TMBThanachart hikes loan interest rate but GHB maintains status quo
THURSDAY, DECEMBER 08, 2022
TMBThanachart Bank (TTB) on Thursday raised its lending rates following the central bank’s move to hike the key policy rate.
Piti Tantakasem, chief executive officer of TTB, said his bank had to raise the interest rate after the policy rate was increased for the third time this year.
On November 30, the Bank of Thailand’s Monetary Policy Committee voted unanimously to raise the policy interest rate by 25 basis points to 1.25% to control inflation.
Piti said TTB raised its MRR (minimum retail rate) for retail customers by 0.20 percentage point to 6.68% per annum while the MLR (minimum loan rate) for big clients was raised by 0.25 percentage point to 6.625% per annum.
He said the MOR (minimum overdraft rate) was raised by 0.25 percentage point to 6.65% per annum.
The increase takes immediate effect.
Meanwhile, Government Housing Bank president Chatchai Sirilai said the bank would maintain the current lending rates until the end of January before raising them in accordance with the new policy rate.
He said the GHB decided to maintain the current loan rates to minimise impact on its clients.
But the GHB has decided to increase its deposit rates for fixed accounts and deposit drafts with two-year, three-year, and five-year terms by 0.10 to 0.50 percentage point per annum from 1.1% per annum.
The increase will take effect on Friday, he said.
On Wednesday, Siam Commercial Bank (SCB) had raised its interest rates for both deposits and loans, the first bank to do so following the Bank of Thailand’s latest policy rate hike.
The baht opened at 34.88 to the US dollar on Thursday, strengthening from Wednesday’s close of 35.08.
The currency will likely move between 34.80 and 35.00 against the greenback during the day, Krungthai market strategist Poon Panichpibool said.
Poon said that the baht strengthened quickly last night after the dollar weakened and the gold price increased.
However, he cautioned the baht could weaken, especially if the latest US producer price index slows less than expected and triggers market concern over another possible rate hike by the US Federal Reserve.
The market is also in a risk-off state amid the global economic slowdown, which may trigger foreign fund outflows from the Thai stock market, Poon said.
However, he viewed that the baht will not weaken much and projected its key resistance level at 35.20, supported by foreign investors who are still buying Thai short-term and long-term bonds.
He forecast exporters would wait until the baht dropped close to its resistance level before selling dollars.
He also advised investors to use hedging tools such as options to manage risks in a highly volatile currency market.
Blue by Alain Ducasse celebrates third anniversary and third consecutive Michelin star in style with presence of the legend “Alain Ducasse”
WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 07, 2022
It was double celebration for Blue by Alain Ducasse. Renowned for its culinary finesse, award-winning dining room and iconic river views, the contemporary French restaurant by the legendary mentor chef celebrated its third anniversary and followed it up by receiving its 3rd consecutive one-star rating in the Michelin Guide Thailand 2023 edition.
Located in ICONLUXE, ICONSIAM, on the banks of the historic Chao Phraya River, Blue is the first restaurant in Thailand by the legendary Alain Ducasse. The award-winning restaurant showcases ICONSIAM’s core value of creating a synergy between the best of Thailand and the best of the world.
On Wednesday, 23 November, Blue celebrated its third year in business. The invite-only gala party was attended by the city’s high society, media, and Alain Ducasse, who flew in for the event. “A Touch of Blue” was the evening’s theme. The path to the restaurant was dressed in the signature blue, and stilt walkers welcomed the over 700 guests, who added glamour to the festivities with their fashion-forward outfits in various shades of blue. Invitees sipped the exclusive Champagne Alain Ducasse as well as one of the legend’s favourite drinks – AD Negroni (Negroni with Champagne). They also enjoyed a fantastic selection of delectable canapes served by Executive Chef Wilfrid Hocquet, in addition to an oyster bar and caviar station. There was plenty of entertainment throughout the evening, including a mini concert by superstars PP and Bilkin.
The celebrations continued the next day, Thursday, 24 November, at the Michelin Guide Thailand 2023 star revelation ceremony held in The Athenee Hotel Bangkok. Blue by Alain Ducasse retained its star for the 3rd consecutive year, underlining the restaurant’s extraordinary multi-sensory journey of French cuisine rooted in a culinary vision of tradition and modernity, complemented by warm, friendly service and an exceptional wine cellar.
