To cater to the demands of a fast consumption generation in Thailand, the e-commerce site will further strengthen Asics’ retail channel strategy in Thailand and provide avid runners easy access to acquire the latest shoes and a platform to browse for new purchases on the go.

To better enhance the customer’s shopping experience, Asics is offering the convenient platform delivered straight to the home.

“Shopping habits are constantly evolving and it is no longer sufficient to have just a brick and mortar store. Asics hopes to enhance the shopping experience with the addition of an e-commerce site,” says Yogesh Gandhi, managing director of Asics Asia.

The site will also offer shoppers the opportunity to get their hands on exclusive shoe drops and shop for a wider range of products from various sports categories including tennis, track and field and basketball.

New signups will get 10-per-cent site-wide discount and the website also offers free shipping with minimum spend of Bt2,000 and free returns.

Day designed the costumes, including 64 different looks for the character of Elton and one million crystals embellish the costumes and accessories, bringing to life the extraordinary showmanship of the legendary singer.

Directed by Dexter Fletcher, “Rocketman” traces Elton John’s extraordinary breakthrough years, from student prodigy to pop-rock sensation. Taron Egerton as Elton performs his greatest hits and wears ever-more fabulous costumes in this fantastical retelling of the true highs and lows of stardom. The film also stars Bryce Dallas Howard, Jamie Bell and Richard Madden.

Among the elaborate costumes that form part of Elton’s flamboyant wardrobe is the Dodgers costume – a fully-crystallised baseball kit that is a stunning reimagining of the iconic costume worn by Elton to perform at his legendary Dodger Stadium concerts in Los Angeles in 1975. The shimmering design worn in the film by Egerton was created using 140,000 Swarovski crystals to be even more dazzling than the original.

The dramatic Devil costume was also designed for a moment when Elton feels unloved, so Day surrounds him with love in the form of a fiery-red jumpsuit with heart-shaped wings. The costume blazes with bespoke crystal flames, a headdress and sunglasses all glowing with over 60,000 hand-embellished crystals.

The Yellow Brick Road costume brings to life Elton’s much-loved album, with design details to represent characters from “The Wizard of Oz”. The blue suit with crystal red lapels and the iconic ruby crystal slippers symbolise Dorothy, and the fur coat, silver shirt and straw hat characterise each of her companions: the Lion, the Tin Man and the Scarecrow.

The extravagant Elizabeth costume is worn during a wild stage performance. Bursting with crystal and Swarovski Crystal Pearl embellishment it plays on Elton’s penchant for theatrics as well as his reputation as rock royalty. The show-stopping star headdress was inspired by Hedy Lamarr’s Swarovski original in the 1941 film Zeigfeld Girls.

Day also worked closely with Swarovski’s design team to create more than 750 bespoke crystal transfers to accent his outfits, including 91 personalised Elton John patches. Day designed a red jumpsuit with an Elton John patch emblazoned across the back for Elton’s 1970 performance at the Troubadour in Los Angeles – a pivotal moment when he transforms into the Elton John we know and love.

For the final flourish, Day adorned numerous glasses – a signature Elton John accessory – with crystals; as well as shoes, accessories and jewellery for added rock-star glam. Swarovski has previously partnered with Day on costumes for Oscar-nominated “Bohemian Rhapsody” (2018).

“I’ve used Swarovski crystals on numerous films and they are very much part of the idea of showmanship. What they do is elevate and exaggerate an outfit. Wherever we could find a place for a crystal in this film, we put it there. Swarovski and Rocketman is a perfect partnership,” said Day.

Swarovski’s history on the silver screen goes back to the early days of Hollywood over 85 years ago, when its crystals made their Hollywood debut in the Marlene Dietrich film Blonde Venus.

It is a history sparkling with iconic moments, from Marilyn Monroe singing “Diamonds Are a Girl’s Best Friend” wearing dazzling Swarovski jewels in “Gentlemen Prefer Blondes” to Audrey Hepburn accessorising her Little Black Dress with a chic Swarovski tiara in “Breakfast at Tiffany’s”.

A NEW type of “mini-cinema” with multiple screens is popping up in and around Tokyo, apparently driven by the convergence of strategies to fill seats, diversifying tastes and an ageing audience.

Taking the concept of “mini theatre complex”, Uplink Kichijoji opened in December in a shopping complex in the Kichijoji district of Tokyo.

