new DX-format digital SLR camera with fast performance, excellent image quality and true-to-life colours, the Nikon D7500 draws on the success of the flagship D500’s high-performance Expeed 5 image-processing engine. That alone means that it’s a significant improvement over its predecessor, the D7200.

Among other things, it combines 4K UHD video recording finesse with outstanding low-light capabilities in capturing stills, all within an improved camera body.

Its improvements over the D7200 include a faster continuous shooting speed of 8 frames per second, a touch screen, a maximum ISO of 51,200, 4K video shooting, pixel area of 17.85 micron and even weighs 125 grams less.

If you like to record 4K videos for enjoying on your UHD TV, you will be happy to know that the D7500 is capable of shooting 4K UHD video in 30p format for both regular and time-lapse formats.

You can also simultaneously record files on external HDMI-compatible devices as uncompressed data, and on the DSLR’s own memory card. Sharing and viewing of videos on smart devices is seamless too, with the option to write files in MP4 format and AAC recording.

The D7500 allows you to capture good quality photos in challenging environments thanks to the updated Nikon DX-format 20.9-megapixel CMOS sensor and that Expeed image-processing engine mentioned earlier. The DX-format is actually Nikon’s alternative name for an APSC sensor format.

The sensor works with the high-performance image engine to capture high-definition image quality with minimised noise, even in low-light environments in ISO capability of up to 51200.

Beginners will appreciate the excellent full automatic exposure mode that is assisted by highly precise Autofocus (AF), Auto Exposure (AE), and auto white balance performance, delivered by the 180K-pixel RGB sensor and 51-point AF System as well as Auto Picture Control option.

In the auto mode and when the Auto Picture Control is selected, the camera automatically recognises and analyses each shooting scene and adjusts accordingly when the new Auto Picture Control option is selected. When this option is enabled, the DSLR determines the optimal colour adjustment by fine-tuning the tone curve, colour and sharpness, within the camera, delivering consistency across multiple images taken with continuous shooting. This allows for softer skin depiction in portraits and an enhanced contrast for vibrant landscapes.

Moreover, the D7500 also incorporates flicker reduction for still images, which reduces exposure variations under flickering light sources.

The D7500 is good at capturing photos of fast action. It uses a 51-point AF system and high-speed continuous shooting at up to approximately 8fps to capture spontaneous moments.

The D7500 has the ability to shoot up to 50 shots in 14bit lossless compressed RAW, with extended buffer capacity. This speed is accompanied by a 180K-pixel RGB sensor, also found in the D500, which supports an Advanced Scene Recognition System for improved face detection performance for auto-area AF and enhanced subject acquisition performance for group-area AF and 3D tracking. To prevent blownout highlights, the new option for highlight-weighted metering is also available.

The D7500 has multiple exposure options and incamera Raw processing options. Individual images and composition or partially overlaid images that make up a multiple exposure shot can be previewed while shooting, with the option to save all or selected images to be combined on a computer after shooting. The enhanced multiple exposure also simplifies the image creation process by providing the option to delete or retake the last image.

You can also process multiple Raw files in batches with the additional ability to apply settings, such as white balance and Picture Control during shooting in RAW, to processing parameters. Just select the “original” setting from the menu.

The D7500 is a good for travel photographers thanks to its true-to-life and vibrant colours when taking landscape shots.

Another advantage is its size. It weighs just 720g and the slim body has an ergonomic design and a deeper handgrip that is both comfortable and secure thanks to a monocoque body structure, which reduces both size and weight without sacrificing durability or strength.

You can also easily share your shots from D7500 to your social network pages thanks to its SnapBridge technology. The camera has builtin Wi-Fi and Bluetooth to enable continuous transfer of images and video files to a paired smart device via the mobile app.

SnapBridge also provides a suite of additional functions, such as remote shooting, automatic update of camera’s time and location information, embedding of credit information, reception of firmware updates.

The camera has good performance and I didn’t experience any shutter lag during the test. The touch screen and function buttons make the controls a breeze.

The camera provides professional mode of Manual, Programed Auto, Shutter-priority, Aperture-Priority and full auto modes. I stuck mainly to the auto mode and found it was able to analyse various scenes accurately. You can also select scene modes on your own. The available scene modes are portrait, landscape, child, sports, close up, night portrait, night landscape, party/indoor, beach/snow, sunset, dusk/dawn, pet portrait, candlelight, blossom, autumn colours, and food.

I tested the camera with the Nikkor kit lens 18140 VR F3.556 and was pleased with the image quality.