Bangkok foodies were in for an exclusive treat on Friday, 25 November, when the mentor and mentee curated a special four-hands lunch and dinner. The six-course menu included the rare opportunity for a meet-and-greet session with the culinary legend. The meal featured Chef Ducasse’s signature cookpot of Brittany Blue Lobster and Poulette de Bresse with white truffle from Alba and Albufera sauce. It also included Chef Wilfrid’s creation of Alaskan King Crab with gold caviar and Pigeon Pithiviers a la Monegasque.
This year has been a good year for Blue by Alain Ducasse. Earlier in January 2022, it was awarded the prestigious Le French Design 100 by Emmanuel Macron, President of the French Republic. Le French Design 100 is the only design prize in France that honours the international actions of its designers for their design projects around the world. In addition, in March, the restaurant was ranked No. 25 on Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants 2022, sponsored by San Pellegrino & Acqua Panna.
Champagne sailing conditions greet sailors on second day of Phuket King’s Cup
WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 07, 2022
Blue skies, warm water and nice breeze greeted sailors today as they gathered off of Cape Promthep to compete in the second day of sailing at the 34th Phuket King’s Cup Regatta.
While the International Dinghy Classes finished four days or racing today, it was the second day of racing for the keelboats and multihulls. Race Officer Simon James sent the IRC Zero, and IRC One classes on a windward-leeward for their first race and a coastal race for their second while sending the IRC Premier Cruising, Charter Cruising and the Multihull classes off on a separate passage race.
The two TP52s (Team Hollywood and THA 72) are staging their own mini-Super Series in this regatta as Ray Roberts’ boat sailed to two victories today giving it five points and a one-point lead over Kevin Whitcraft’s THA 72 going into race day three. Windsikher managed a second in the first race but trails the TP52s with eleven points overall. Sarab Singh and Nick Burns’ crew seem to be feeling the effects of victory euphoria as they won and dominated the Raja Muda Selangor International Regatta just over a week ago.
The IRC One class had Garry Holt’s Let’s Get It On and Kazuki Kihara’s Char Chan flip flop first and second place in the two races the class sailed today. As such Let’s Get It On and Craig Douglas’ Ramrod sit tied at the top of the leader board with eight points with Char Chan trailing by a point. Morten Jakobsen’s smallish VXOne Hanuman XXXIX is holding its own against the bigger boats and sits in fourth spot with 10 points. Fifth place belongs to Matti Sepp’s Judy (19pts) with Craig Nichols Alright in last spot (25pts) as they did not finish the first race of the day.
The Thai vessel Pine Pacific expertly skipped by Ithinai Yingsiri won the Premier Cruising class narrowly beating Peter Cremers Shatoosh by less than two minutes on corrected time with Simon Piff’s Firstlight coming in 45 minutes later on corrected time. Pine Pacific and Shatoosh are tied for the lead in this class with three points followed by Firstlight with seven. Firstlight along with Ramrod and Windshihker made the trip up from Langkawi to compete in this regatta after recently sailing in Malaysia’s Raja Muda regatta, which is annually held two weeks before the Phuket King’s Cup.
The Charter Cruising Class saw a repeat placing of day one with Torben Kristensen’s Kinnon winning the race and leading the class with two points. Jakod Handte’s Fei Jian was second and remains in second overall with four points. Masami Yamashita’s Sunsail Inlova was third and stays in third with six points.
The Multihull OMR class saw Hermann Schwarz’ 2Fast4you win again beating Hang Chen’s ZOE by close to six minutes on corrected time, so 2Fast4you leads the class by two points.
A veteran of many King’s Cup campaigns, Sydney-based Craig Douglas, the co-owner of Ramrod, a Farr 40, reflects on what sets the Phuket King’s Cup apart from other sailing competitions: “It’s a fantastic event and very competitive. All the other regattas are like a rally: people are there for the journey, hotels and the food. But at King’s Cup, the sailors really thrash it out and take it to the next level. It’s a badge of honour to win it.
“The regatta is also very challenging: you can’t come into it in cruising mode because the handicap and the IRC rating will get you. If you are having a bad day, it’s not forgiving, you are either on good pace, or you will get punished. You need to race with a good and experienced crew.