All five cinemas in the complex are mid-sized or small, with a capacity of between 29 and 98 people.

With an emphasis on films that attract the biggest fans of movies, the selection being screened ranges across diverse genres.

The most unusual aspect of the cinema’s appeal is flexible scheduling enabled by utilising all five screens. The operator changes the schedule every week to try to avoid leaving seats empty.

Film buffs crowd the lobby of the Kino Cinema Yokohama Minatomirai cinema complex. /Japan NewsYomiuri

Although popular titles are screened four or five times a day, the operator sometimes screens 25 different movies a day – five films on each of the five screens.

Digitisation means it’s not necessary to change reels, which enables more flexible scheduling.

Since the cinema’s opening, the documentary “Bill Evans: Time Remembered”, about the revered jazz pianist, has attracted the largest audience.

Likewise, screenings of the Netflix movie “Roma” attracted lots of people.

“Customers’ tastes are diversifying. When mini-theatres were in their heyday in the 1980s and 1990s, cinema operators used to just present their own selections. However, now that customers get more information through the internet, we’ve changed the way we present films,” says Uplink president Takashi Asai.

“We present our line-ups and let customers choose what to watch.”

Another cinema complex, Kino Cinema Yokohama Minatomirai, opened in a multipurpose building in the Minatomirai district of Yokohama on April 12. The first theatre launched by Kino Cinema Co, it has three screens with a capacity of 55 to 111 each.

“We initially thought about having two screens with a capacity of about 150 each, but that limits the number of titles and the variety we can screen,” says president Yuichiro Nishijima.

“To secure steady box-office sales, we wanted to increase the number of screens as much as possible.”

Adhering to the initial concept of “making a place where quality films from around the world are constantly screened”, the majority of titles seen are art-house movies from overseas, including last year’s Cannes screenplay winner “Happy as Lazzaro”.

But popular titles from Japan and abroad, such as “Bohemian Rhapsody”, are also screened. The operator is considering making schedules that would meet the respective needs of seniors, families and company employees, varying depending on the day of the week or the time.

Kino Cinema will this month open a second cinema complex at the Tachikawa Takashimaya Shopping Centre in Tokyo.

“Movie enthusiasts are getting older. Some such customers say they want to watch reputable art-house movies, but such films are only screened in Tokyo’s 23 wards. They say they want to watch such films at cinemas close to their homes,” says Nishijima.

SET BACK from the chaos of downtown Bangkok, the restaurant Haoma sits on a serene patch of Sukhumvit Soi 31 and boasts a lush backyard garden and an aquaponics system that allows pla nil (tilapia) fish and edible plants to grow together.

This is a green destination where the zero-waste principle is pursued and all the ingredients have been raised free of pesticides and antibiotics. Its own produce ends up on diners’ plates and the dish called Cured Wheel, which offers 15 different herbs grown in the backyard and the fish, is a particular favourite.

Misshapen fruits and vegetables regarded by supermarkets and other retailers are given a new lease of life in special menus called Perfectly Imperfect at Greyhound Cafe until August 31.

Instead of ending up as fertiliser or worse still, simply thrown in the garbage, the restaurant has joined with the Royal Project to bring overlooked produce such as portobello mushrooms, sweet potatoes, passion fruit and baby carrots to such beautiful dishes as salads with imperfectly shaped greens, and stir-fried spicy ugly portobello mushroom with minced pork and herbs.

Before entering the dining area of Taan restaurant at Siam@Siam Design Hotel Bangkok, diners can study the wall bearing the portraits of all the local food suppliers who help stock the kitchen. On the menu, too, the ingredients of each dish are accredited to their origins, complete with the distance from Bangkok in kilometres.

Charna restaurant offers ingredients from a network of local producers.

The idea behind Charna at Siam Center is also based on a happy supply chain – all the ingredients come from a network of local producers certified as environmentally and ethically responsible. The menu even has QR codes for the main producers that, when scanned, reveal more information about them.

These are among the increasing number of restaurants in Thailand pursuing the admirable trend of procuring ingredients from sustainable local sources rather than importing what they need.

“Locally grown produce that includes storytelling, concerns over food waste, artisanal and hand-crafted food and home-made desserts are among this year’s food trends. Diners today are increasingly interested where the food comes from, how it’s grown or produced and what ingredients are used. They want to learn more about the produce and the producers and are willing to pay for its real value,” said Phanumas Zaw-raksa, executive chef of Unilever Food Solutions during the seminar Trend Watch for food entrepreneurs on Wednesday.