Nikon D7500 with the kit lens 18140 VR F3.55.6 sells for Bt59,900 while the body only sells for Bt49,900.

KEY SPECS

– Type: Single-lens reflex digital camera

– Lens mount: Nikon F mount with 1.5x crop factor

– Image sensor: 20.9 million Nikon DX format 23.5×15.7mm CMOS sensor with

– Media: SD (Secure Digital) and UHSI compliant SDHC and SDXC memory cards)

– Viewfinder: Eye-level pentaprism singlelens reflex viewfinder, 100 per cent coverage

– Monitor: 3.2-inch, 922k-dot TFT touch screen

– Shutter: 1/8000 to 30 s in steps of 1/3 or 1/2 EV, bulb, time

– Metering system: TTL exposure metering using RGB sensor with approx 180K (180,000) pixels

– Focus: Nikon Advanced MultiCAM 3500 II autofocus sensor module with TTL phase detection, fine-tuning, 51 focus points

– ISO: ISO 100 to 51200

– Exposure modes: A, P, M, S, A, Scenes

– Max movie resolution: 3840 x 2160 (4K UHD); 30p (progressive), 25p, 24p

– Wireless: Wi-Fi 802.11g, Bluetooth 4.1

– Dimensions: Approx. 135.5 x 104 x 72.5 mm

– Weight: Approx. 720 g with battery and memory card but without body cap

Jabra has upgraded its advanced, true-wireless Elite Sport with longer battery life and new electronic chipsets that can personalise the equaliser. There’s also a fresh option in the colour.

The major upgrade gives the wireless earbuds 4.5 hours of battery life per single charge, up from three hours in the previous version. With that much battery juice, you can rest assured that your Jabra Elite Sport Upgrade won’t let you down in the middle of a long exercise session, such as a marathon run.

Moreover, the earbuds’ carrying and charging cradle lets you recharge the unit more often, boosting potential battery life to 13.5 hours, a big cumulative jump over the nine hours in its predecessor.

Since the black version of the Elite Sport Upgrade looks identical to the previous edition, Jabra has actually prints “13.5” on the lid of the charging case on each of the earbuds.

There’s now a Lime Green Grey version added to the other colour options, but you won’t get the “13.5” on the cover.

Live Green Grey was chosen because it’s a popular colour combination in sports apparel and makes for a splash of tones, yet still looks discreet when worn in the ears.

The body of the earbuds and the charging cradle are dark grey, while a lime green accent appears on the earwings.

With the internal chipset modified, the new earbuds and cradle are no longer compatible. You won’t be able to recharge the buds of the Upgrade version in your old cradle, or recharge the old buds in the new cradle.

What you can do now, though, is use the Sport Life app to customise the equaliser settings on the Elite Sport Upgrade. It’s quite easy to do. You simply go to the Headphone setting on the app and select Music Equaliser. You’ll see a circle displayed that can be dragged up and down to adjust the bass and other settings while music is actually played.

The Elite Sport Upgrade represents “true wireless” earbuds because there’s no wire connecting the buds. Instead, they’re linked wirelessly.

And they’re “sport earbuds” because you have a heart-rate sensor embedded in the right earbud and a TrackFit motion-counting sensor – a triaxis accelerometer to monitor your activity.

The Elite Sport Upgrade is also compatible with popular sports apps that utilise heart-rate sensors, such as Endomo.

The Jabra Elite Sport Upgrade is waterproof and comes with a three-year warranty against sweat damage. It conforms to IP67 rating, meaning it can be a metre underwater for up to 30 minutes. That means you can wear the buds while swimming – as long as your smartphone is waterproof (as is the Samsung Galaxy S8, among others).

Sports earbuds have to be both comfortable to wear for long periods and fit securely to the ears so they don’t fall out while exercising. With the Elite Sport package, you get earwings, silicone eargels and foam tips in three sizes (small, medium and large).

The earwings go on your earlobes and the gels and tips inside your ear canals.

When the proper gel or foam tip selected, the music quality is also enhanced, and the bass is pretty intense.

While testing the unit, I used silicone eargels and found they effectively reduced outside noise so I could better enjoy the music quality as impressively reproduced by the buds in authentic stereo, with crisp details and powerful bass.

These are “smart earbuds”, ready to connect to a smartphone right from the first use, as soon as you open the charging cradle. Another option is pressing and holding the multifunction button on the right earbud for three seconds to enter Bluetooth connection status. Then you just follow the vocalised instructions. You can also pair the buds up with another device within the Sport Life app.

