End a blissful year with a “Pandora Exclusive Thank You Gift” by spending up to Bt9,000 (full-priced items only) to receive a free Limited Edition Silver “Firework Bangle”.

The promotion runs until December 9 at Pandora’s concept stores.

End a blissful year with a “Pandora Exclusive Thank You Gift” by spending up to Bt9,000 (full-priced items only) to receive a free Limited Edition Silver “Firework Bangle”.

The promotion runs until December 9 at Pandora’s concept stores.

End a blissful year with a “Pandora Exclusive Thank You Gift” by spending up to Bt9,000 (full-priced items only) to receive a free Limited Edition Silver “Firework Bangle”.

The promotion runs until December 9 at Pandora’s concept stores.

The world’s oldest such brand, established in 1828, Wang Lao Ji is hugely popular in China. As of this year, it has recorded sales there topping 20 billion yuan (US$2.88 billion).

In recent years, the brand has been present at a host of international events, ranging from the summer and winter Davos forums to the Fortune Global Forum. Globally it’s drawn the attention of an increasing number of consumers.

With an improved trading system overseas, Wang Lao Ji is now distributed in 60 countries and regions, and the US has become its secondlargest market after the Chinese mainland.

“Wang Lao Ji’s first overseas museum in New York will deepen consumer understanding of the Chinese herbal-tea culture and, more importantly, bring the 190-year-old Chinese brand to the world,” says Ye Jizeng, deputy general manager of Guangzhou Wang Lao Ji Great Health Industry.

The theme museum is modern on the exterior but has distinctive Chinese features inside, where a multimedia exhibition traces the brand’s history and successes.

It also has a Wang Lao Ji shop where trendy instant drinks in various flavours give consumers an authentic sip of China.

At a new historical starting point, Wang Lao Ji has drawn up a 10year plan for further development. It will continually champion a lifestyle that is healthy and auspicious and cater to consumers’ need to pursue a healthy life. It will do more with botanical energy drinks, aiming to become a global industry leader.

“Wang Lao Ji will set up herbal tea museums in 56 cities to promote the beneficial and auspicious beverage and spread Chinese culture globally,” says Chen Weiping, assistant general manager.

Thakorn Piyapan, head of Krungsri Consumer Group, noted that the Siam Takashimaya Credit Card is designed for those who love shopping at this leading Japanese department store and says that the points accumulated on the card can be redeemed for discounts at Siam Takashimaya, with 800 points being equal to Bt100. The card also offers up to 5-per-cent discounts at Takashimaya department stores in Japan, Singapore, Vietnam and China.

Somwang Toraktrakul, president of Krungsriayudhya Card, added: “There are three types of card, namely Siam Takashimaya Credit Card VISA/JCB, Siam Takashimaya Credit Card Finest, and Siam Takashimaya Credit Card Finest  Invitation Only. In addition to discounts at Takashimaya department stores in Thailand and overseas, as well as extra points, card-members also receive special privileges from Krungsri for spending outside the department stores, such as a Krungsri Bonus point for every Bt25 spent, which can be redeemed for prizes, and credit back with every Bt800 spent per receipt at participating Bangchak gas stations.  Additionally, Siam Takashimaya Credit Card Finest  Invitation Only members can also access Siam Takashimaya VIP Lounge and reserved parking at Siam Takashimaya.”

The launch of Siam Takashimaya Credit Card was attended by model and actress Sririta Jensen, Panida Iemsirinoppakul and her daughter Chuenjai, chef Art Supamongkol Supapipat, who introduced shopping and dining experiences with Siam Takashimaya Credit Card, and other celebrities including Orawan Ingkasit, Pimpayap Srikarnchana and Badintra Balankura, with Sawitri Rochanapruk.

Artists from around the world thrilled the audience with their unconventional talent during the launch of the global campaign “Tiger Roar Collective” held recently at Seoul’s Sebitseom (Gavit Island), a cultural complex usually reserved for more conventional arts and performances.

“Tiger Beer believes that great ideas are not just born in the boardroom but can come from the streets of the world, which is why we are all about championing raw talent who approach their craft in unconventional ways. We believe that these are the people who shape our future: a generation of world-changing individuals who push boundaries and fearlessly follow their passions,” Venus Teoh, international brands director of Tiger, told The Nation.

“For the very first time in Seoul, Tiger Beer is showcasing collaborations featuring these diverse talents at Tiger Roar. This is a celebration of our Uncaged Nights talent, and at the same time marks the beginning of more to come. With Tiger Roar Collective, we aim to unlock even more inner tigers of unconventional talent from around the world,” she added.