An increasing number of restaurants in Thailand are pursuing the trend of procuring ingredients from sustainable local sources. 

Over the past year, Unilever Food Solutions has been conducting global research on changes in the lifestyle of consumers by looking at the popular keywords people use to search online as well as online conversations.

“In Thailand, in addition to the interest in the local table, we have spotted four key trends. Plant-based protein menus with vegetables are the stars and along with smaller portions of meat, continue to be on the rise. Beyond pleasing the palate, a multi-sensory experience can make dining out special.

The rise in the popularity of the vegan diet plays a significant role in the demand for plant-based protein.

“Serving food in a bowl rather than on a plate can create a homey atmosphere. The afternoon tea set is still popular in Thailand thanks to its healthy benefits and the variety of choices available and is crafted with creative twists,” Phanumas added.

Underlining the trend for hyper-local food production –meaning food grown, processed and consumed at the community or neighbourhood level, is new bakery Baan Baan by Baker Gonna Bake in Nakhon Ratchasima’s Pak Chong district. Like Haoma restaurant in Bangkok, this small cafe occupies a 15-rai plot and grows a variety of plants and vegetables. Its philosophy is based on zero waste.

Craft Bread in Bangkok sells artisan breads crafted from whole-wheat and 100-per-cent organic flour, natural honey and olive oil and guarantees that no milk, butter, eggs, additives and preservatives are used. It’s made fresh loaf by loaf to order.

“I’m a sort of carnivore, so I give credit to the 101 Mahaseth restaurant in Bangkok whose Isaan-style dishes highlight local beef. The taste of locally grown coffee beans is second to none and the Root Cafe is one of the places offering a cup brewed from premium Thai beans. People today don’t look just for tasty coffee. They also want to learn about the unique characteristics of the beans. It is about the experience and high-quality coffee is considered an artisanal beverage produced by artisanal means,” says Yod Chinsupakul, chief executive and co-founder of the popular food website Wongnai.com.

Vegan diets or simply reducing the consumption of animal products is on the rise and menus based on plant-based protein are gaining in popularity.

A packet of Beyond Meat burger patties are displayed on a store shelf in New York./EPA-EFE

Take the California-based vegan burger start-up Beyond Meat, which made a sizzling Wall Street debut in early May, more than doubling its share price. Backed by Hollywood star Leonardo DiCaprio and Microsoft founder Bill Gates, the California-based firm had valued itself at about $1.5 billion (Bt47.7 billion) at opening on the Nasdaq exchange, according to Agence France-Presse. It uses peas, fava beans and soy to make steak, sausage and minced meat alternatives and uses beets to make its burgers bleed.

Fast food giant Burger King recently launched a plant-based version of its signature Whopper in US stores in a nod to vegans. It’s made up of mostly soy and potato protein, and features coconut oil, sunflower oil and heme – an iron-rich protein that simulates the texture, colour and taste of actual meat.

A plant-based ‘Impossible Whopper’ sits on a table at a Burger King restaurant in Richmond Heights, Missouri./AFP

According to Agence France-Presse, Nestle has also announced plans to introduce plant-based burgers in Europe – under the Garden Gourmet brand – and in the United States under the Sweet Earth label. Its competitor Unilever in December bought Dutch brand De Vegetarische Slager (the Vegetarian Butcher) to cement its presence in the expanding sector.

During the seminar in Bangkok, Chaowalit Yimprasert, executive sous chef with Unilever Food Solutions, presented several dishes that satisfy this growing trend. Among them were cauliflower chia crust pizza with a dough made of cauliflower, chia seeds, black pepper and a batter mix, as well as benedict with tofu and beetroot sauce, and cream of tomato soup with walnut pesto.

“I’m actually a non-meat eater and chickpeas are among my favourite foods. Trends let us know how the world is moving but more important is what you personally can do. Take the trends just an accessory that may integrate with your creation,” actor-turned-chef Phol Tantasathien told the seminar.

Serving food in a bowl rather than a plate gives off a homey feel.

Saying goodbye to plates and serving food in bowls takes account of those trends.

“The food bowl has been trending on social media since 2016. If you search Instagram with the hashtag #bowl, you will find over two million pictures along with 2.2 million pictures with the #acaibowl tag featuring fruit smoothie bowls topped with a variety of grains, fruits and superfoods.

