As police continue to investigate the cause of the woman’s death, citizens are debating the merits of the trade and some of those involved in it are sharing their life stories.

One pretty described her experience in the job as a “lesson in survival”.

A reporter for Bangkok Biz News Online has collected such revelations in a bid to explain why so many women want to work as a pretty, the main bait for which is promises of high wages.

The “Teambigkren” Facebook page says such freelance jobs in entertainment – known as N-jobs – come in several forms (see graphic).

High wages are indeed available, but there is also often risk to health and even life, such as when ill-intentioned individuals are prepared to drug a pretty to take advantage of her while she’s unconscious or semi-conscious.

Gamma-hydroxybutyric (GHB) is known in Thai as the “virginity-loss drug”. A stimulant, it increases alertness but also sexual libido. And it’s readily found in many pubs, whether in tablet, powder or liquid form. The clear liquid is the most possible because it’s easily mixed in a drink unnoticed.

One pretty interviewed for Bangkok Biz News said most people believe that the work, for which no college degree is required, pays Bt3,000 to Bt5,000 a night. But income is uneven and, far more importantly, your virginity and health are often at risk.

“You spent three to five hours mingling with people, drinking, mixing drinks and giving massages, so it’s important to know your limits, know how to refuse, don’t drink too much, don’t drink from the customer’s glass and don’t forget to stay in contact with your relatives,” she said.

“If possible, you should take friends with you and have someone ready to take you home.”

The production featured some of Disney’s favourite characters: Simba, Mufasa, Timon, Pumbaa, Zazu, Nala and a whole herd of fantastic animals. The Bangkok season of “The Lion King” will be the longest-ever run for an international musical in the city, which will be on stage until October 27.

The Michael Cassel Group, in association with Disney Theatrical Productions, is presenting the international tour in Thailand, with promotions by BEC-Tero Scenario. This tour is the 25th global production of Broadway’s most successful musical.

Praised for its exciting and inventive performance, The Lion King, is a worldwide phenomenon, while this production is the world’s first international tour. It premiered in Manila last year playing to sold-out houses and has now arrived in Thailand for the first time.

Brian L Marcar, the managing director of BEC-Tero Entertainment, said he believes the exceptional cast and crew drawn from all over the world delivers with their skill and artistry, their powerful singing, their elegant movements and stunning visuals, creating an unforgettable experience each night and touching the hearts of Thai people.

“It was simply magical,” said Takonkiet Viravan, the managing director of Scenario Ltd. “It has always been my dream to bring great Broadway musicals to Thailand. They had such a brilliant way of telling the story that it gave me goose bumps right from the opening scene. The sets and the costumes interlaced with puppetry unexpectedly took me right to the world of wildlife. It wasn’t just putting cartoon characters on stage, it was a combination of many things. Even though the characters were animals, they were full of human emotions. The music that was already great become legendary.”

The musical debuted in Minneapolis at The Orpheum Theatre in July 1997, after three years of developing “The Lion King” from screen to stage. Brilliantly re-imagined by acclaimed director Julie Taymor, Disney’s beloved film is transformed into a spectacular theatrical experience that will redefine your expectations of theatre, according to a Friday release. Audiences in Thailand will be treated to unbelievable performances by a truly global cast and crew, representing 19 nationalities, who have come together for the tour.

“This world-class production is awe-inspiring with incredible artists from around the globe. We are so excited to be bringing a musical of this magnitude to Thailand for the first time”, said Michael Cassel, the international tour’s producer.

The principal cast of The Lion King includes Ntsepa Pitjeng returning to the role of Rafiki, having performed it in the US, UK, China, Brazil and Switzerland productions. Straight from London is Jordan Shaw in the role of Simba, and Mthokozisi Emkay Khanyile playing Mufasa. Musical theatre performer Antony Lawrence from the UK plays Scar.

Australian actor André Jewson features as Zazu, while Nick Mercer plays Timon after having performed the role in the UK and Switzerland productions. South African favourite Pierre van Heerden returns as Pumbaa.