The first global campaign brought together many talented individuals from Germany, USA, UK, China, Japan, South Korea, Malaysia, Singapore, Mongolia, Myanmar and Thailand, and from diverse fields such as music, dance, fashion, art, food, and technology. Among them were Vietnamese-American musician Brandon Mai or “Tin”, British rapper RoxXxan, German illustrator Russlan Kassimowitsch Tintschurin, Myanmar’s freestyle animation dancer Phyo Wai Ko Ko, Mongolian DJ and beatmaker Luvsanlkhundev Boldsaikhan or “Luuya”, and contemporary Chinese artist Chen Yingjie.

Also taking the stage were Malaysian chef Chan Wei Jun, Japanese experimental musician Masamichi Kato, Japanese violinist and composer Mei Segev, Singaporean entrepreneur and chef Tan Wee Yang, Singaporean fashion designer Amos Ananda Yeo, Korean chefs Kim Jae Eun & Heo Yun Hee from Seoul Truck and Park Chang Sung & Gregory Etheart from Bacon Realism, Korean visual artists Mina Kwon and Jeeyoung Lee, and Yimsamer, a group of light & technology experiental designers from Thailand.

“Tiger Roar plays with the words ‘roar’ and ‘raw’ and is the first global event of Tiger Beer, which is Singaporean in origin but positioned firmly in Asia. This event is designed to bring together talents from several countries around the world who present Tiger’s personality. We chose South Korea as the venue as it is one of the leading countries in Asia in terms of fashion and technology. Yimsamer is perfect for the global stage of this campaign,” said Patcharachanok Sil-Udom, Tiger and Cheers marketing manager in Thailand.

“Tiger Beer’s target group in Thailand are young urbanites so we chose Yimsamer as our ambassador for this campaign to encourage the new generation in Asia to uncage their passion and present their unique talents with a roar. We think that Yimsamer’s works are different from others in the country, as their concept is the blending of art with technology. They are a group of lighting designers who specialise in events and installations and we felt we could stand out by presenting their work. The global team really liked it and wanted Yimsamer’s installation to be part of the shows put on by other talents onstage. So, Yimsamer doesn’t just only show its work but also supports other artists,” she explained before the Seoul event, adding that Tiger Thailand would be producing a documentary about Yimsamer’s “Uncaged” for its website.

And sure enough, Yimsamer’s 4.5-metre-high kinetic light installation was put in pride of place in the centre of the cultural complex for the brand’s “Uncaged Night” event.

Built in three layers with 120 sets of LED strip lights, it featured an inner layer of strips softened by a piece of white cloth to give greater depth. The LED installation interacted with pitches from musicians on stage, underlining the collaborative nature of the event.

“This pillar is called ‘Tom Tom’,” said Kitsada Pisitsart, one of Yimsamer’s interior designers. “Our idea was to have a big pillar with LED strip lights around it that could be controlled. We used the computer to generate several pitches of traditional Thai musical instruments into a new form similar to klong yao or tom toms as a demonstration of our Thainess. This pillar consists of three layers of LED strip lights; each of them reacting to a different sound. It shows that music isn’t just only about the beat and melody but also depth. If you walk around it, you will see the different graphic images. Audience members who are standing in different corners of the hall will also see the different graphic images.

Audience members who are seated in different corners of the hall will also see the different graphic images.

“Yimsamer believes in design with technology. We work closely with engineers to come up with our installations. We call ourselves the ‘texperience designer’, a short form of technology experience designer. Our interactive works move with people. And the name Yimsamer is taken from a name of a fishing boat,” Kitsada adds.

Plans are already well ahead for the next event in Tiger Beer’s upcoming initiatives. Those wishing to take part can sign up at http://www.TigerBeerRoar.com before December 10. Talents selected for Tiger Beer’s next big initiative in 2019 will be announced by the end of the year.

BOX

Candy for the eyes

Watch the shows at https://tinyurl.com/y8gzzp42, https://tinyurl.com/y8pujhj5

IN EVERY SOCIETY, it takes courage to break silence and no more so than when the issue involves domestic violence, a plight suffered by women all over the world.

The figures speak for themselves: A study of violence against women in Thailand back in 2013 revealed that the number of violent attacks on women had risen to 87 cases a day, with 83 per cent of them committed by close relatives such as a spouse or family member. The latest information gathered by the Friends of Women Foundation shows that violence against Thai women is still common and has seen no significant decline. And if the violence itself weren’t enough, these problems are often hidden away in a society sadly lacking in real solutions and treatment.