“This trend soared after the wedding reception of Prince Harry and Megan Markel last year when guests enjoyed various options of canapes served in hand-sized bowls, allowing guests to stay standing and mingle while they ate,” Phanumas noted.

For those who want to join the bowl game, he suggested starting with preparing an American breakfast served in an attractive bowl.

“It gives a homey feeling and allows diners to customise their meals. Another benefit is the reduction in the quantity of tableware,” Phanumas added.

 Set in an enchanted forest ambience, the dimly lit, temporary Wang Hinghoi restaurant in Bangkok offers a multisensory experience by allowing diners to see the natural lights of hundreds of fireflies.

The multi-sensory experience is one of the key trends in drawing in customers. In Bangkok, Wang Hinghoi is an enchanted-forest restaurant featuring semi-enclosed rooms with ecosystems that allow hundreds of real fireflies to thrive. The restaurant will dim its lights at around 8 or 9pm, allowing guests to see them. Like the 18-month lifespan of the firefly, the temporary restaurant is designed to run for the same period and will close in September.

“The most avant-garde, multi-sensory restaurant is Ultraviolet by Paul Pairet in Shanghai that serves only 10 diners a night over a 20-course menu. The dining room which has a single table and bare white walls is transformed throughout the meal by lighting, projections, sounds, and scents and temperatures to create a unique culinary journey linked to the food at the table,” Chaowalit explained.

“Look no further than the comeback of the bubble tea craze in Thailand. A glass of brown sugar bubble tea topped with brown sugar sauce, bubble jelly and caramelised creme brulee can create a multi-sensory feeling too through different layers of textures and aromatic flavours. It is also pleasing to the eye and begs to be photographed though at about Bt150 a glass, it isn’t cheap,” Yod added.

 An afternoon tea set with flavoured or infused tea crafted with new textures and sensory experiences is also gaining in popularity. 

Tea is still trending and chef Chaowalit says that afternoon tea served with flavoured or infused leaves crafted with new texture and sensory experiences is increasing in popularity.

“Trends may call attention, but the most important factors are ‘tasty and value for money’. Achieve these and customers will keep on coming back,” Yod advised.

WITH THE numbers of individuals determined to take care of their health by working out and wanting to know just how well – or otherwise – they are doing in the fitness stakes, leading makers of wearables are constantly launching new devices to satisfy their demands.

One of the latest to hit the market is the Fitbit Inspire HR, a |fashionable fitness tracker with a heart rate-monitoring function that comes at an affordable price.

The Inspire HR is light, made from silicone and stylishly sleek. It is available in three colours – black, white and lilac – and comes with a back light for its Greyscale OLED touch display that matches the colour of the wristband.

You can further enhance its look with optional wristbands made of sophisticated metal mesh or premium Horween leather.

Inspire HR’s price is a little bit higher than the entry level Inspire but it has several more features including an embedded heart rate sensor.

It uses that sensor to provide guided breathing sessions to calm you down or reduce your tension. Data from the heart-rate sensor is also used by the Fitbit app to give you cardio fitness data aimed at improving your exercises.

To start using Inspire HR, you will need an account with Fitbit to store your lifetime fitness data on the cloud. The data is also compiled as weekly stats to encourage you to try to improve your fitness status.

Once you’ve set up your account, you download and install the Fitbit app and log on and use it to connect your smartphone to Inspire HR.

Once connected, the Inspire HR will let you stay connected on the go with updates from smartphone apps and calls, calendar, and text alerts when the phone is in within Bluetooth communication. You can also use the Fitbit app to customise which apps send alerts to the fitness tracker.

The Inspire HR is a very light and its ability to monitor heart rate around the clock basis is useful to maximise your exercise regime, see sleep states and better track calories burned.

The sensor will track your resting heart rate and inform you while app recognises your Fat Burn, Cardio and Peak heart rate zones and helps you optimise your workouts.

You can also use the Inspire HR and the Fitbit app to get your Cardio Fitness Score, which is a snapshot of how fit you are.

Navigating the tracker is intuitive and involves just the touchscreen and a sole button. You navigate by tapping the screen, swiping up and down or pressing the button.

Swipe down to scroll through the apps installed then open the app you want by tapping it.

Swipe up to see your daily stats, which include the number of steps you have taken, your current heart rate, the calories burned, the length of time you have been active, the distance you have walked and the number of paces you have managed of your 250-step hourly requirement.