“And the conditions: you usually get good wind, and if get splashed by water, it’s 25-28 degrees. If it rains, the rain is warm and you dry quickly. Once you hit the shore, you walk fifty metres up the beach to your hotel and you are surrounded by great food and people. Not many places can say that, it’s a great formula.”
Craig’s co-owner Gordon Ketelby owns another Farr 40 called Zen, which he keeps at the Middle Harbour Yacht Club in Sydney. The idea being to seamlessly swap sails, parts and crew between the two and it’s worked.
The International Dinghy Classes (Optimist Boys, Optimist Girls, Open ILCA4, ILCA6, ILCA 7, 420, 470, Skiff Boat and Open Skiff) finished racing today as 182 dinghies from Thailand, United Kingdom, Singapore, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia and China saw action with an awards ceremony taking place at the north end of Kata Beach in the evening.
Thais did very well in the dinghy competitions as Chanatip Tongglum won the Optimist Boys and Prin Subying won the Optimist Girls class. In the Skiff Boat class Narisara Satta and Nichapa Waiwai of Thailand lead the pack. The Open ILCA4 was won by Kenan Tan of Singapore with fellow countrymen Khoo Zachary taking the Open ILCA6 division. The Open ILCA 7 saw Thai national Prakasit Hongpradab win with fellow Thais Paliga Poonpat and Chakkaphat Wiriyakitti winning the 420 class. The 470 class was captured by Navee Thamsoontorn and Panida Suksomporn of Thailand and the Open Skiff championship went to Anandi Chandavarkar of Indonesia.
The return of the King’s Cup has been a breath of fresh ocean air to the Kata Beach business community who perennially depend on Thai and foreign sailors to boost the local economy every December. But it’s been three long years since that happened so hotels, restaurants and shop owners are ecstatic to see sailors of Asia’s most prestigious regatta roaming the streets and cruising the waterways again.
Keelboats and multihulls spread over five classes are competing in the Asia’s longest-running and most prestigious regatta, held over five days racing through scenic courses amidst the beautiful Andaman Sea islands.
The Royal Awards Ceremony will be on December 10, 2022, at Beyond Resort Kata, Kata Beach, Phuket.
Sponsors of the Phuket King’s Cup Regatta include Kata Group, RMA Group, Haad Thip Pcl. and Workforce International.
8 best SEO agencies in Thailand with the best result and ROI
WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 07, 2022
These days, SEO is one of the most popular online marketing practices that many marketers are interested in. SEO especially helps increase higher ranking rates organically and that is the most effective way that drives traffic into websites.
There is a saying that SEO is not too hard to understand from a scratch of knowledge, but there is a lot more to practice and to develop during each and every milestone of SEO in the making. Therefore, business owners and many marketers should be looking for the Best SEO Agency Bangkok to help the website and business grow to the fullest.
What is SEO?
SEO is short for Search Engine Optimization. It means any practice and process that you do to improve your website to be compatible for search engines such as Google, Bing, etc. and most importantly, for users’ experience. One more thing not to be missed, SEO is a non-paid practice!
The practice includes the big picture of what is called SEO Soup – which are great contents, technical stuff and quality link building (internal and external). However, there is a lot more to learn and apply for.
What is the goal of SEO?
The goal of SEO is to make your website visible and easily accessible to users from the search result page. To be honest, everyone that is evolved with SEO, a hundred percent, would want to have their website rank in the first position. According to the report from SmartInsight dated August 29, 2022, any contents with the first place ranking probably earn, on average, 39.6% of traffic while the second and third come up with only 18.4% and 10.1%. That means the rest have to share less than 32% of traffic! The number can be different across industries, but what a surprising fact!
Advantages of SEO for Business
When your website is shown on a higher rank of the search result page, especially on the first page, it will gradually open many doors of opportunity to your website and business.
● Save Cost
SEO not only helps your website invisible to users, but it also helps growing business while shrinking costs. When it comes to SEO, it is all about organic practices and organic results. It helps your website rank on top of the page without bidding for position. Money is saved!
● Form Brand Awareness
SEO opens your business door to your customers directly without forcing them. SEO aims to spread knowledge and information as much as possible across your customers’ curiosities, pain points and queries.