The buds even know when they’ve come out of your ears – the music app automatically stops, and will resume once the buds are nestled back in your ears again.

Of course, music is only part of the function of the Elite Sport Upgrade. The sports tracking makes the earbuds very useful in keeping you fit. The Hear Through option, for example, lets you monitor surrounding sounds to keep you safe while running along a road.

When you use the Sport Life app for the first time, you need to feed it your gender, birth date, height and weight. The information is used to calculate your fitness data and calories burned during each exercise session.

During first use, the app will guide you in adjusting the right earbud until it can pick up your heart rate. Now it wants to know the rate while at rest and while active, so you’re asked to do a squat jump or static run for 15 minutes.

Now you’re ready for a run. The app keeps an eye on every activity, including cross-training exercises. At the end of each, you get a report on average and maximum heart rate and the overall zone the heart rate fell within.

The app helps you plan, monitor and analyse workouts in real time with inear guidance. It has a Race Time Predictor that estimates the time to complete a run based on your current fitness level and personal profile. And the Recovery Advisor keeps track of your physiological state and automatically suggests a recovery schedule to strike  a balance between rest and training.

In Thailand, RTB Technology sells the Jabra Elite Sport Upgrade for Bt9,900 at Jaymart, iStudio, Life, Power Buy, Power Mall, http://www.Lazada.co.th and http://www.GadGetThai.net.

KEY SPECS

– Bluetooth: 4.1

– Talk/music time: Up to 4.5 hours continuous play, charging case provides additional two full charges of up to 13.5 hours

– Frequency response: 20Hz to 20kHz

– Calls: Advanced calling with 4x digital MEMs microphones, advanced nose cancellation technology

– Microphone sensitivity: Minus-38dBV

– Microphone frequency range: 100Hz to 10kHz

– Sensors: Inear heart-rate monitor, TrackFit motion-counting sensor

– Durability: Waterproof rating IP67

These natural healing journeys guide guests to rejuvenate their mind and re-energise their body, enabling them to unlock a new version of themselves and share their newly discovered positive energies with family and friends.

Famous for her work with celebrities, Dr Buathon, known as Dr B, is a Thai holistic practitioner with an extensive knowledge of Tibetan and alternative medicine as well as Taoist practice. Her holistic treatments based on timeless wellness philosophies help restore balance to the body, mind and spirit by unlocking the natural positive energy from within.

Her signature ZenNaTai treatment helps guests understand how the mind influences the body’s weaknesses by rebalancing the three core tenets of thinking, feeling and awareness. The treatment is designed to improve the flow of energy – giving qithroughout the body, release physical tensions and detox the abdominal area. Guests who undergo three treatments within a week expect to get immediate positive results, including improved relaxation and a more restful night’s sleep.

Buathon’s Energy Enhancing treatment uses specially blended therapeutic oils to heal the body’s seven chakra points. A unique oil formulation is applied to each chakra point to optimise the inner flow of chakra energy and restore balance to the mind and body, while the soothing sound frequencies of seven Tibetan singing bowls enhance the aura of calmness and serenity

The 60-minute signature ZenNaTai treatment is priced at Bt5,900-plus, the 75 minute Energy Enhancing treatment at Bt6,900-plus and the 60-minute Breathing Exercise at Bt800-plus. Each class is limited to a maximum of four individuals.

For more information and reservations, call (02 ) 020 2888 or email spapbk@peninsula.com. Visit http://www.Peninsula.com/bangkok.

Founder of Miss Grand International Organization Nawat Itsaragrisil took the stage to thank the hosts and the Government for organising the reception before the emcee, Michelle Leon, fourth runner-up in last year’s contest, invited Henrique Fontes, president of the Grand Slam Beauty Ranking Organisation, to present the “Miss Grand Slam 2016” award to Ariska Putri Pertiwi Miss Grand International 2016.

The stage was then given over to the contestants for their shows, with Miss Grand Philippines, Miss Grand Thailand, Miss Grand Haiti, Miss Grand Fiji, Miss Grand Laos kicking off the proceedings to rounds of applause.

The Preliminary Show was held later at the Musical Water Fountain Stage Vinpearl Land, Amusement Park, which will also host tomorrow’s grand final.

Watch the live events via Facebook Live: MissGrandInternational or at http://www.MissGrandInternational.com.

Across the country, shops are finding it increasingly difficult to keep their shelves stocked.

“Because of a shortage of French milk, our suppliers cannot fulfil our butter orders,” read a sign last week in an Intermarche supermarket in the northern city of Rouen, situated in the Normandy dairy heartland.