To keep you active throughout the day, the Fitbit HR will remind you to move every hour from 9am to 5pm.

The tracker has more than 15 goal-based exercise modes, among them swimming, weights, workouts, elliptical, hiking, golf, climbing stairs, tennis, walking, yoga, circuit training, and kick boxing. Six modes are available on the fitness tracker and you use the app to customise which ones you want.

Some of the exercises can use the GPS of your smartphone to provide you real-time pace and distance.

The Fitbit HR also comes with SmartTrack function that automatically recognises workouts like walks, runs, swims, bike rides and more, then records them for you in the Fitbit app. You need to do each of these exercises for at least 15 minutes for SmartTrack to detect and record it.

The Inspire HR is also waterproof and you can use the Swim mode in the Exercise app to count the number of laps covered. Do remember to customise the length of the swimming pool so the Inspire HR can accurately record your swim.

The Inspire HR also has timers and a stopwatch and, for women, the HR can work with the Fitbit app to track cycle, record symptoms and more.

The Inspire HR has up to five days of battery. It takes about two hours to fully recharge it from zero per cent.

The tracker’s internal memory can store up to seven days of detailed motion data – minute by minute and heart rate data at 1-second intervals.

During the test, I found the Inspire HR very comfortable to wear because of its slim size and light weight. I didn’t feel uncomfortable where I wore it to bed either.

I tried using it to do a 10-kilometre walk in my neighbourhood and found that the accuracy of the map depends on the GPS of the connected smartphone. During the walk, Inspire HR tracked the elapsed time, the distance and the current pace. It alerted me every hour of my walk.

Fitbit Inspire HR retails for just Bt3,790 and it is available from Fitbit official store on Lazada.co.th.

Key specs:

Sensors: A MEMS 3axis accelerometer, which tracks motion patterns. Optical heartrate tracker

Wireless technology: Inspire HR contains a Bluetooth 4.0 radio transceiver.

Haptic feedback: Inspire HR contains a vibration motor for alarms, goals, notifications, and reminders.

Battery: Inspire HR contains a rechargeable lithiumpolymer battery.

Memory: Inspire HR stores your data, including daily stats, sleep information, and exercise history, for 7 days.

Display: Inspire HR has an OLED display.

Wristband size: Small: 140 mm  180 mm in circumference; Large: 180 mm  220 mm in circumference

Water resistance: Up to 50 metres

Maximum operating altitude: 8,534 metres

THE NEW TrueID TV box is an Android IPTV box that can turn your set into a smart TV, allowing you to play games, use apps and stream movies from TrueVisions and other content providers.

It’s pleasingly unobtrusive too, measuring just 115 x 115 x 22 millimetres (length x width x height). Running on the Android TV 8.0 operating system, it’s powered by an Amlogic S905X processor and it has 2 gigabytes of working memory and 8 GB of internal storage. Four GB of the storage is used for the OS and TrueID app platform, leaving some 4G space for other apps and content.

The box is capable of displaying 4K video and Full HD and HD videos at a resolution of 1080p and 720p. Its video decoder is capable of decoding MPEG-2, AVC/H264 and HEVC/H.265 video coding and, as an added bonus, it can also play music files in MP3, AAC, and WMA formats.

The box has an HDMI 2.0 port for connecting to your 4K or Full HD TV. To connect to your home theatre audio system, the Optical SPDIF digital output port.

The TrueID TV box also has two USB 2.0 ports for connecting to external hard drives or flash drives and a microSD slot for accessing files on a microSD card.

The box comes with a remote control that supports Google Assistant voice commands and in any case is pre-installed with the TrueID TV app so you don’t have to use the app on your smartphone and cast the app’s content to your TV using Google Chromecast. That said, it does have a built-in Chromecast so that you can stream content from other apps and providers to the box to be displayed on your large screen TV.

Once you have logged in to the TrueID TV app on the box, you will automatically get access to the TrueID Basic HD package that gives you access to 54 live TV channels including the digital terrestrial channels that are streamed via TrueVisions.

The free 54 channels include Reality Channel HD, True Select HD, Cartoon Club and M Channel.

Once you buy the box, you will get a code to activate free access to the TrueID Ultimate package for six months. After the six months, you can subscribe to the IPTV package for Bt199 a month.

The Ultimate package includes Paramount Channel and Lifetime and several sports channels, including NFL Network, NBA TV, True Sport 2, 5, 6 and 7 channels and Bein Sports 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6.