Some fun facts

* In the animated movie, Rafiki The Baboon was presented as a male character but the musical has transformed the character into a strong female;

* The phrase “Hakuna Matata” (meaning “No worries”) is mentioned 25 times in the show;

* Julie Taymor was the first female director in Broadway history to win the Tony Award for Best Director of a Musical (1998), which she did for “The Lion King”;

* “The Lion King” celebrated its 20th anniversary two years ago and is the third-longest running show on Broadway;

* To date, “The Lion King” has won more than 70 global theatrical awards;

* It took 34,000 hours of labour to build the masks and puppets for the original Broadway production;

* There are more than 200 puppets in the show, including rod, shadow and full-sized puppets;

-* The tallest animals in the show are 5.5 metres high – the two giraffes in the “I Just Can’t Wait to be King” scene;

* The elephant nicknamed Bertha by the backstage crew in 1997 is the largest and longest animal, measuring 4 metres in length and 3 metres wide.

* There are six indigenous African languages spoken in the show: Swahili, Zulu, Xhosa (the click language), Sotho, Tswana and Congolese;

* The Lion King has been translated into eight languages – Japanese, German, Korean, French, Dutch, Mandarin, Spanish and Portuguese.

* More than 100 million people have watched The Lion King worldwide.

Bangkok tickets for “The Lion King” live musical start at Bt1,500 and are now available at all Thai Ticket Major outlets and at www.thaiticketmajor.com.

In business for 7 years, her company, Mad Stash Co Ltd, has its roots in her new name, Stasha Dansithiteshodom.

The word Stasha means resurrection and according to those who know about such things, people with this name tend to be very active and love to try new things and take chances. Professionally, they can be successful as a public figure, in the media, or at developing new ideas for small businesses.

“It’s rather like being reborn,” Stasha says with a smile. “I found my lucky numbers through my name and it was approved by a well-known monk. Lucky numbers have reinforced my power. I also changed my family name and was pleasantly surprised when my parents said they liked it. That gave me confidence in myself and the new name has made me a lot stronger. I’m even invited to sing at several events every week.”

After leaving GMM Grammy, Stasha worked for a while as a coordinator for Sensation Thailand by Heineken, which was organised for the first time at Impact Arena in 2012, and later for a company that brought American media personality and fashion icon Paris Hilton to Thailand.

“The jobs were fun but I kept asking myself if I wouldn’t be better going it alone. And so I set my own company and team, and called it Mad Stash,” says the 38-year-old singer-turned-businesswoman.

Mad Stash Co Ltd was set up in 2013 as an organiser of new stylish fashion & music events for Bangkok’s entertainment business and to produce and manage professional international fashion models and DJs, both well-known and not so well-known, to perform Mad Stash-style.

Today, Mad Stash is recognised as a successful company that organises daytime entertainment – mainly pool parties – at 5-star hotels across Thailand.

“The first proposal I wrote was submitted to Sofitel So Bangkok and offered a stylish pool party that perfectly matched the hotel’s concept. In the beginning, the entrance fee to the party was Bt250 but now it has gone up to Bt600 because there are many more people interested in the parties but the hotel can’t support all of them.

“It’s an event that everyone can enjoy during the day – listening to music, dancing and chatting with friends from 1pm to 9pm. During the Songkran Festival, the pool party was packed with more than 1,500 people. We have created new themes for the pool parties and sometimes we invite an international DJ from Ultra Records. In addition to So Pool Party, we also organise the Westin Pool Party and Splash Pool Party,” says Stasha. “Mad Stash puts together rooftop events for the Marriott and Avani and also provides digital marketing – promoting the events through our social medial channels and our influencers and celebrities.”

More recently, Stasha formed another company, Innotra Co Ltd, which serves as the parent company of two brands – MadBike for motorbike rental and Scoota for electric scooter for rent. Scoota gets you wherever you need to go – whether you’re commuting to work, going to class, running errands or exploring the city. The electric scooter is fun, easy to ride and completely emission-free.

“The German ambassador to Thailand rides our electric scooter as part of his personal commitment to reducing greenhouse gases. We expect to have more than 500 stations for electric scooter rental at several hotels, restaurants and cafes around the country. Users can drop the electric scooter at another station. We just launched the application and Scoota won an award for the Global Expansion Track of the Dtac Accelerate Batch,” says Stasha proudly. “For MadBike, most of renters for motorcycle are expats and foreign tourists as well as some foreign CEOs.”

And Stasha says music is no longer her sole love. She’s passionate about her business too.