At a Super U supermarket in central Paris, one of the most popular brands of butter — a salty variety from the western Brittany region — had vanished.

“Customers have been stocking up, particularly local restaurant owners. For the moment we’re able to manage but we’ve been warned to expect more shortages,” said Adrien, the store manager, who declined to give his surname.

The turbulence in the butter market began when the European Union abolished its system of milk quotas in 2015.

The move initially triggered a flood of milk supplies, causing a collapse in global prices that prompted dairy farmers to subsequently slash their output.

Chinese croissant craze

The decline in production came as butter began enjoying a comeback in the West, following research suggesting that saturated fats — long linked to heart disease — were not as harmful as thought.

“The rehabilitation of animal fats has caused demand for butter to explode around the world,” said Gerard Calbrix, head of economic affairs at the Association of French Dairy Producers.

The growth in demand is particularly pronounced in emerging economies such as China and the Middle East, where croissants and other buttery treats are increasingly in vogue.

The surge in demand has caused prices to rocket, with industrial butter rising from 2,500 euros a tonne in April 2016 to 7,000 euros a tonne this summer.

“If this continues we’ll have to increase our prices because we have wages to pay,” said Jose Pires, manager of a busy bakery in the Montorgueil district of central Paris, which uses only the finest whipped butter in its creations.

Like other bakers interviewed by AFP, he ruled out substituting butter with cheaper margarine in his croissants, pains au chocolat and sandwiches.

“We cannot change the recipe. That would be unprofessional,” he said.

Thierry Lucas, owner of a bakery in the Finistere region of Normandy, said he had increased the prices of his croissants by 5 euro centimes (5.9 dollar cents) to cover his costs.

To save money he had also begun buying his butter at a supermarket that had yet to pass on the price increases, saving over 1,000 euros a tonne in the process.

Not everyone has been able to find a workaround, however.

In the central Cher region, Claude Francois, owner of a small pastry producer, said she had cut her workers’ hours by 70 percent because she could not source enough butter to maintain output.

“We’ve been on rationed supplies since mid-August. We are only receiving a tonne a week when we need three tonnes… We cannot go on like this for much longer,” she said.

“Reading is the best foundation for quality learning and development. Books help us experience other points of view and find solutions to problems in life,” said Culture Minister Veera Rojpojanarat.

“This project urges parents and teachers to encourage reading from the earliest age to help their young charges develop. More than 100 children’s books for all ages are available at the Books For Children Foundation’s booth as well as from several publishers participating this event. We are grateful to Chulalongkorn University Book Centre, Asia Books, and SE-ED Books Centre for their support,” he added.

“The project aims to promote the reading culture from this year through to 2021 in line with the commission’s policy to support reform in sports, arts, culture, religion, morals and ethics and ensure children, youth and the public in rural areas have better opportunities,” said Pradit Posew, deputy director-general of the department.

The 100 great books for children and youth are divided into different age ranges: there are four books for children younger than 12 months, 15 books for 13 years old, 30 books for 46 years old, 24 books for 7-11 years old and 27 books for 12-18 years old.

Culture Minister Veera presented certificates to 25 printers, among them Praew Puen Dek, Hello Kids, Happy Kids, Aksara For Kids, Prapakarn Publishing, Press @ Kids, Sataporn Books, Nanmee Books, Reading Party, Combang Publishing, Mingmit Publishing, Praew Juvenile, Sarakadee Press, Adult, Matichon, Free Form, Wattana Panich, Bhannakij, Salmon Books, and Amarin Comics.

“The selection of books is very important in encouraging children to read and learn and their parents to support them. Books, featuring illustrations and big-size letters, are easy to understand and that makes both reader and listener happy,” said Suthathip Tatchayapong, the project’s chief.

“Children like to learn but they only pay attention if we don’t pressure them. That makes the selection of children’s books a hard task. But we are confident that kids from all regions of the country will enjoy the content,” said Pojjaman Pongpaiboon, director of Education Innovation Development, Office of the Basic Education Commission.

Check out the children’s books at booth Y09 or find out more at http://www.culture.go.th or Facebook.com/DCP.culture/.

AMONG THE many books chronicling the time His Majesty the late King Bhumibol Adulyadej spent in Switzerland, a new sketchbook illustrating those years stands out thanks to the endearing talents of celebrated artist Krirkbura Yomnage.

In “Kao Nuer Klao: Jak Lausanne Thueng Lan Phra Merumas – Notre Roi”, Krirkbura brings to bear in 80 watercolours the delicate brushstrokes for which he’s famous. The text, in Thai, is by Supoj Lokunsombat.