The TrueID app also allows you to watch new HD movies from six leading studios. Each account is entitled to watch five movies free a month after which you can pay to rent it. You can also use 59 True points to rent a movie. You will earn True points by using various True services, such as mobile phone and Internet access services.

The box comes with fast W-Fi connection to 802.11ac and a LAN port. True advises you to use the LAN cable connection for more stable streaming.

During the test, I found the box was very easy to set up. I tested it on TrueOnline’s True Super Fiber package of 50 Mbps download and 20 Mbps upload speed.

After turning the box on, the display instructed me to press and hold the OK button on the remote until the box went online. It then downloaded and upgraded its OS automatically.

Since it runs on Google’s Android TV OS, the box advises you to use the Google app on your Android smartphone to set it up. The setup was completed in a breeze and you can use the Android phone as remote control for the box.

After the setup was completed, I logged on to my TrueID account on the TrueID TV app and enjoyed streaming movies and Live TV channels from TrueVisions. The streaming was smooth and the movies looked sharp and beautiful.

You can also use the Play Store to download more games and apps to be used on the box. I tried downloading and using iflix app and the movies streamed via the app played smoothly.

You can also enjoy watching HD YouTube content on the box.

The TrueID TV box has a suggested retail price of Bt2,490. True customers can use 500 True points to get Bt500 discount and pay Bt1,990 for the box. If you subscribe to the convergence services of TrueOnline, TrueMove H and TrueID TV starting from Bt899 a month, you can get the box for free.

Key specs:

CPU : Amlogic S905X

ROM : eMMC 8GB

RAM : DDR 2GB

Resolution : 4K/2K 60fps, 1080p/i, 720p

USB Ports : 2x HiSpeed USB 2.0

Micro SD Card : up to 128GB

WiFi : Duo Band (2.4GHz/5GHz)

Bluetooth : v. 4.1

LAN Port : Yes

Dimensions: 11.5×11.5×2.22 cm

Weight: 610g

In the box: TrueID TV box, adapter, remote control, HDMI cable, LAN cable, user manual

The longstanding tradition brings together Americans, Thais and Bangkok residents of all nationalities.

There will be fireworks for the first time in many years and new additions including an expanded soccer tournament, a shopping alley, softball games and more game booths.

On the menu will be a wide range of Thai and American favourites, including barbecue, Tex-Mex and Greek-American cuisine, gourmet hot dogs and hamburgers, as well as Thai favourites, plus American craft beers.

Cactus Terrain, Dead Chillis, Ryan Holweger, Matthew Fischer & the Fishes and the Stumbling Swingout will play American rock, blues and folk throughout the day.

Football teams from the US, British and Australian embassies will meet for a friendly three-way tournament, after which a US Embassy representative will address the crowd, accompanied by the US Marine Corps Colour Guard, who will be presenting and posting the colours.

For children (and the young at heart), there will be tugowar, gunny sack races, an egg toss and a pie-eating contest. Kids can explore rides, go on a scavenger hunt and engage in crafts and make some slime.

Another highlight will be a raffle featuring prizes donated by airlines, hotels and restaurants, with all proceeds going to the Chamber Foundation’s scholarship programme, which last year funded 175 Thai university students.

More information and tickets are available through http://www.AmChamThailand.com/iday.

Shuttle buses will run between Bang Na BTS and the site from noon to 8.30pm. Free parking will be available at the school.

ChargeSpot – the shared power bank rental service from Japan and the world’s first transnational power bank sharing service provider – has expanded its reach with the recent launch of its service in Thailand. The perfect solution to local users and travellers who need to add some juice to their mobile phones and other electronic devices on the go, it allows users pick up a power bank at a ChargeSpot station and can return it at any station in the countries where it has a presence.

ChargeSpot currently has more than 5,000 power bank rental stations in Hong Kong in collaboration with 7-Eleven, Hong Kong Trade Development Council and New World First Ferry. There are over 17,000 stations at leading shopping malls and convenience stores in Japan, such as Lawson, Aeon Japan, and Shibuya 109, and more than 10,000 stations in Taiwan.

Here, the company has entered into partnerships with Siam Piwat, operator of Siam Paragon, Siam Center, Siam Discovery and Iconsiam, Kerry Express, Baiyoke Hotel Group and Vana Nava Water Jungle as well as Kasikorn Bank. By the end of 2019, the number of power bank rental stations in Bangkok should reach 5,000 and top 35,000 stations across Asia.