“If we are not passionate about what we do, we’ll never achieve success. The greatest goal is the pursuit of happiness – we are happy with what we manage and committed to making people happy,” she says.

This is quite a unique opportunity to delight in music and appreciate the talent of Heavenly Voice Singers from The College of Music, Mahidol University, in a very intimate setting, hearing and seeing musicians up close.

The performers of the night will be soprano Duangamorn Fu, who was awarded the second prize in Art Song category, and the Espoir prize in Vocal Opera course at the 19th Osaka International Music Competition; soprano Pariyachart Sittidamrongkarn, first-prize winner of the Settrade Music Competition Thailand; and soprano Lim Sin Mei, who was awarded second prize in the Beijing Municipal Government “China Cup” Vocal Competition in 2015.

As a special guest artist, soprano Pijarin Wiriyasakdakul, winner of several gold medals in Settrades Music Competition Thailand and who has competed internationally in Japan, France and Germany, will be participating in the concert, too.

These sopranos will be accompanied by the pianist Siri Sranoi, who has played in masterclasses with international pianists, such as Professor Istvan Bonyhadi, Professor Lambis Vassiliadis and Professor Rolf-Dieter Arens.

You can purchase tickets online, at the library, or reserve seats by calling 02-233-1731, or emailing info@neilsonhayslibrary.org

Please note that reserved seats should be paid for within 3 days after the booking, after that they will be released.

An Enchanted Classical Vocal Concert, No. 2″

by Heavenly Voice Singers

When: September 22, 6pm to 8pm

Where: Neilson Hays Library

Tickets: Bt450, Bt350 for library members, Bt100 for students

The aptly named “Lost Rock Songs” concert featured 23 singers including such familiar names as Nui Ampon, Billy Ogan, Maew Chirasak, Sukanya Miguel, Po Yokee Playboy, Poo Blackhead and Tai Thanawut, and was the 22nd edition of he Green Concert series organised by Atime Showbiz in cooperation with Green Wave FM106.5.

The concert, which was staged at the 5,000-seat Royal Paragon Hall on September 7 and 8, kicked off with all the singers except Nui performing “Chiwit Samphan” (“Connected Lives”), a Carabao hit that encourages wildlife and environment conservation and a fitting beginning for a show that the organisers say will support the purchase of patrol equipment for forest rangers. Billy then warmed up the audience with three of his hits from yesteryear — “La Ok” (“I Quit”), “Fung Wai Nai Puen Din” (“Burying My Past”) and “Ao Arai Ma Laek Ko Mai Yom” (“Won’t Swap You fir Anything”). Other singers took turns to entertain the audience with their hits, prompting fans in the packed hall to sing along and dance along happily to just about every number.

Despite the numbers of singers and songs performed — more than 50 altogether — the concert proceeded briskly and smoothly, thanks mainly to the quick changes by the singers between shows, with the performers often emerging on stage lifts immediately after the previous songs were completed. The concert on September 7 lasted a little over three hours, shorter than other local concerts despite the large number of songs performed. Music backup was provided by the Extra Band, with seven musicians and three chorus singers. The background screen remained dark and the singers dressed in black, presumably to underline the edgy rock vibe.

Dit Smile Buffalo was greeted with cheers from the audience as he performed “Dee Kern Pai” (“She Said I’m Too Good”) and was joined onstage by Pex Bluesky and More Kajay for “Fa Yung Fa Yoo” (“The Sky Is Still Blue”) — another Smile Buffalo hit number from the 1990s.

The ladies — Sukanya, In Budokan and Ie Phannee – joined up to perform five songs in a row that individually brought them fame, including “Kho Hai Muen Derm” (I Love the Way You Are) and “Rak Ther Jing Jing” (I Love You Really), with the owner of the hit singing the lead while the two others provided backup.

Bad boy rockers Kasab Jumpadib and Kajohnsak Rattananisai excited fans with their hits too, with Kasab singing “Mee Arai A-Plao” (“Have a Problem with Me?”) and Kajohnsak rocking on with “Krai Mai Kiao Ko Thoy Pai” (“Back Off If You Are Not Involved”) before joining up for “Ya Kid Mak” (“Don’t Think Too Much”).