The paintings and sketches follow what Thai tourists visiting Lausanne know as “the royal trail”, the places associated with the late King and his siblings. The end of the trail is not in Switzerland, however, but at the royal crematorium in Sanam Luang, a moving choice for the story to come to rest.

This depiction of His Majesty the late King Bhumibol Adulyadej as a student in Switzerland is among Krirkbura Yomnage’s watercolours in “Kao Nuer Klao: Jak Lausanne Thueng Lan Phra Merumas”.

Krirkbura and Supoj spent a week in Switzerland in June, seeking out the places that played a formative role in the young Prince Bhumibol’s life. On their return, they spent two months writing and illustrating the 88-page hardcover book, whose title translates as “Our King: From Lausanne to the Royal Crematorium”.

Krirkbura, 58, says he set out to record the late King’s younger years in Switzerland, both before he ascended the throne and on his return there as King to further his studies.

“He had spent nearly 18 years in Lausanne, one of the most picturesque Swiss settings, and I wanted to share some angles of the location that people might not know about.”

Supoj, who earns his living as a travel writer, knew the country well. He studied hospitality at the Centre Internal de Glion in Switzerland, on a scholarship from Her Royal Highness Princess Galyani Vadhana, King Bhumibol’s late sister, who also grew up in Lausanne.

Le Grand-Pont is a Lausanne landmark.

“Hof Art Gallery initiated the book project to pay tribute to our beloved monarch,” Supoj explains. “There was a time limit, but luckily I’d already taken the royal trail several times.

“Ajarn Krirkbura’s paintings serve as the doors on every chapter in the late King’s life in Lausanne, proceeding chronologically. My writing only plays a supporting role, summarising the historical record in an easy-to-read way.”

Supoj relied mainly on Princess Galyani’s memoirs, “Chaonai Lek Lek – Yuwakasat” (“Little Royals – Young Kings”) and “Mae Lao Hai Fang” (“As Mum Told”).

For his part, Krirkbura sized up each locale in Lausanne with his artist’s eye, chose an angle, set the composition, and took a photo as a guide for his painting and drawing. The photographic imagery is dazzlingly reproduced in meticulous detail.

The painting that took the most time to execute occupies the opening double fold, depicting Le Grand-Pont, the 173-year-old bridge that connects east and west Lausanne. In the background is a tall hill crowded with fine old buildings and capped by the cathedral.

Lausanne railway station 

The first chapter visits the railway station at which Mom Sangwan Mahidol arrived from Paris in 1926 with her two children. Princess Galyani was two years old and Prince Ananda Mahidol just seven months. The future King Bhumibol was yet to be born.

The children’s father, Prince Mahidol of Songkla, had gone home to Thailand to attend the cremation of King Rama VI. The family, who’d been living in Paris, moved to Lausanne so the children could begin nursery school at Champ Soleil, which was owned by a physician and reputed to excel in the care of small children. It too is pictured in the book.

Bhumibol was born in 1927, in Boston in the United States, where his father was studying medicine. The following year the family moved back to Lausanne so that Prince Mahidol could recuperate from illness. Bhumibol soon joined his siblings at Champ Soleil.

Not long after they’d returned to Thailand, Prince Mahidol died with kidney failure. The widow and children lived in Srapathum Palace in Bangkok, but, in the year after the coup that ended absolute monarchy, moved once more to Switzerland.

The apartment building on Avenue Tissot where the two future Kings lived

Lausanne has of course undergone many changes in the decades since the royal family was there, but Krirkbura and Supoj were delighted to find several of the buildings familiar from the story still intact and looking much the same as always. One was the apartment building at 16 Avenue Tissot where the royal family lived from 1933 to 1935.

In the middle of that period, King Prajadhipok (Rama VII) abdicated, and then-nine-year-old Prince Ananda was chosen as his successor. With arrangements made for the children to continue their education in Lausanne, the family moved to the grander Villa Vadhana in nearby Pully. The brothers were enrolled in a private school, Ecole Nouvelle de la Suisse Romande.

“The Villa Vadhana has been demolished, but we got to meet Madame Rose-Marie Berger, who’s now 95, who was a neighbour of the Mahidol family,” says Supoj. “Her late husband taught the Princess Mother to speak French.”

Ecole Nouvelle was where the future monarchs began cultivating their multiple talents.

Two of Ecole Nouvelle’s original wings are still standing. This is where the future Kings began developing their multiple talents, including fluency in several languages, woodworking, agriculture and sports. One of the school buildings has a cabinet in which photos and other mementoes of the royal alumni are displayed. A plaque honouring the brothers adorns the facade of the school’s new wing.