On Monday, the United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women (UN Women) and its partners around the world launched the “16 Days of Activism Against GenderBased Violence”.

The campaign, which continues through December 10, uses the colour orange to represent power, hope, and the fight against sexual violence, and comes on the heels of global movements and grassroots campaigns such as #MeToo, #TimesUp, #Balance- TonPorc, #NiUnaMenos, #MeToo- India and “HollaBack!”

In Thailand, the theme is “Orange the World: #HearMeToo” and will encourages individuals, regardless of gender, communities, survivors and activists to speak their minds on women’s rights through a series of social engagement activities on the UN Women website and social media.

The global movement known as #MeToo became known around the world back in October 2017 but it saw the light several years earlier. The hashtag emphasising women’s rights and gender equality first appeared on the Myspace account of Tarana Burke, an AfricanAmerican civil rights activist in 2006. Burke used the phrase “Me Too” to raise awareness about the survivors of the traumatic experience, condemning sexual assault and sexual harassment of ethnic minority women in the United States. Since then, her courage has inspired millions of women to speak up and tell their stories, particularly as they relate to equal rights and gender equality.

In the interim, though, different types of violence towards women continued to spread. In 2017, Hollywood actress Alyssa Milano popularised the Me Too movement by putting #MeToo on her Twitter feed to raise awareness of sexual assault and sexual harassment across the world. That simple tweet provoked millions of women and celebrities to speak out about their own experiences, among them Lady Gaga and Evan Rachel Wood, all of them using the hash tag on social media.

To continue the momentum by partnering with companies under WPP Marketing Communications operating worldwide, UN Women is now joining forces with Thailand’s top advertising and public relations agencies including J Walter Thompson Bangkok, Mirum Thailand, Verve Public Relations Consultancy, Group M Thailand and Influos to drive the message home.

The campaign’s ultimate objectives are to tactfully uphold equal rights for all and to systematically stop violent deeds against all women. Four categories of violence – sexual, physical, emotional and economic – are prevalent in Thai society.

Areewan Jutathong, a lawyer and a women’s rights advocate for more than 20 years, and herself a one-time victim, says that one of the biggest problems in Thailand is the attitude that sees the victim rather than the perpetrator blamed. That is often enough to stop a woman from speaking out and even when she does, the justice system will force her to repeat what happened again and again. Of the 20,000 cases reported, only 3,000 cases get into the justice system and of these, a mere 200 end in a conviction, as the law allows for domestic or sexual violence cases to be settled out of court.

“Although, the legal system is much better now than it was 20 years ago, the big picture is still only being addressed by policy makers, and most of them are men. I’d like to see more women in politics and, perhaps more importantly, every family teaching young boys and girls to care and honour each other, as many studies show that men who hurt women have experienced or seen sexual violence as a child,” she says.

Thararat Panya, a law student from Thammasat University, used social media to share her case – sexual harassment by a senior student in the university. She says it took her months to decide if she should post what had happened to her without hiding her real name.

“Social media is effective and easy because it goes viral very fast. It reaches out many people and to various groups. Some people admire me, some praise my courage, some consult me, some feminists say I was inspiring, but many berate me. I’d like to see more networks and support through every channel,” she says.

This year, like on previous occasions, iconic buildings and monuments around the world are being “oranged” to call for a violence-free future including in Myanmar where Yangon City Hall, a central landmark, has been dressed in orange to bring attention to the issue both at home and elsewhere. Several European cities “oranged” their public buildings to mark the Orange the World: #HearMeToo campaign, including Rome, Vienna, and Liechtenstein. The City Hall of Paris was illuminated in orange two days ahead of the campaign launch while in Sweden the Stockholm Globe Arena was bathed in orange light.

A previously declared unsafe path in the Pristina City Park in Pristina, Kosovo went orange for the occasion. Colombia organised a public concert and lit public buildings in orange calling for women’s rights to live a life free of violence. In Rwanda, more than 1,000 people marched to the National Monument to mark the 16 Days of Activism campaign.

Nearer home, the banks of Hanoi’s Hoan Kiem lake played host to the global event “Dance for Kindness” with the participation of 5,000 dancers.

And Thailand? Sadly the authorities here didn’t deem it necessary to colour anything orange. Next year perhaps?

CAMPAIGNING FOR JUSTICE

To raise awareness of the current situation and encourage actions, several activities are being organised throughout the 16 days of the event.