Poo Blackhead wowed the audience with his powerful vocals on 1990’s hits “Hetpon” (“Reason”) and “Yuenyan” (“Confirmation”) while Nui Ampon, frontman of the legendary rock band Micro, took to the stage for what proved the highlight of show, performing six songs one in quick succession and drawing screams as well as loud applause.

And then it was time to say goodbye, with all 23 back on stage for a grand finale of “Nam Eoi Namjai” (“Generosity”).

And they are aiming to show Thais how they are going about it by focusing on these themes in this year’s Nordic Film Festival 2019.

The festival, which is being organised by the embassies of Denmark, Finland, Norway and Sweden, aims to show the Nordic bloc as a creative and innovative region while also increasing the demand for quality films.

“The Nordic countries aim to become carbon neutral and to demonstrate leadership in fighting against global warming. The heads of our states have worked together and made commitments in this regard. At the beginning of this year, we introduced carbon-neutral strategies. We really want to send a strong message of commitment to achieving sustainable future,” said Finnish ambassador Satu Suikkari-Kleven who was joined at the press conference for the festival by Danish ambassador Uffe Wolffhechel, Norwegian ambassador Kjersti Rodsmoen and Swedish ambassador Staffan Herrstrom.

“We aim for 70-per-cent gas reduction by 2030 compare to 1990s, which is overly ambitious. We don’t have the technologies yet to do it but we’ve made the pledge anyway, and are working hard on developing the technologies,” said Wolffhechel, while Rodsmoen added that Norway is now moving toward electric vehicles and has seen the market growing very fast over the past couple of years.

The film festival runs from September 27- 29 at Quartier CineArt on the fourth floor of EmQuartier and every effort is being made to make the logistics of the festival as environmentally friendly as possible.

Prior to the screening of all eight films, the viewers will see a thought-provoking Norwegian short called “A future you don’t want” about two teenagers stuck at home babysitting during a rainstorm in November 2050. The film is based on the climate report by Thomas Cottis, funded by the Research Council of Norway and produced by Snoball Film, directed by Marianne Kleven, and starring Thomas Hayes.

The movies selected for this year’s event come with English subtitles and include both adult and child-focused entertainment. Admission is free and reservation can be made at Quartier CineArt, half an hour before each screening. Tickets are made available on a first-come-first-served basis.

Sweden’s selection includes the biographical drama “Becoming Astrid” which is about the early life of the Swedish author Astrid Lindgren and the drama “Monky” , which is set partly place in Thailand and tells the story of Frank and his secret friendship with a mysterious gibbon. Both are directed by female filmmakers.

The two Norwegian films “What will people say” and “The Liverpool Goalie” are based on the values of love and life-changing events.This year Finland brings to the big screen an experimental documentary “My Stuff” which is a telling comment on consumerism and the value of material objects in the digital age, while contemplating what’s important in life. The drama “One Last Deal” tells a story of an elderly art dealer who hopes to make one last deal and prove his worth to his estranged family. Denmark’s “Darling” is a drama about a world-famous ballerina and a dramatic mid-career meltdown. “I am William” is a story about William who lives with his uncle Nils. The film is based on a book of Kim Fupz Aakeson.

The schedule is as follows

September 27

6pm – My Stuff, Finland

8pm – Darling, Denmark

September 28

3pm – I am William, Denmark

5pm – Monky, Sweden

7pm – What will people say, Norway

September 29

3pm – The Liverpool Goalie, Norway

5pm – One Last Deal, Finland

7.30pm – Becoming Astrid, Sweden

Hot favourites Got7 have been confirmed for the upcoming two-day “KCON 2019 Thailand” event and will be joining their compatriots Boy Story and others on the concert stage.

The event takes place on September 28-29 at Impact Arena and the Thai member of 2PM, Nichkhun Horvejkul, will be working as emcee.

Making their first visit to “KCON 2019 Thailand” is the six-member Boy Story, one of the youngest groups on the idol music scene. They and Got7 will join the star-studded line-up that features AB6IX, Ateez, Bvndit, Chung Ha, Everglow, (G)I-DLE, Golden Child, Itzy, IZ*ONE, Kim Jae Hwan, Nature, Oneus, Stray Kids, The Boyz and Verivery,

Day-1 Meet and Greet artists include ITZY, KIM JAE HWAN, ONEUS, and The Boyz, while Day-2 artists are AB6IX, ATEEZ, IZ*ONE and Stray Kids.