The Palais de Rumine was part of the University of Lausanne when the royal siblings were studying there.

Krirkbura painted a panoramic view of the Florentine Renaissance-style Palais de Rumine, once the central edifice of the University of Lausanne, where the royal siblings went on to study.

Close by is the bistro A la Pomme de Pin, where Prince Bhimibol loitered in his student days. The Princess Mother bought her fresh produce at the century-old St Francois Market out front.

Supoj says there was another lucky chance meeting, this time with the Swiss journalist-writer Oliver Grivat, who took them to Villa Flonzaley in Puidoux, another small town outside Lausanne.

On their grand tour of Europe in 1960, King Bhumibol and Queen Sirikit embarked to destinations from Puidoux railway station. 

This was where King Bumibol loved to rest during his six-month state tour of 13 European countries in 1960. “He could have stayed in a five-star hotel, but he preferred this small town with a population of only 1,500,” Supoj adds.

Another stop was the Puidoux railway station, from which Their Majesties the Queen and late King embarked for their destinations around Europe.

“Daniel Chaubert, the former stationmaster, came to meet us wearing the same hat and nametag he wore the day Their Majesties first arrived at Puidox from their Bonn, in Germany,” says Krirkbura. “He shared his favourite memory with us: ‘The King was so smart and the Queen was very beautiful. Even though it was midnight and they were so tired, they kept smiling’.”

The royal crematorium

The book’s poignant ending is no doubt inevitable. There is a sketch of the telescoped view of the cortege carrying the body of His Majesty home from the hospital last October 13, thousands of stricken mourners lining the route. And then a marvellous painting of the royal crematorium.

But on the last two pages, Krirkbura has depicted daffodils (dararat), King Bhumibol’s favourite flower, which he often plucked for Queen Sirikit when they stayed in Switzerland.

And Supoj has added a verse from the French song “Tristesse”, a favourite of the Queen’s.

Translated, it says, “The shadow flees, goodbye the beautiful dream.”

SEE THE ORIGINALS

Twenty of the original 20 watercolours and sketches from the book are on display in CentralWorld’s Eden Zone until October 31.

Two editions of the book are on sale. The first, limited to 999 copies, is boxed with a print signed by Krirkbura and costs Bt1,999. The second, also hardcover, costs Bt999.

Part of the proceeds go to the Ananda Mahidol Foundation and Swiss Student Alumni Association of Thailand.

Order copies at (089) 926 2196.

The Xperia XZ1, Sony’s newest flagship phone, has good performance, a fast Internet connection and good-quality cameras. If that all sounds pretty routine, how about this: you can use it to create 3D models.

Other Sony products – the Cybershot cameras, Bravia TV sets, Handycams and Walkmans – have all played a role in the development of the XZ1. In fact the firm boasts that it represents “the very best of Sony technologies in a single device”.

You have their core expertise in camera technology and image sensing in the combination of four new camera-focused features – the 3D Creator, Autofocus Burst, Super Slow Motion Video, and Smile Predictive Capture.

The XZ1 has a unibody design (Loop Surface), a 5.2-inch Full HD HDR display, High-Resolution Audio, a Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 octacore processor running at 2.46GHz, four gigabytes of working memory and 64GB of UFS internal storage.

I checked the phone’s performance with the AnTuTu Benchmark and got 157,670 marks, a very high score.

Then I tested the Internet connection on TrueMove H’s LTE network and was hooked into the Web impressively fast. Applications were downloaded quickly and my snapshots were backed up to my Google Photos cloud storage in no time.

The Ookla Speedtest app measured downloads at 121.03Mbps and uploads at 32.85Mbps, both impressive results.

The fast CPU, generous storage and hefty amount of RAM allows the XZ1 to create 3D models in real time. The 3D Creator app uses Sony’s Motion Eye camera technology, with its memory-stacked sensor, image processing engine (Bionz for mobile) and redesigned Sony G Lens. You do the calibration, then superfast scanning and finally texturing.

High-quality 3D scans of objects can be rendered in just a minute using any of the head scan, face scan, food scan or freeform scan modes. Each mode has its own custom guides for ease of use.

Scanned objects can then be shared on messenger apps using 3D stickers or uploaded to 3D communities such as Sketchfab. Users can also bring scans to life by using them as avatars on the camera’s AR effects options, third-party apps or as live wallpaper.