– Orange Lipstick Campaign: women are encouraged to use orange lipstick and post their pictures on social media with the hashtag #hearmetoo. Each picture represents the courage to talk about their nightmares and highlight their strength to be their true selves, leading to an end in violence towards Thai women.

n Disruptive News Headlines: UN Women and local portal website MThai are urging public participation in changing negative news headlines on UN Women’s website about sexual violence to a positive one, whilst sharing it on social media to adjust the social perception of a woman being seen as a victim to a courageous survivor and demand justice and equality in society.

– Immersive 360-Degree Experience: Watch 360-degree experience simulations of violent events that illustrate the severity of this issue on http://www.hearmetoo.or.th and read additional information and advice on violence against women.

– Short Film: The story of Areewan “Auan” Jatuthong, former runner-up in the Miss Thailand pageant is being told at http://www.hearmetoo.or.th to inspire Thai women to speak up for their rights.

– Podcasts: Listen to reflections on violence as voiced by Thararat “Noon” Panya”, a law student from Thammasat University. Nantiya “Fon” Poomsuwan, a representative of Women and Men Progressive Movement Foundation and Wannachok Yimyong, Customers’ Relations Manager, J. Walter Thompson Bangkok on http://www.HearMetToo.or.th.

– Women needing help can call hotline 1300 in al confidentiality.

This third festival, which is taking place at the parking lot at front of Renaissance Bangkok Ratchaprasong Hotel from tomorrow until Sunday (November 30 to December 2) from 4pm onwards, is on the theme “Singha Nak Chim” and features a mouth-watering line-up of foods from 44 popular restaurants.

The festival is divided into three zones: “Popular Dish” features the creations of Khrua Waraporn, Puudeong Annyeong, Gu Long Bao, Grill 63 Degree, Sea Bah Bar, Sotasa Salmon Delivery, Spaghetti House 789, Khrua Napas, Oh My Clam, Chicka Cheese, JJ Grill and Saw Sam Sai.

“Photogenic Dish” has Tiny Balls Ice Cream, Hotto Bun, GJ Leeker, Friend Cheese, Blooming Gallery, Happy Cheese Toast, Aitima Gelato, and Kutkono Coconut, while “Bucketlist Dish” is home to Mookrob Akong, BBQ Thai Herb, Bloc 26th Baby Octopus Takoyaki, Kinza Gyoza, Sugar’s Tale, Poo Khai Yerm by Mick, Mr Omelet, Eat Me Cheese, Khiew Kai Ka, Many Seeds Granola, Uan Na Mookrob Chashu, Nana Hoy Khrok, Uncle Boss Sausage, Farm Design, Chim Tim, R-Haan, Made by Todd and EST.33.

Top chefs Suphamongkhon “Art” Suppipat and Chudaree “Tam” Debhakam will demonstrate their exclusive dishes on Saturday at 6pm.

On hand to provide the entertainment are Getsunova, Stamp, Mild, Bell Supol, Pause and Playground as well as DJs from Kolour.

Find out more at Facebook.com/SinghaLite, and Instagram: Singha Lite.

These global winners of the Ikea Soft Toy Drawing Competition 2017 will deliver smiles and happiness around the world. This special collection is now available at Ikea stores worldwide.

“The Soft Toy Drawing Competition has been held for five consecutive years. We have also received excellent feedback in previous years. Children from around the world are interested in submitting their dream soft toy drawings. Last year, we received more than 87,000 submissions. All of the designs were fantastic, with a massive level of imagination. We were astonished at the degree they put their hearts into their drawings. We had a lot of unicorns, monsters, and many rainbow soft toys. However, kids’ all-time favourites like owls and penguins were among them too. Ikea has selected five designs as the global first prize winners and these will be made into real soft toys for this special Sagoskatt collection,” says Bodil Fritjofsson, product developer at Children’s Ikea.

The selected winners are the unicorn by 5-year-old Peixin from China, the shark by 9-year-old Jimin from South Korea, the monster by 8-year-old Runar from Iceland, the hedgehog dinosaur by 8-year-old Greta from Sweden, and the dotted seal by 8-year-old Natalia from Poland. Each is priced at Bt239 and available at Ikea stores.

Ikea Thailand is also holding the “Give Twice Campaign” in which Ikea and Megabangna will add one extra item for every soft toy purchased and dropped off in the donation box for the Special Olympics Thailand and Handicap International. All donated toys will be given to impoverished children. This campaign is a part of the “Let’s Play For Change” campaign which is being held for the third consecutive year to support children’s right to play and develop.

Show your support and double the happiness and smiles for children at the Ikea stores at Megabangna, Central Plaza Westgate, and in Phuket from now until December 23.