● Create a Competitive Advantage for You Business
SEO benefits your website and business more and more, compared to others in the market. When your SEO is on fire, in other words – your website is showing on top of the page non-paid, it gives more credibility to your brand. Most users tend to trust the first one that ranks more than any other.
● Open More Windows of Opportunity
SEO creates more opportunities and leads more sales to your business. According to the benefits above, SEO helps create brand awareness that leads to trustworthiness and eventually, what else if not sales!
● Reach More Customers
SEO helps spread your brand through any areas of your customers as mentioned above. Together with carefully crafted contents, SEO easily catches the attention of prospective and existing customers and converts them into real customers, and soon or later.
The 5 Problems In-House SEO Faces
As stated, SEO is not hard to learn but in the making it can be problematic if not in the right hands of experts like the best SEO agencies (listed below) who spend days and nights resolving various issues. Because to build credibility to your brand, maximize your website’s potential and cope with the change of algorithm updates takes a lot of effort and requires a lot of experience, if not, there are the problems you may face as in-house.
1. A Problem with Website’s Structure
Note that a website’s structure is one of the most crucial parts because it is a core you use to organize your website. It involves the url structure, paths, categories and many more that you want them to be on your website, first to serve the business purpose, then the search engine preference and last but not least, customers’ journey. Messing up with your website’s structure with the lack of experience can affect ranking badly.
2. No Specialists to Handle the Works
A lot of in-houses may have their works flooded over their desks and SEO is a work that needs time and details. It may be a burden to your team to create meaningful and in-detailed contents with beautiful images and helpful videos altogether. The result is predictable, low quality contents that decrease the reliability of your website and brand.
3. Waste of (Team’s) Energy, Time and Money
It is true that SEO is an organic practice that results in an organic performance (non-paid result) but in the process, it requires many specialists to do their own jobs – basically, writer specialists, seo specialists, technical specialists, website developers, graphic designers for example. Not to mention SEO tools where some are free but some are not, under various conditions.
4. Take a Lot of Time
It is no mistake when most SEO experts say, SEO is about time. More than the effort to spend, there is quite a big gap of time when you need to wait until you see the result. Because competing in the SEO field, you need to compete with at least 90 websites or maybe webpages to appear on the first page with no guarantee! But with experts from the Best SEO Agencies, it might take less!
5. It Is a Basic Requirement to Catch Up with Changes, All the Time!
SEO is in an area of digital marketing practice which, of course, can be changed overnight! In-houses may not have time to learn and catch up with tons of changes and that will definitely affect your performance badly. You will never know when you violate the rules if you can’t keep up with SEO news.
Benefits of Hiring an SEO Agency
From every issue in-houses face in every area of business, hiring the best SEO agency seems to be a very interesting choice. SEO agencies not only have enough manpower and useful tools, but they also tend to solve every problem in no time according to their experiences and practices.
Here are the reasons you need to go through whether or not to hire an SEO agency.
• Get the Job Done by Experts
The best SEO agencies mostly have their teams for a complete-loop job awaiting for your business. Having experts do their work together with you in-houses who know well about your business would make it a plus!
• Cut the Losses!
Hiring an SEO agency helps you cut unnecessary expenses such as hiring too many copywriters or even wasting your money on a bunch of tools, so that you can focus on other parts effectively.
• Increase Business Growth
A team of experts can easily help you and your business achieve your goals faster since their job is to beat the time. Therefore, all your concerns and needs can be accomplished earlier so your business’ growth can be a lot better.
• Performance Guaranteed
Working with an SEO Agency, all the performances are guaranteed and can be tracked, so you will never miss the reports of growth. Moreover, you can get free consultation from experts to make your business go the right way.
• Help is at Your Reach
Just at your reach, the specialists of all teams are willing to help you and your business. SEO agencies will monitor every change made by search engines and transform your website into the same direction, so that your business can get more chances of sales and growth.
8 Best SEO Agencies That Can Drive Your Business into the 1st Place on Google
To accomplish business goals and climb to the top of the market, SEO is the outstanding key to success. Here, we gather all of the best SEO agencies in Bangkok, Thailand who help spread the wings of business opportunities for many companies. What’s more? Let’s take a look.