The concert on Saturday features Boy Story, Everglow, Golden Child, Got7, Itzy, Kim Jae Hwan, Nature, Oneus, and The Boyz with (G)I-DLE, AB6IX, Ateez, Bvndit, Chung Ha, IZ*ONE, Stray Kids, and Verivery taking the stage on Sunday.

KCON is the world’s largest K-Culture convention dedicated to every aspect of Korean pop culture (hallyu). The convention and concert franchise launched in 2012, and has grown each year attracting over 966,000 attendees around the world. KCON is now an established annual celebration for fans of Korean music, food, beauty, fashion, drama and more, providing the largest forum for fans to directly connect with each other, as well as with artists and professionals from across the Korean entertainment industry. Since its inception, the brand has expanded internationally, with KCON festivals now taking place in Los Angeles, New York, Tokyo, Abu Dhabi, Paris, Mexico City and Sydney..

Tickets for the concerts are through ThaiTicketMajor outlets and online at www.thaiticketmajor.com as well as by calling (02) 262-3838. Follow @KCONThailand on Twitter.

The Thailand Philharmonic Orchestra will perform Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone in Concert as the entire film is simultaneously projected on a 12-metre screen on November 23 and 24 as part of the Harry Potter Film Concert Series, Alcopop Group said on Monday.

After the announcement from CineConcerts and Warner Bros in 2016 of the Harry Potter Film Concert Series, a global concert tour celebrating the Harry Potter films, over 1.3 million fans have enjoyed this magical experience from JK Rowling’s Wizarding World, which is scheduled across more than 48 countries through 2019.

“The Harry Potter film series is a once-in-a-lifetime cultural phenomenon that continues to delight millions of fans around the world,” CineConcerts president Justin Freer said. “It is with great pleasure that we bring fans for the first time ever an opportunity to experience the award-winning music scores played live by a symphony orchestra, all while the beloved film is simultaneously projected onto the big screen. This is truly an unforgettable event.”

Tickets go on presale on September 20 and on public sale the next day. Visit http://www.thaiticketmajor.com/concert/harry-potter-2019.

The All New Jay Chou Concert World Tour will be held at the Bukit Jalil National Stadium on Feb 29 next year.

Tickets went on sale on Saturday morning at a mall in Kuala Lumpur.

A female fan started the ball rolling when she went to the mall last Tuesday afternoon and became the first in line.

By 3pm, other fans also started lining up and some of them even brought their sleeping bags and stools.

The concert organiser said only 30,000 tickets were available.

The Danish pop band is known for its beautiful melodies, accompanied by the sound of piano, good musical arrangements, and their distinct ability to capture a full range of emotions in the song “7 Years”. That number was a phenomenal hit when released in 2015, reaching No 1 on the UK singles Chart and No 2 on the US Billboard Hot 100 and Adult Contemporary charts. It also peaked at the No 1 Adult Top 40 and Mainstream Top 40 at Billboard.

By the end of 2016, “7 Years” had sold 10.4 million units around the globe making it to the 7th best-selling song of the year, and the video will soon reach 900 million views on YouTube.

In addition, “7 Years” was nominated for three Grammy Awards – Record of the Year, Song of the Year and Best Pop Duo/Group Performance. This accomplishment, perhaps guaranteed by its many prizes and awards, reflects the quality of the song which was admired widely and popular internationally.

Moreover, there were lots of hit songs that won Thais over, including “Love Someone”, a pure and sentimental love song featuring the warm and friendly, simple yet sincere lyrics which touched people’s emotions and gained more than 200 million views on YouTube.

Other songs likely to be particularly entertaining at a live venue include “Mama Said”, “You’re Not There” and “Drunk in The Morning”.

The Bangkok concert is the band’s first-time full-scale show within Asean. Tickets prices for “Singha Corporation Presents Lukas Graham Live in Bangkok 2019” are Bt2,500 and Bt2,000, with limited early-bird tickets available at Bt2,300 and Bt1,800 (on sale from August 30 to September 6).

Tickets will only go on e-Ticket sale via The Concert Application. The app can be downloaded through https://www.theconcert.co.th/n/64.