Scans can even be printed on a 3D printer and converted into memorable keepsakes. The 3D Creator app also sports a Find More option that provides access to a growing 3D ecosystem via Google Play.

Of course, the scanning will have to be made in a proper environment. For example, you need good light – not too strong – and the object must be solid (free of holes) and in sharp contrast with the background.

The very good-quality main camera also has Motion Eye, along with a 19-megapixel 1/2.3-inch Exmor RS-formobile memory-stacked sensor that has pixel pitch of 1.22 microns, and Sony’s award-winning G Lens with an f/2.0 aperture. You get good lowlight performance of ISO 12800.

There’s also Predictive Capture, which automatically starts buffering images seconds before you press the shutter button so you never miss the shot you want.

The camera is great for fast action thanks to Autofocus burst technology, which tracks and captures moving objects in sequences and in sharp focus. Superslow motion is possible because Motion Eye can record 950 frames per second – four times more than most phones. The more frames, the slower the replay.

I got beautiful shots with crisp detail and good exposure in Auto mode. Manual mode allows you to control shutter speed, focus, exposure and white balance.

The front camera uses a 13MP 1/3.06-inch Exmor RX sensor with a 22mm wideangle f/2.0 lens. It’s made for selfies – in any light since it has lowlight sensitivity of ISO 6400.

Sony deploys its long Walkman expertise to make the XZ1 a powerful music player, good even for High-Resolution Audio.

The stereo speakers have 50 per cent more sound pressure than previous models, and SForce Front Surround simulates immersive speaker sound.

With HiRes Audio playback capability in several formats, including FLAC 24bit/192kHz and DSD formats, and coupled with Hi-Res Audio headphones, you can enjoy music the way the artists intended it.

I put on Sony’s MDR1ABT and I heard terrific sound with great detail and powerful bass.

The XZ1 will also HD Bluetooth-stream Sony’s own LDAC protocol and can handle the new Qualcomm aptX HD.

A DSEE X digital sound-enhancement engine upscales non-Hi-Res songs for better quality. There are several sound-enhancement settings, such as ClearAudio+ for enriching audio and ClearBASS to boost the lows without distortion.

If you have headphones with Digital Noise Cancelling, plug them into the XZ1 to remove up to 98 per cent of exterior noise.

Sony’s Music app supports Google Chromecast, allowing you to cast your music to a wireless speaker with Chromecast builtin, such as Sony HTMT500 sound bar.

The XZ1 supports several other wireless technologies, including Miracast and DLNA, allowing its Music app to find and play files stored on network drives, such as the Synology DiskStation DS418j. I had no problem using XZ1 to browse and play music files stored on the DS418j.

The 5.2-inch HDR (High Dynamic Rage) display is great for watching HDR video clips, as found on YouTube. The display uses Sony’s Bravia TV technology to play HDR shows.

Triluminos display-formobile produces about 138 per cent more of the colour spectrum that standard displays show. Mapping colours from a wider palette, it brings subtle shades to life for a more natural look.

X-Reality-formobile adds missing pixels, reduces noise and enhances texture to make everything look crisp and clear, even low-resolution content.

I enjoyed watching HD content and sports programmes via the TrueVisions Anywhere app. The pictures were sharp and smooth.

The display is also durable behind Corning Gorilla Glass 5 and the phone is water-resistant, conforming to the IP65/68 rating.

The XZ1 has a fingerprint sensor embedded in its power button, allowing you to unlock the phone fast.

The battery life is good, with 2,700mAh capacity and Smart Stamnia 3.0 technology. The phone estimates how long the battery will last based on normal use. If power is likely to run out later in the day, it prompts you to activate Stamina mode.

The Sony Xperia XZ1 has a suggested retail price of Bt22,990.

KEY SPECS

– Operating system: Google Android 8.0

– Networks: GSM GPRS/EDGE (2G), UMTS HSPA+ (3G), LTE (4G) Cat16 with Gigabit-class speeds

– CPU: Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 Mobile Platform

– Memory: 4GB RAM

– Storage: 64GB UFS, upgradable with microSDXC by up to 256GB

– Display: 5.2-inch FHD HDR Triluminos for mobile

– Main camera: 19MP Motion Eye with 25mm f/20 Sony G Lens

– Front camera: 13MP 22mm wide-angle f/2.0 lens

– Connectivity: AGNSS (GPS + GLONASS), Wi-Fi Miracast, Bluetooth 5.0, DLNA, Google Cas, NFC, USB 3.1 Gen 15 / USB TypeC

– Battery: 2,700mAh, supports Qualcomm Quick Charge 3.0

– Dimensions: 148x73x7.4mm

– Weight: 156g

If your idea of a good night out is a night in with a movie, soap or football match, spice up your watching pleasure with the new LG Dolby Atmos Soundbar SJ9.