1. Minimice Group
Minimice Group is 1 out of 8 agencies we recommend as the Best SEO Agency. There, they gather the best of experts in the SEO field in order to help each and every client’s business grow sustainably. You will get an insight consultant from the very first step onward. To make your business grow seamlessly, Minimice Group offers a full service – building websites from scratch to producing high quality contents for your Ads and SEO. Guaranteed and trusted by leading companies.
As one of the best SEO agencies, Minimice Group strives to help their customers cope with digital transformation challenges better by working closely with them and prioritizes the core value of an outstanding campaign comes from building your brand and increasing leads and revenue to achieve goals.
For more information and details, please contact via Address : 63 Pridi Banomyong 14 Alley, Phra Khanong Nuea, Watthana, Bangkok 10110 Call : 02-258-5515, 065-426-6499 LINE : @Minimicegroup Facebook : Minimice Group
2. Elevate
Elevate is one of the leading agencies with expertise in areas of SEO, marketing, and online marketing such as branding and revamping e-commerce business plans aligned with the current market trends. Elevate can help you and your business with brand awareness via potential tools and SEO, to help your business reach its audience better.
For more information and details, please contact via Address : 17 On Nut Soi 37, On Nut Road, Suan Luang, Bangkok 10250 Call : 02-002-6177 LINE : – Facebook : Elevate Co., Ltd.
3. CMYKSEO Agency
CMYKSEO Agency is an SEO agency that gives you and your business a transparent consultant from Keyword Research, to help your brand attribute quality contents to the market and reach your potential customers, until the end of the process to help your business achieve its goal.
For more information and details, please contact via Address : O.P. Garden Mall, Soi Charoen Krung 36, Charoen Krung Road, Bangrak, Bangkok 10500 (BY APPOINTMENT ONLY) Call : 08-7802-6408, 09-8268-4865 LINE : – Facebook : –
4. Ariomarketing
Ariomarketing is one of the best seo agencies in Bangkok, Thailand with more than 10 years of experience. With a team of experts, you can relax and still have your business run on the right track towards achievement.
For more information and details, please contact via Address : Likid Building, Room 6/2, Floor 6th, Lat Phrao Soi 23, Chan Kasem, Chatuchak, Bangkok 10900 Call : 02-026-3302 LINE : @ArioMarketing Facebook : ArioMarketing
5. Convertdigital
Convert Digital is a leading agency that specializes in keyword analysis and technical SEO to optimize your website to the fullest potential.
For more information and details, please contact via Address : 20/247 Grand Canal Prachachun Rd. Pakkred district, Nonthaburi, Thailand, 11120 Call : 08-6888-6689 LINE : – Facebook : Convert Digital
6. CSME Thailand
CSME Thailand is a potential SEO agency that comes with various services concerning SEO, backlinks, Social Media Ads etc. At CSME, you’ll get an absolute consultant to help your business reach its potential customers and lead more sales.
For more information and details, please contact via Address : 567 Soi Pratcha Songkhro 2, Asoke – Dindaeng Rd, Din Dang, Bangkok 10400 Call : 02-107-2505 LINE : – Facebook : CSME Marketing
7. Yesweb
Yesweb is another leading SEO Agency to be looking forward to. More than SEO services, they also offer many other services that answer every need such as basic online marketing – branding and design, to advance the level of SEO to help your business beat other competitors.
For more information and details, please contact via Address : 17th Floor, Wittayakit Building, Phayathai Rd, Wang Mai, Pathum Wan, Bangkok 10330 Call : 096-879-5445 LINE : – Facebook : Yes Web Design Studio I Web Design Company Bangkok
8. SEO Bangkok Here comes to the last but not least, SEO Bangkok. The leading agency comes with a full team of experts who will help you in every step of the making and help your business be on top of the market.
For more information and details, please contact via Address : The Prime, Khlong Toei Nuea, Watthana, Bangkok 10110, Thailand Call : 080-211-8767 LINE : – Facebook : SEO Bangkok
Here is the list of the Best SEO Agencies we recommend. If there is a website for your business and you want to grow it to attract more potential customers, don’t forget to connect your brand with these specialists. The goal is not too far, and the way to it can be a lot more efficient with the Best SEO Agency.
Thanks to its size, Koh Chang boasts of many unspoilt beaches, waterfalls and diving spots. There is also plenty of hiking terrain thanks to forested hills and cliffs.