“Thailand – one of the top tourist global destinations – is a hub of internet connectivity, and also a centre of startup investment in Asean. ChargeSpot on-the-go power bank rental service has received an overwhelmingly positive response in Japan, Hong Kong and Taiwan, and we also expect the same in Thailand. ChargeSpot machines allow users, both locals and tourists, to be more carefree with their mobile phone’s battery. The advantage to this is, our users can rent in one country and return in another. This allows a level of freedom to travel and recharge no other service can currently provide,” chief executive Tomson Chiu said during the recent launch at Siam Paragon.

“Our aim is to become an icon of the innovative lifestyle and to help customers enjoy hassle-free shopping experience while remaining connected. OneSiam Group shopping malls that gives one hour of free use until June 27,” added Naratipe Ruttapradid, senior executive vice president of Siam Piwat’s operations.

“Kasikorn Bank is the leading digital banking platform, and has the largest volume of debit card and credit usage. We aim to enhance our services and online banking transaction to ensure maximum benefits for customers. Through our partnership with ChargeSpot, we believe we can accommodate our customers to process online payment via both Kasikorn Bank debit and credit cards efficiently. We have a special deal to get ChargeSpot at no cost for one hour for anyone using the deposit payment or topping up via Kasikorn Bank debit and credit cards on the ChargeSpot mobile application from today to August 31,” says Worasa Koravignarin, first vice president of the bank’s cards and personal loan product management department.

To make use of the service, download ChargeSpot mobile application or access it via WeChat or Line to search for the nearest ChargeSpot station. Then scan the QR code to simply rent the power bank. Rental stations are located in Siam Paragon, Siam Center, Siam Discovery, Iconsiam and all Baiyokegroup of hotels. The rental service rate starts at Bt15 per hour for the first 3 hours (flat rate) and comes at no additional charge for the first 24 hours. Additional fee for additional days is Bt30 per day.

However, users need to pay a deposit of Bt450, which will be returned to them when they return the power bank.

ChargeSpot power bank is available in a portable compact size at 7 x 1.5 x 14.5 centimetres with a capacity of 5000 mAh, and it is compatible with all Android and iOS smartphones with micro-USB, Type-C and Lightning charging port. The power bank is protected by 8 safety systems, namely output voltage protection, output current protection, heat control protection, overcharge Protection, energy release protection, short circuit protection, surge protection, and antiripple system.

To find out more about ChargeSpot, go to http://ChargeSpot.net.

I’m quite sure I’m not the only member of a dance audience who’s not really fond of dance gala programmes. Especially in classical ballet presentation, this usually means a mere showcase of dance skills and the focus is more on whether or not each individual principal dancer can perfect the familiar choreography, after having watched them in a few full-length ballets.

Although “Lin Hwaimin: A Retrospective” was billed as such, what the audience recently witnessed over two-and-a-half hours at the Esplanade—Theatres on the Bay as part of its year-round “da:ns series” was considerably different from any dance gala seen before. Instead, it offered a chance to watch excerpts of works we had not seen before and may not have an opportunity to see again. With 11 scenes of various lengths and subject matters from 10 works, the keenly curated programme showed the company’s development under the artistic leadership of dance master Lin, from when they first caught global attention in the 1990s to the international super-stardom status achieved this decade.

Chou Chang-ning in “Cursive”

The curtain raiser was a riveting solo by Chou Changning who’s been a Cloud Gate member since the 1990s and is now the company’s rehearsal director. Portraying Character Yong from “Cursive” (2001), her performance not only showed the interrelationship between the movements and the Chinese calligraphy but also the knowledge and skills she’s accumulated through the decades. Putting this with the fresh faces and young bodies of some dancers in the latter scenes like the finale from “Pine Smoke” (2003), the depth of this ensemble underlines the company’s promising future, even though the founder, master Lin, is stepping down later this year.

While romantic relationships and nature were effectively reflected and tastefully choreographed in duets like “Autumn Path” from “Bamboo Dream” (2001) and “Pollen” from “Rice” (2013), the dance theatre group piece “White Dress” from “Portrait of the Families” (1997) showed how a political crisis affected families, and was a special treat in this retrospective. Voiceovers narrating true accounts of the 228 massacre in 1947 and its aftermath, the English translation of which we read in the house programme book, accompanied the dance movements and touched the audience’s hearts. Another delight was the three Mandopop songs, including Jay Chou’s “The Unspeakable Secret”, the joviality of which caught the audience by surprise after the intermission, as excerpts from “How Can I Live On Without You?” not only gave an opportunity for the younger members of the company to show their characterisation skills, but also reflected Lin’s social commentary as he used crossgender casting to hilarious effect.