With a footprint of 120x158x145mm, the SJ9 matches a TV with a display size of 55 inches or larger and simulates surround sound based on the latest Dolby Atmos technology, which has been available in some popular Netflix movies for a while.

The SJ9 adds a pair of upfiring speakers to an array of front speakers to deliver a sense of realism and height.

The soundbar is made of seven speakers – two front channels, one centre, two surround channels and two top channels – each of which has 43 watts of power output giving the entire unit a hefty 500 watts of output, which is more than enough to fill even the largest living room.

And the wireless woofer delivers another 200 watts of power output, ensuring your floor will shake with the explosions in the movies and likely make you very unpopular with the neighbours.

You can also add wireless rear speakers from LG to enhance the home theatre sounds.

If you have 4K TV, you will be pleased to learn that the movie quality won’t be downgraded when you connect the HDMI cable from the 4K movie source to the soundbar. This is because the SJ9 has the ability to pass through a 4K video signal to the TV as it decodes the movie audio. The soundbar has an HDMI-in port and an HDMI-out port that also supports ARC (audio return channel) for receiving the audio signal from your TV and playing it through the soundbar system.

Apart from functioning as a very good home theatre sound system, the SJ9 can also function as a Bluetooth or WiFi speakers to let you enjoy music.

It supports High-Resolution Audio formats, has Chromecast builtin and supports multiroom function.

The SJ9 can play Hi-Res FLAC Audio files in 24bit/192 format, allowing you to enjoy the music the way the artists intended you to.

Since the SJ9 has no USB port, you need to stream the HD music to it, using builtin Wi-Fi and Chromecast functions. You will need music apps that support Chromecast to cast the HD music to the SJ9 although another option is to use LG’s Music Flow Player app to stream the Hi-Res Audio files to the soundbar. Moreover, when you stream non-HD music files to the SJI, it upconverts the music files to a resolution that’s close to that of Hi-Res Audio.

The Music Flow Player allows you to set the SJ9 into part of or your entire multiroom audio system, which is useful if you have several LG’s Wi-Fi speakers that support multiroom function.

You can assign the same playlist to all Wi-Fi speakers in your room or you can assign different playlists to different speakers. As part of the multiroom function, you can set SJ9 to have your music start the moment you enter the room. The function allows the SJ9 to automatically take over the playback of the audio from a connected device the moment it sense the device is nearby.

When you stream music to the SJ9 using Music Flow Player, you can stream music files from your shared computer network and from a networked drive, such as Synology DiskStaton DS418j.

And the Music Flow Player is now integrated with TuneIn Internet radio app that allows you to stream music from your favourite Internet Radio station. With Chromecast builtin, you can stream music from Spotify, Deezer and more to the soundbar.

The SJ9 has five sound modes – ASC (Adaptive Sound Control), Standard, Bass Blast, Cinema and Music as well as the LG Auto Sound Engine that optimises your sound at any volume level and maintains precise frequencies at all times. This provides the appropriate sound balance regardless of the volume.

The SJ9 also has an optical audio-in, a portablein or 3.5mm stereo jack port and Bluetooth function for connecting to various sound sources.

The test found that the SJ9 reproduced very good quality sound. Movies sounded so much better thanks to the good surround sound effects and Hi-Res Audio music was impressive with great details. The bass very powerful especially when used in Bass Blast mode. I connected the soundbar’s HDMI-in to HDMI-out of TrueVisions satellite receiver and I enjoyed watching action movies with good surround sounds.

LG Dolby Atmos Soundbar SJ9 has a suggested retail price of Bt39,990.

KEY SPECS

– Speaker output: 5.1.2-channel 500 watts

– Subwoofer output: 200 watts

– Connectivity: Portable-in (3.5mm), optical-in, HDMI 2.0 (in/out), Bluetooth, LG TV Sound Sync, Google Chromecast, Wi-Fi (Multiroom network)

– Sound modes: ASC, Standard, Bass Blast, Cinema, Music

– Audio formats supported: LPCM, Dolby Digital, DTS Digital Surround, MP3, WMA, FLAC (up to 192kHz), OGG, ALAC, MPEG4, WAV, AAC+, AIFF, Dolby Atmos, Dolby TrueHD Dolby Digital Plus

– Dimensions: 1200x58x145mm

– Weight: 5.6kgs