Its most popular beaches are White Sand, Klong Prao, Kai Bae and Lonely Beach. Visitors also like checking out the Khlong Phlu and Than Mayom waterfalls as well as the Ban Salak Khok community.
The island also has many activities to offer including elephant rides, sailing and diving.
We advise travellers to stay overnight because the island is large and it will take more than just a day to explore. There are plenty of hotels to hang your hat with prices ranging between a few hundred to several thousand baht.
Koh Mak
This starfish-shaped island lies between Koh Chang and Koh Kood and boasts of sparkling beaches and crystal-clear waters.
Tourists can go snorkelling or jump in a canoe to go island hopping.
The less adventurous can pose for stunning photos at the Cinnamon Scenic Boardwalk that is part of the Cinnamon Art Resort and Spa or enjoy a cocktail at Koh Mak Cococape Resort.
Tourists can also check out Suan Yai Bay, Blue Pearl Bar, Laem Tukata, Laem Son and Ao Kao Beach.
There are plenty of hotels offering rooms at a variety of prices.
Koh Kradat
Designated as an “Unseen Thailand” location, this island lies to the northeast of Koh Mak.
It has a flat “paper-like” topography with Alocasia – kradat in Thai – trees growing wild, hence the name.
The 1,200-rai (192-hectare) island is covered in lush green grassland, perfect for the resident deer, while along its edge it has a long, white sandy beach with beautiful coral reefs.
This is the only island in Thailand that is privately owned and to visit, tourists will have to buy a package tour offered by Koh Kradat Resort.
Call (089) 099 7919 for more information.
Koh Kood (Ko Kut)
Despite being Thailand’s fourth-largest island, Koh Kood has remained an unspoilt haven of crystal clear waters, sparkling beaches, colourful coral and waterfalls.
There are several resorts on the island and the main activities other than relaxation are walking, canoeing or diving. Tourists can check out the Ao Salat or Klong Mard sea gypsy villages.
Tourists can also check out the Khlong Chao, Khlong Yai Kee and Huang Nam Kaew waterfalls, or sunbathe on Khlong Chao, Ao Takhian, Ao Tapao and Ao Phrao beaches to name a few.
There are plenty of resorts and mid-range hotels on the island for different budgets.
Black Sand Beach
Located in Trat’s Laem Ngop district, this unusual beach is one of only a handful in the world and is protected under Thailand’s natural destinations development project.
Locals believe that black sand is filled with beneficial minerals and wallowing in it will help improve your health.
Apart from the unusual beach, visitors can check out the Laem Ngop lighthouse and stop to admire a stunning sunset over the Gulf of Thailand.
Trat is earning a name for itself as a responsible tourism destination as travellers become aware of community-based tourism initiatives. Among these are the Ban Nam Chieo fishing village, where Buddhists and Muslims live and work in harmony.
Apart from enjoying peaceful surroundings, visitors can try a “chicken-coop spa” massage at the Ban Chang Thun eco-village – a strangely therapeutic therapy that can offer a perfect end to your vacation.
Why tourists are still burning 1 million baht for a couple of nights on Koh Kut
WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 07, 2022
A fire at one of Thailand’s most exclusive island resorts has failed to dent its popularity among ultra-rich Thai and foreign tourists.
Eight months later, Soneva Kiri is operating normally with activities and restaurants at full capacity.
The fire at the resort – where a night’s stay can cost 500,000 baht (over US$14,200) – is still reportedly under investigation by authorities.
The Nation takes a closer look at how this luxury phoenix emerged untouched from the flames.
What’s so special?
Soneva Kiri’ overlooks a pristine beach on Thailand’s fourth largest island. Koh Kut is sparsely populated and renowned for the untouched beauty of its natural surroundings.
Guests are flown by private plane from Suvarnabhumi Airport to the airstrip on Koh Mai Si before taking a 10-minute boat trip to the resort.
Awaiting them after check-in is exclusive luxury coupled with environmental sustainability and top-notch cuisine. The six-star luxury resort sits amid 150 rai (24 hectares) of lush jungle looking out over white sands and turquoise waters.
Soneva Kiri is owned by Indian-British hotelier Sonu Shivdasani, who has used the same eco-friendly luxury formula for his two other resorts in the Maldives.