While applause after each scene was loud and long, a slight letdown was the fact that, being a gala programme of course, some technical effects could not be recreated exactly as in the original productions, such as in “Moon Water” (1998), one of the company’s most popular and critically acclaimed works, and “Wind Shadow” (2006). In these cases, some audience members probably had to recall the visual images from the original productions and use their imagination to add them to the dancers’ performance, which was otherwise as sublime as the original.

Chen Mu-han, Fan Chia-hsuan, Ko Wan-chun, Su I-ping, Chen Lien-wei, Hou Tang-Li, Lin Hsin-fang and Wong Lap-cheong in “Pine Smoke.”

At the theatre entrance, autographed posters of Cloud Gate’s and Cloud Gate 2’s productions seen there in the past 17 years were on show, further proving the bond between the Taiwanese company and the Singapore audience and why this retrospective was necessary. Meanwhile, it’s been almost a decade since the company performed “Moon Water” in Thailand. Isn’t it about time they came back?

Another Dance Titan

– Esplanade’s da:ns series continues with Paris Opera Ballet who will perform a contemporary programme including William Forsythe’s “Blake Works”, Jerome Robbins’ “In the Night” and Crystal Pite’s “The Seasons’ Canon” from June 21 to 23 at the Esplanade Theatre. Tickets are from SGD 60 (Bt1,380) to 180 (SGD 45 and 60 for students) at http://www.esplanade.com/dans. More info is also at Facebook.com/dansfestival.

– For more on Cloud Gate, visit http://www.CloudGate.org.tw.

The play, written especially in celebration of the 500th anniversary of the First Pact of Friendship and Trade between Portugal and Thailand, explores the theme of family, generation, and of course the famous Thong Yip, a recipe from the Portuguese legacy.

Pattarasuda Anuman Rajadhon directs a cast led by James Laver, Nalinee Sitasuwan, Pariya Wongrabieb and Nualpanod Nat Khianpukdee with a special guest, Dr Kevin Colleary.

Tickets cost Bt500 available at (052) 081 737, or (081) 852 1641 or by emailing info@maiiam.com. Students and MAIIAM members get in for free.

A call to the stage

Bangkok Community Theatre is inviting budding actors and actresses to take part in auditions for “Shipwrecked” this Saturday and Sunday at Bistro 33 on Sukhumvit Soi 33 from 1-5pm.

Actors must be aged 17+, any nationality and able to communicate in English. Performances will be staged the last weekend of September and the first weekend of October. Auditionees will be asked to try a couple of scenes with script in hand with a few other people.

Email shipwrecked.bct.2019@gmail.com for an audition application form, show information and audition scenes.

Beefed up for jazz

Tuck into a sizzling BBQ this weekend at Coast Beach Club & Bistro as the restaurant serves to two spectacular dinner buffets to make the Hua Hin International Jazz Festival 2019 taste even better.

Tomorrow night from 7, you can enjoy Reef & Beef buffet of appetisers, fresh fish, seafood and prime quality meats while on Saturday night, it’s time for Surf & Turf.

Both buffet dinners are priced at Bt1,200plus.  Book a table at (035) 512 021,

Japanese by design

Having finished its successful run in Bangkok, the “Japanese Design Today 100” exhibition moves up to Chiang Mai this weekend and will be show in the Northern city’s Thailand Creative & Design Centre branch from Saturday until June 30.

The exhibition features 100 finest examples of Japanese design with a focus on everyday products and combines superbly designed products of recent years with a group of classic and modern designs.

Find out more by calling (052) 080 500 extension 1 or visit Facebook.com/TCDCChiangMai.

All rapped out

DJ Bomber Selecta, the two-time Thailand National Red Bull 3Style Champion, will be supplying a history of hip hop and playing the biggest hits from Old School to Golden Age at a hiphop night, Urban Takeover, at Revolucion Cocktail Bangkok on Sathorn Soi 10 on June 20.

The event will be a warmup showcase of DJ DaddyRock and BBoy show by 360ARTz Entertainment.

Admission is free.