The Koh Kut branch has 33 pool villas (34 before the fire) with between one and six bedrooms. The resort is constructed entirely from wood.
Choose a villa
Prices range from an eye-watering 40,000 baht ($1,140 dollars) per night to a whopping 500,000 baht for the most expensive villa.
If that’s within your price range, the next step is to choose your preferred type:
1. Bayview Pool Villa
Bayview Pool Villa Suites come in three sizes. The one-bedroom suite has room for three adults and two children in its spacious 464 square metres. Amenities include a dressing room, outdoor bathroom, dining table, sun loungers and a private pool.
Not big enough? A four-bedroom Bayview Villa (1,211sqm) will fit 12 guests while the five-bed version (1,845sqm) has room for 14.
2. Beach Pool Villa
Prefer a pad by ocean? The Beach Pool Villa comes with one, two, three or five bedrooms to accommodate anything from a small party of four guests to a crowd of 14.
3. The Sunset Ocean View Villa
Further up the hill are the Sunset Ocean View Villas, available in four sizes from a one-bedroom family unit to the five-bedroom party mansion.
Need an even bigger place? You’re out of luck – the six-bedroom Sunset Ocean View Villa was the one that burnt to the ground in March.
Let’s talk money
Super-rich tourists on a tight budget can choose the cheapest room: the Bayview Pool Villa Suite for 2-3 adults comes with a king-size bed (or two twin beds) for around 40,000 baht ($1,140).
Before March, you could have grabbed the top-price Sunset Ocean View Pool Reserve Villa for a bargain 500,000 baht per night (it was 800,000 baht before Covid-19). It boasted 2,928sqm with six bedrooms on two floors. The lower floor housed a pool, dining room, wine cellar, gym, bedrooms, and dressing room. The upper floor featured the master bedroom, bedrooms, dressing room, reading room, living room, and spa.
Since the fire, large groups of ultra-wealthy tourists have had to slum it in the smaller five-bedroom villas.
Beyond the private villas, the resort is dotted with outdoor pools, restaurants, and fitness centre. Butlers are also on hand to provide personal service for guests.
The “No News No Shoes” theme is designed to root barefooted guests in nature, disconnecting them from the stress of the outside world.
When tummies begin rumbling, there’s buffet breakfast and dinner and an a la carte menu for lunch. For a culinary highlight, try the Treepod Dining five metres above the ground.
Day and night activities include cycling, boat trips for firefly watching, water sports, and outdoor film screenings. For pampering, there’s a spa, massage, sauna, and hot spring. For exercise, guests have the option of the fitness room, yoga room, or tennis courts.
Time names Malaysian actress Michelle Yeoh its 2022 Icon of the Year
WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 07, 2022
Michelle Yeoh is capping off an extremely successful year with the prestigious honour of being chosen as Time magazine’s Icon Of The Year.
This year alone, Yeoh is involved in several projects including The School Of Good And Evil, Minions: The Rise Of Gru, Paws Of Fury: The Legend Of Hank, and the upcoming Avatar: The Way Of Water.
However, it is the indie film, Everything Everywhere All At Once – released in March – that is getting Yeoh all the rave reviews.
While the 60-year-old has starred in many American movies over two decades since she made the leap from Hong Kong to Hollywood in 1997, she has never been No.1 on the call sheet until this year with Everything Everywhere All At Once.
She tells Time that it is because Asian actors have always been relegated to stereotypical or inconsequential roles.
“It shouldn’t be about my race, but it has been a battle. At least let me try,” the Ipoh-born actress said.
So when the plump role of an overworked and frustrated wife in Everything Everywhere All At Once landed on her lap, Yeoh gave it her all.
“When you get an opportunity like this, you have to pour your heart and soul into it, because you don’t know when the next chance is. I think that is my biggest fear: Please don’t let this be the one and only,” Yeoh said.
Her stellar performance in the movie is generating Oscar buzz for Yeoh.
Time wrote: “Yeoh is carrying an added weight in this year’s Academy Awards race: the understanding that victory for her would be received by Asians everywhere as a victory for them too. No Asian woman has won Best Actress.”
Yeoh knows what a nomination and a win would mean, not only for her but to her legion of fans as well.
She said: “I’ve thought about it. And not just me – I feel like my full Asian community has thought about it. They come up to me and they say, ‘You’re doing it for us.”
Earlier this year, Time magazine named Yeoh as one of its 100 Most Influential People Of 2022.
Other visionaries on the same list as Yeoh included Apple’s Tim Cook, Oprah Winfrey, Squid Game creator Hwang Dong-hyuk and the Kardashians’ matriarch Kris Jenner.
‘Avatar’ sequel finally premieres 13 years after original
WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 07, 2022
Thirteen years after James Cameron released the highest-grossing film of all time, “Avatar”, the filmmaker finally premiered its long-awaited sequel in London on Tuesday.
“Avatar: The Way of Water” takes audiences back to the enchanting world of Pandora, where in the first film the native blue Na’vi people battled human colonists for the moon’s natural resources.
Set more than a decade later, “The Way of Water” sees actors Sam Worthington and Zoe Saldana return as Jake Sully and Neytiri, now parents of five children.
Their peaceful life in the paradise-like jungle is interrupted by the return of the “Sky People”, the Na’vi name for humans, who are after Sully. To protect their family and their tribe, Sully, Neytiri and their children flee to a far-flung territory and seek refuge with the oceanic Metkayina clan.
With their bodies and skills suited to forest life, the family must quickly learn the ways of the water to survive while facing their enemy’s nearing threat.
“This was a labour of love spread out over a decade, so it’s great to finally be able to share it,” Worthington told Reuters at the film’s world premiere.
“This is a heart-wrenching story, it’s mighty, it’s very powerful, you hope that it connects (with audiences) but it’s not just the carbon copy of the first one, we’ve really expanded the world, we’ve expanded this family unit.”
Saldana said reprising her role was “emotional”.
“It was exciting, it was also very scary because obviously, Jim had raised the stakes for himself, which meant that everybody was going to have a brand new challenge to have to deal with,” she said.
Sigourney Weaver plays Kiri, Neytiri and Sully’s adopted daughter, who is 14. Her biological mother is Dr Grace Augustine, who Weaver played in the original movie.
The 73-year-old said she met Cameron for lunch to discuss the movie and taking on the role of the teenage girl.
“We didn’t really talk about could I do it. It was more like you’re going to do this. And then he said ‘I know that you are still 14, you’re very immature, you clown around. Nobody else knows that but you. So I knew you could do this. I was like, was that a compliment or…?” she said.
Released in 2009, “Avatar” ranks as the top-grossing film of all time with more than $2.9 billion in global ticket sales.
Actors Trinity Jo-Li Bliss, who was born the year the original movie came out and stars as Tuktirey and Jack Champion, who plays Spider, said shooting the film’s many underwater scenes was the most challenging.
“I guess free diving, like having to hold my breath underwater and with everyone and we’re in the scene and we’re connecting to the emotion of the scene and each other, that was definitely something I didn’t expect,” said Bliss.
“I think learning to hold my breath for like five minutes and 33 seconds is definitely my favourite thing that I learnt. I think, I never thought I could even go past a minute so it really opened my eyes to that,” added Champion.
Four “Avatar” movies are planned through 2028.
“I never had any doubt that this day would come because I’d read all four of the scripts … but I think that the enormity of the task, of the world-building … creating this whole new level of detail … that was difficult,” producer Jon Landau said, adding most of the third movie had been filmed.
“We shot a lot of ‘Three’ because the kids are ageing out, so we had to do that though, just through necessity. But you know, we’re very humble in the thing that we only get to do the rest of them if this does connect. So, you know, we put all our love into this one,” said Worthington.
Thai and foreign athletes compete for Muay Thai glory
WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 07, 2022
Scores of Thai and foreign boxers drew crowds to Bagnkok’s Iconsiam as they competed for trophies at the three-day Muaythai Festival 2022, which was live streamed globally by the International Federation of Muaythai Associations.
Besides boxing, the festival offered concerts, art and cultural performances.
The festival was a collaboration between the Ministry of Tourism and Sports, the National Sports Development Fund (NSDF), the Sports Authority of Thailand, the Board of Boxing, the Professional Boxing Association of Thailand, and the International Federation of Muaythai Associations.
NSDF manager Supranee Guptasa said her fund partnered with the other groups to show that Muay Thai could be used as soft power to promote Thailand and Thai products, including fashion and food.
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